DEBATE & PUBLIC SPEAKING IN BERMUDA
In late February, Natasha Hofer, Lindsay Cogan, and I travelled as a team to Bermuda to compete in our first international debate and public speaking competition. The tournament in Hamilton included two days of public speaking and one day of debate. In the public speaking half, Lindsay and Natasha competed in the interpretive reading category, I competed in the impromptu speaking event, and we all participated in the persuasive speaking category. Individually, Lindsay placed first in persuasive speaking, in interpretive reading, and she was the top individual speaker in the senior division; Natasha placed second in persuasive speaking, and I placed first in the impromptu speaking category and fourth in persuasive speaking. Finally, in public speaking, we were recognized as the first-place team overall.
After many months of preparation, on the third day, we were ready to tackle world's style debate, which entailed three speakers on each side as opposed to the usual two speakers per side in Canadian parliamentary debate. We participated in three challenging rounds discussing ideas ranging from gender-neutral uniforms to terrorism. As this was our first formal opportunity to debate in this style, we learned more about working as a group and the importance of communication. The hard work paid off, and we placed third as a team in this category, and Lindsay placed fourth as an individual speaker.
I do have to admit that our time was not entirely spent in the classroom. We explored the underground crystal caves, swam in the ocean, learned more about the formation of the island at Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, and, of course, bought many souvenirs. In between rounds at the tournament, we were also able to reunite with competitors who had attended IISPSC 2017 at Balmoral Hall and meet many others who were quite interested in hearing about the snow in Winnipeg!
Overall, debate and public speaking is a fundamental skill that we are so lucky to gain at Balmoral Hall, and exploring the world and meeting new people are benefits to joining the competitive team.
This trip to Bermuda was an experience I would not have had otherwise, and that is something I will never forget.
This trip to Bermuda was an experience I would not have had otherwise, and that is something I will never forget.
Balmoral Hall School
630 Westminster Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3C 3S1
Tel: (204) 784-1600 | Fax: (204) 774-5534 | info@balmoralhall.ca
Charitable Registration No. 12994 3932 RR0001
Tel: (204) 784-1600 | Fax: (204) 774-5534 | info@balmoralhall.ca
Charitable Registration No. 12994 3932 RR0001
Our mission at Balmoral Hall School is to inspire girls’ imagination and the courage to excel, to reach, to lead, to care.
We are a nondenominational independent day and boarding school, educating students from Junior Nursery to Grade 12.
