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Senior debaters win in busy season
Selwyn House senior debaters Dylan Lee and Daniel Bergevin placed 13th out of approximately 50 teams at the Senior National Debating Tournament, which was hosted online by Selwyn House on April 15–17.
The team of Matthew Homa and Sasha Klein also competed, while a team of Denis Dariotis and George Adamopoulos participated as a swing team.
Dylan Lee was named top Quebec speaker.
All these SHS debaters are Gr. 11, which means they will not be competing for Selwyn House next year.
Teams from all Canadian provinces competed in the tournament, which is only part of what has turned out to be a busy year for the debating teams.
Because the pandemic has required that tournaments be held online, it eliminates the cost and trouble of flying debating teams all over the world to compete. So, it’s easier for more schools to take part in the competitions.
“We don’t slow down,” says Selwyn House Senior Debating Coach Jonathan Bracewell. “We have been to more events this year, because geography isn’t really an issue.” Rather than competing every third weekend, as in a normal season, the debating Gryphons are now competing every second weekend.
“The competition is harder because there are more people—and better people—taking part,” says Mr. Bracewell.
At Dawson College’s April Fools’ Cup, held on April 9-10, Matthew Homa and Sasha Klein came in second after a narrow loss in the final round.
The prepared resolution for that tournament, which all debaters must argue from both sides during the first two rounds, was: “This house prefers a world in which politicians are not members of political parties.”
Upcoming debating events include the McMaster High School Tournament, scheduled for May 15-16; the Quebec and Ontario Junior Tournament, also on May 15-16; and the Junior Nationals on May 28-30, in which Charles Seitz and Yusuf Afif (both Gr. 9) will compete.
