Debating & Public Speaking | Term 1 Update
Unity. Curiosity. Determination. Undoubtedly, the Debating & Public Speaking Portfolio’s values continue to be demonstrated by all the amazing Mac.Rob students currently participating in the annual DAV Schools Debating Competition.
After an intensive two-week trialling period and selection process at the start of the year, our Mac.Robbians have already finished 2 rounds of the DAV competition with outstanding results. Our debaters have been facing some of the best teams in the region, and the state—coming out victorious.
We’ve engaged in debates ranging from topics related to voting and student involvement in extracurricular activities to pertinent discourse surrounding the recent rise of Artificial Intelligence. Our debaters have had the opportunity to construct comprehensive cases for their teams, rebut effectively and challenge their thinking. As we prepare for the first impromptu debates of 2023, the DPS cabinet is working hard to organise training sessions with the aim of helping Mac.Robbians develop strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
A special shout-out to our D-grade Year 9 debaters as well, who are yet to even complete their first term here at Mac.Rob, and as part of DPS! You all continue to display such an inspiring desire to keep improving as part of this portfolio—whether that be at training sessions, DAV debates or just DPS meetings. We are so proud of you all and cannot wait to see you grow into even stronger debaters and teammates, we commend you all for continuing to put immense amounts of effort into your preparation, and for all the debates and trials you have participated in so far.
DPS at Mac.Rob strives to be an inclusive portfolio for students with all sorts of skills! Beyond DAV debating, DPS has many other exciting events planned for 2023: Model UN, for those with a passion for diplomacy and politics; inter-school debating for beginners; and the annual house debating competition, to embrace house spirit and add a bit of friendly competition!
And finally, one of the most exciting initiatives is being held in-person after a 4-year hiatus - drumroll please - the Adelaide Exchange debating round!
Good luck to our debaters for the next few rounds of DAV and congratulations to every team! No matter what the outcome, we know that Debating and Public Speaking at Mac.Rob has a bright future and that there is even more to look forward to for the year ahead. We can’t wait to see you all at future events ~
Arshia and Jasmin, DPS Co-Captains