Debating

DAV Women's Competitions

Over the past term, students from Years 9 to 12 have participated in the various DAV Women’s Competitions. These unique debating competitions see students grouped randomly with speakers from other schools to compete in a series of secret topic debates. They provide a fantastic opportunity to test out new skills, meet other debaters, and participate in a competitive, but less high-stakes competition. 

Well done to everyone who participated, and particular congratulations go out to Elle D (Year 11) who was part of the top ranked team in the DAV Senior Women’s Competition. 

WIDPSC Malaysia 2025

This year’s World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships are currently taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The top student speakers from around the world are descending on the city for a week of intense public speaking as they share passionate persuasive speeches, entertaining after dinner addresses, thought-provoking impromptus, enrapturing interpretive readings and fiery debates. 

We are so proud of Prisha R, Olivia W and Jade H, who will be joined by students from five other schools from around the country to form the Australian team for this year’s Championships. Their performance in last year’s Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships earned them places on the team, and we are excited to see how they go as they take onboard the rare honour of representing their country on an international stage. 

We extend our thanks to Learning Leaders Malaysia and Sunway University for hosting this year’s competition, and wish Prisha, Olivia and Jade all the very best for this year’s World Championships!

Intermediate Public Speaking

Last weekend six Huntingtower students from years nine and 10 participated in the debates Association of Victoria’s intermediate public speaking competition. this competition see students having to present a prepared persuasive speech, along with two impromptu speeches where they have only five minutes to prepare.

Well done to everyone on an outstanding day. Particular congratulations go out to Mia P (Year 10) who finished in the top three speakers on the day and will now progress to the state final, which will be held early next term. We wish her well as she prepares to represent our school in the final round of this competition.

Lions Youth of the Year

After placing first in each of her last three finals, Olivia W (Year 12) progressed to the state final of the Lions Youth of the Year competition. This competition assesses students across a range of areas, requiring them to submit an application outlining their various cultural, academic, sporting, service and leadership achievements, along with a panel interview for each round to interrogate their contributions and test their general knowledge, along with presenting a series of prepared an impromptu speeches. It is a huge achievement to make it to the state final, and Olivia travel to Torquay to compete against the other four top placed students from across Victoria.

She did an outstanding job in the state final, and while she did not win, we are extremely proud of what she was able to achieve. We congratulate her on a great accomplishment and doing a proud job at representing our school in the Lions Youth of the Year.

Mr Matt McDonald

Director of Students Communication & Engagement

Year 8 Debating Day

On Sunday 16 February, 3 teams of year 8 students from Huntingtower participated in a debating tournament at Strathcona Girls Grammar School. The event, running from 10am to 3pm, featured three rounds of debates. In Round 1, the topic was "That professional e-sports competitions should require all participants to be at least 18 years old," and in Round 2, we tackled "That Australia should have a fast fashion tax." The final round was an impromptu round where there was only 1 hour to prepare. The teams included Kieren M, Gabriel Y, Alexander R, Robert H, Akesh W, Audrey W, Anika K, Katie B, Akshaya K, Adhrit N, Vedant N, Vajra H and Emmanuel G.

This is our teams experience, comprised of Anika K, Katie B, Audrey W and Akshaya K. In our first debate, we argued against an age restriction on e-sports. In a close match, we came out on top. After a break, and a lot of fear for the worst, the next round was up. Our team narrowly won! After receiving feedback from Mr McDonald, the next round was underway. We started the impromptu topic… Unfortunately, after a strong fight, out team lost this round.

While the other teams were battling their way through, our team, made of Adhrit N, Vedant N, Emmanuel G and Vajra H, faced some problems of our own. We had a first thrilling debate, which came down to the wire with a nail-biting finish. By the second debate, we had found our rhythm and secured a confident victory. Yet our luck ran out in the third round as we lost in a tight and hard-fought match.

In the end, all 3 teams won the first two rounds, but only one team, team 3, won the impromptu round too! However, the tournament wasn’t just about results, it was an incredible experience. Everyone learned valuable skills, from overcoming fears to crafting strong arguments under pressure. Congratulations to Team 3 for making it to the finals and everyone else who competed on the day!

Katie B, Anika K, Adhrit N & Akesh W

Year 8 Debaters

The debating competition was an exciting challenge that tested our teamwork, critical thinking and public speaking skills. We started the day at Strathcona Girls' School, eagerly finalising our speeches with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. The competition consisted of three debates: two prepared topics and one secret topic, where we only knew the general theme beforehand.

Our first debate tackled whether e-sports should be banned for minors, and we successfully argued in favour, securing a strong victory with a three-point lead. The second debate, on whether there should be a tax on fast fashion, was much closer, but we managed to win by a single point. Finally, the secret debate challenged us to argue whether children over 13 should be allowed to ride e-scooters. Even though we didn't know the exact wording in advance, our thorough preparation and teamwork paid off. By pooling our ideas, utilising fact sheets, and strategising effectively, we achieved a decisive five-point win, securing an undefeated record for the day.

Beyond the thrill of competition, the best part of the event was the teamwork and camaraderie we shared. Debating is an incredible opportunity that fosters critical thinking, sportsmanship and a supportive atmosphere. We couldn’t have achieved this success without the guidance of our debating captains, who dedicated countless Period 6 sessions to helping us refine our arguments. A huge thank you as well to Mr McDonald for organising Huntingtower’s participation and coaching us throughout the competition.

With three wins and no losses, our team has officially qualified for the grand final in Term 2, where we will compete for the state title. Congratulations to everyone who participated, and best of luck to the team as we take on the finals!

Robert H & Kieren M

Year 8 Debaters