Sparks fly in debate
25 Sep 2020
“This house believes that, in the event of an all-out war between India and China, the US should not intervene.”
With King’s College, Auckland, affirming and College negating, there were sparks flying as the fiercely competitive teams argued the above motion at the annual College vs King’s debate on Monday 21 September.
The King’s delegation – Year 12 student Ophelia Masfen-Yan, and Year 13 students Hugo Gerbich Pais and Cullen White, accompanied by coach Nushi Wijewardena – put forward strong arguments in favour of why the US should remain neutral, but they couldn’t withstand the shock and awe tactics of the College boys. Year 13 students John-Paul Lay, Angad Vraich and Jamie Yee, focusing on the strength and pervasiveness of the US military machine and the potential threat to global stability of such a conflict, managed to persuade adjudicator Vikas Shenoy that might is right – and wrested the trophy back from King’s for the first time in several years.
The College vs King’s clash is one of the longest-standing secondary school debating exchanges in New Zealand, giving participants the valuable opportunity to test their skills outside their home region. The College boys were delighted to welcome their King’s counterparts to Christchurch this year, and away from the cut and thrust of competition the atmosphere was cordial and relaxed.
