Each year, the speaking arts at Ridley continues to grow, and with it, so do our students. With each debate, speech, or presentation, our Ridleians continue to develop the skills and confidence to succeed, while exploring and seeking answers to global issues. During the first debate of the year, our Ridleians put these very skills to the test, and returned home with a trophy in hand.
On November 4th – 5th, Ridley students participated in the first Fulford Cup debate of the season, hosted by Lakefield College School. The Fulford League is comprised of 20 independent schools throughout Ontario, and a number of Fulford Cup debates occur each year. These events offer students the chance to meet, compete and grow with their peers, as the year progresses.
For this most recent debate, there were two prepared rounds on the topic of whether vaccinations should be mandatory, followed by an impromptu round on whether we should continue to fund space exploration.
Junior debaters, Bart Skala ‘19 (placed 6th individually) and Jared Sloan ‘19 (placed 8th individually) won the Fulford Cup with impressive performances, placing first overall as a team. This is the first time Ridley has won the Fulford League Bryan Jones Trophy since the 1999-2000 season.
Seniors, Jack Richardson ‘17 (placed 4th individually) and Zane Gourzong ’18 (placed 18th individually) finished 5th as a team, in the challenging cross-examination category. This was the first competitive debate for Zane and an impressive start to his debate involvement. Jack demonstrated his experience by placing 4th overall, earning his second consecutive Fulford certificate. Our students represented Ridley well; demonstrating their dedication, talent and team work. The coaches, Andrew Leach, Sean MacPherson, and Paul O’Rourke are encouraged by the development of this year’s debate members and look forward to their next debate. The competitive calendar has just started and new students are always welcomed.
The Ridley Debating Society would like to take this time to acknowledge the generous support of W. Darcy McKeough ’51 and the W. Darcy McKeough ’51 Fund, which helps develop the speaking arts at Ridley – debate, public speaking, and model United Nations.
Want to support the speaking arts? The 2016 annual Upper School Public Speaking Competition will be held on Wednesday, November 30th, at 1:00p.m. in the Mandeville Theatre. We encourage all members of the Ridley community to attend this long standing Ridley tradition and cheer on the participants.
– Paul O’Rourke, MYP Coordinator, Department of Social Sciences (LS)