Our debating society is increasingly popular with students in Years 9-11. This term, they have discussed topics ranging from tourist taxes to freedom of speech online. Our two public speaking teams performed well in the first round of the ESU Public Speaking competition, with Nicholas speaking passionately about the death of the cinema and Eoin discussing the role of NATO in the modern world. We also hosted the ESU’s Schools’ Mace competition, with debates on the environmental impact of short haul travel and the impact of reality television shows on participants’ mental health. Our team did not progress to the next round, but were praised for their “degree level” research into their debate topic.
After Christmas, a team of students will travel to Leeds University to compete in the Ethics Cup. This competition encourages students to think philosophically about topics ranging from the use of mitochondrial donation in IVF treatment to whole life prison sentences. We will also host the first round of the Leeds Salon debating competition in January.
In preparation for the Ethics Cup, the team have worked with Leeds University students, Alice and Audrey, who demonstrated how to construct an ethical argument and helped them to understand the competition format. They have also had regular Zoom meetings with a PhD student from St Andrew’s University, helping them to develop their ethical reasoning.
