Confidence and excellent delivery in round 2 of the Inter-House Debating...

Blackford vs Lyon
The second round of House debating this term saw Blackford propose the motion of ‘This House Regrets Social Media’s Prominence in the Distribution of News.’ Both teams had clearly prepared well, and it was fantastic to see them talk confidently about recent news stories, as well as explore how news had been delivered throughout history. This was also a great opportunity for 3^rd Form pupils to start developing their debating skills, and both Jesse (Blackford House) and Zak (Lyon House) deserve huge credit for the way in which they engaged with the audience and delivered their side of the argument. Ultimately, it was the style of the delivery and slightly better strategy that led to Lyon pipping Blackford to victory. Both teams deserve huge credit for the way in which they delivered the debate, but they have also recognised areas where they can improve and return stronger in the next round.

Dan Cupit - Deputy Head, Academic

Arion vs New
Arion and New met this morning to debate the merits of using social media as news distribution services.  Both sides offered very cogent points and all debaters spoke with confidence and clarity.  The judges singled out both Izzy and Rafe for praise for their compelling delivery and the forthright manner with which they handled their opposition’s points of information queries.  New House offered an organised and detailed argument addressing the inherent vulnerabilities of social media, and Arion approached the debate from a sophisticated angle which anticipated their opponent’s views. Arion won the day by two points with victories in both the strategy and style categories. The knock-out stage of the competition will begin in two weeks.

Duncan Ericson - English Teacher

Wellesley vs Priory
With the recent takeover of Twitter dominating the mainstream news media this week, the motion of this second-round inter-house debate felt powerfully topical. Both Wellesley and Priory houses responded with a suitably detailed presentations for and against social media’s prominence in the distribution of news - Wellesley proposed the motion and Priory opposed. Sarah (Wellesley 3^rd Form) and Polly (Priory 4^th Form) delivered tightly-scripted, comprehensive introductory statements that showed excellent research and judgement. Winnie (Wellesley 5^th Form) and Harriet (Priory 5^th Form) took it up a notch with highly-persuasive, impassioned pleas; Winnie calling for greater emphasis on ‘high quality’ news and greater controls to inhibit the spread of ‘fake news’ and Harriet defending the utopian potential of social media to move society towards a more open news environment less reliant on centralised editorial distribution structures. Both teams understandably focused on ‘fake news’ as a critical component of social media’s prominence in the wider news landscape. Priory made the salient point that recent studies have shown ‘fake news’ travels quicker through the social media ecosystem than ‘real news’, which over recent times has had a negative impact at key moments of international diplomatic significance. Finally, Rachel (Wellesley U6^th) and Laila (Priory U6^th) were singled out for particular praise by the judges for their lucid summary statements that responded to the audience’s questions and eloquently rebutted each other’s points. Ultimately, a closely contested debate was awarded to Wellesley.

Gervase Gordon - English Teacher

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