Debating & Public Speaking | Term 1 Update.
Term 1 has been a journey for DPS, and what an incredible journey it was.
We started off the year with team selection trials for the Mac.Rob interschool debating team, run annually by the Debating Association of Victoria. It is always incredible to see the calibre of debaters we have at our school, but it was even more amazing to see the level of interest. We had a record number of signups, with over 300 students showing interest, however we ultimately had to narrow this down to 96 students across the four year levels.
In conjunction with trials, we also selected our DPS cabinet, a collection of highly skilled debaters who get the opportunity to pass their knowledge to the DPS Cohort. Congratulations to:
DPS Mentors: Helen L, Thisari G and Alisha S
DPS Executives: Suraya I and Scarlett C
DPS Secretary: Sahana S
Alongside these students, we also have our DPS Coordinators, Mr. Thiel and Ms. Fallon, whose support has been invaluable in developing the DPS portfolio.
With the help of our Cabinet, we have also run three training sessions in Term 1, guiding our fantastic cohort of debaters to maximise their potential.
Round 1 of the DAV debating competition was a blast! This year, Mac.Rob is competing in the South Yarra region, and while we strive to place focus on growth over winning, we had overwhelming success in our first round of debating. Special mention to our Year 9 teams and mentors. This was the first time debating for many of our Year 9 debaters, and despite only one training session, we were successful in every one of our Year 9 debates - an amazing achievement!
We would also like to congratulate Lumina R, who is debating in A grade as a Year 11, and Kainaat D, who is debating in B grade as a Year 10. Alongside this, we are proud to say that one of our DPS Captains, Jiahui Z, has made it to the VST debating team, and will be competing for Victoria in May.
Term 1 also welcomed our first MUN, held by CHES. The day was an amazing opportunity for networking, critical thinking and discussion, and we look forward to Mac.Rob participating in many more throughout the year.
Our vision for DPS in 2026 has centred around the school values of community and growth, and it is incredible to see this vision blooming. Our results in Round 1 are a testament to our cohort’s commitment and unwavering support for one another, whether that is spectating debates that they may not be speaking in, or constantly attending training and seeking feedback. We hope to continue to foster this connection moving forward, and look forward to a fruitful year for the Debating and Public Speaking portfolio.
Shaivee S & Jiahui Z
Debating & Public Speaking Captains