뉴질랜드, 세계 학생 토론대회 챔피언!

뉴질랜드, 세계 학생 토론대회 우승!  지난 2월 그리스 아테네에서 세계 39개팀이 참가한 2009년 세계 학생 토론대회에서 뉴질랜드 대표팀이 우승했다.  지난해 미국 워싱턴에서 열린 대회 결승전에서 4-5로 아쉽게 패했던 영국과의 재대결에서 6-1의 표차로 이긴 값진 성과다.   올해 토론 주제는 "That all illegal immigrants should receive amnesty"였으며, 뉴질랜드 디베이트 카운실의  크리스토포 비숍은 학생 대표들이  한달여간 집중 준비한 성과였고, 이번 우승은 뉴질랜드가 세계에서 가장 우수하고, 언변이 뛰어난 학생들을 갖고 있는 나라라는 것을 다시 한번 입증해 뉴질랜드 사람으로서 긍지와 자부심을 가질 만하다”고 말했다.     뉴질랜드는 지난 1991년과 1992년, 1995년에 이어 올해 4번째 우승 국가로 이름을 남겼다.     이번 대표팀은 지난해 5월 뉴질랜드 법률회사인the Russell McVeagh 주최 New Zealand Schools' Debating Championships 전국대회를 통해 선발됐으며Maria English (Captain, Samuel Marsden Collegiate, 웰링턴), Holly Jenkins (Sacred Heart College, 웰링턴 로워허트), Jennifer Savage (Wanganui Collegiate, 황가누이), Tom Chen (Hillcrest High School, 해밀턴) and Ben Kornfeld (King's College, 오클랜드)으로 구성됐다.     세계 학생 토론 대회는 1988년부터 매년 세계 각국을 돌며 열리는 고등학교 학생들의 토론 경연장으로, 올해 대회엔 영국, 웨일즈,스코틀랜드,인디아,파키스탄,미국,남아공,한국,일본 등에서 총39팀이 참가했다.     NZ wins World Schools Debating Championships Thursday, 19 February 2009 Press Release: New Zealand Schools Debating Championships

NZ wins World Schools Debating Championships 

The Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools' Debating Team has won the World Schools' Debating Championships after defeating England in the Grand Final, recently concluded in Athens, Greece.

 

New Zealand beat England by a 6-1 margin, proposing the motion "That all illegal immigrants should receive amnesty".

39 other countries competed at the 2009 Championships. on the way to the Grand Final New Zealand defeated Singapore, Scotland, Canada, Wales, Peru, the Netherlands, Chile, Bangladesh, and Germany.

 

New Zealand were runners-up at the 2008 Championships, losing on a 4-5 decision to England.

 

Christopher Bishop of the NZ Schools Debating Council says that its an amazing achievement for the team and reflects months of hard work. "This victory proves that New Zealand has some of the brightest and most articulate young people in the world", said Mr Bishop. "All New Zealanders should be very proud", he added.

 

It is the first time since 1995 that New Zealand has won the Championships, and the fourth time since 1988 (previous victories were in 1991, 1992, and 1995), making New Zealand the second most successful country ever to compete in the tournament

 

The five person Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools' Debating Team was selected at the national finals of the Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools' Debating Championships held in May 2008. The team comprises Maria English (Captain, Samuel Marsden Collegiate), Holly Jenkins (Sacred Heart College), Jennifer Savage (Wanganui Collegiate), Tom Chen (Hillcrest High School) and Ben Kornfeld (King's College).

 

The team was coached by Julia Fetherston (an Australian law student and champion student debater) and Kevin Moar (a policy analyst at the Ministry of Health), and sponsored by Russell McVeagh, New Zealand's leading law firm.

 

The World Schools' Debating Championships, a global competition for high school debaters, has been held each year since 1988. This year's tournament involves 39 teams, including England, Wales, Scotland, India, Pakistan, the USA, South Africa, South Korea, and Japan.

 

 

 

The New Zealand team has won the World Schools' Debating Championship in Athens, Greece, after a convincing victory over England.

The team beat England by a 6-1 margin, proposing the motion "That all illegal immigrants should receive amnesty".

Speaking from Greece, team captain Maria English of Wellington's Samuel Marsden Collegiate said the win had capped off an exciting competition.

"It's fantastic, it's a great feeling," she said.

"The whole competition was the most amazing experience and getting the chance to represent our country has just been fantastic."

This morning's win over England was particularly satisfying as New Zealand suffered a heartbreaking 4-5 decision loss to their English counterparts in last year's final in Washington.

 

"It was a great rematch actually, and a really close debate as well," Ms English, daughter of Finance Minister Bill English said.

"You've got to be confident and you've got to believe in the team, which we did, but at the same time it's always so close, and England is such a great team."

 

Ms English, 17, and fellow 18-year-old teammates, Holly Jenkins, of Lower Hutt's Sacred Heart College, Jennifer Savage of Wanganui Collegiate, Tom Chen of Hamilton's Hillcrest High School and Ben Kornfeld of Auckland's King's College, had been kept busy since their win with phone calls and text messages from home.

"It's been really exciting and the support from back home has been great."

On the way to the final, the team defeated Singapore, Scotland, Canada, Wales, Peru, the Netherlands, Chile, Bangladesh and Germany.

It was the first time since 1995 that New Zealand had won the championships.

- NZPA <NZ Herald>

 

 

 http://www.schoolsdebate.gr/index.asp   "Debate"란?

 

Debate is a formal argument, in which two opposing teams of three speakers propose or attack a given proposition or motion in a series of speeches. It is governed by a set of rules, which permit interruptions or "points of information" by the opposition. The winning team is determined by an experienced panel of judges.

 

The debates themselves involve contemporary issues usually with a wide diversity of moral, economic, social, political and other dimensions. Typical debate topics include motions framed around issues such as capital punishment, civil liberties, abortion, euthanasia, environmental protection and terrorism, and they range from those with a global perspective to those of more relevance in a domestic setting.

 

Debate is a feature of virtually all forms of human interaction from parliamentary proceedings to meetings in all walks of life. It is a fundamental element of modern society and work. An essential skill of politicians, lawyers, managers and indeed anyone representing a particular cause, group or action, it is the art of persuasive communication.

 

A number of debate tournaments are held each year in Greece, notably those hosted by Deree College, and the debate competition which is part of the Panhellenic Forensics Association (PFA) annual tournament.

 

Inevitably these events attract the brightest and best students from schools and colleges many of whom go on to secure places at the most prestigious universities worldwide, and go on to pursue careers in commerce, industry, law and politics. /