Farewell Year 12 2023 Debaters

At the end of Round 6 towards the end of Term 2, our Year 12 2023 debaters took part in their last ever debate against St Greg’s in the final Preliminary Round of the CSDA Competition. This year, our Year 12 teams comprised of: Monique R, Chelsea-Ray H, Synthia M, Ysabelle O, Maham K, Caitlin O, Isabella W, Kawther M, Prapti S and Charley L. Both Year 12 teams won their final debate, and we thank them very much for their years of service to the St Pat’s Oratory Community!

8B and 9A make the CSDA Quarter Finals

All 12 of our teams from St Pat’s that competed in the CSDA had wonderful seasons, competing against some extremely strong competition across the preliminary rounds against schools such as Rosebank College Five Dock and Santa Sabina Strathfield, with 4 of our teams being just one win short of making the final series. Our 8B team managed to win all six of these debates and so progressed directly to the Quarter Finals held on the last Friday of the school holidays before Term 3 started. The girls took on Oakhill College Castle Hill in a high quality debate. Whilst their season came to an end at the Quarter Finals, this was the team’s best result in the CSDA, and we thoroughly look forward to the team having many more successes over the next few years! The 8B team this year was: Lily H, Hayley E and Laticia M – well done girls!

Our 9A team also fought their way through to the Quarter Finals, after winning 5/6 Preliminary Round Debates, our girls had to take on Domremy College Five Dock in an Elimination Round debate at the end of Term 2. The girls were victorious in this debate, which also represented their best result in the CSDA competition. This meant that the Quarter Final became a showdown with Marist College Eastwood on the last Friday of the school holidays before Term 3 started. The girls competed in a very high quality debate, which will hold them in good stead as they enter Senior School Debating next year, and we are so very proud of their efforts throughout the season in reaching the Quarter Finals! The 9A team this year consisted of: Zali B, Annaliese E, Natalie S, Lyla F, and Rebecca M, well done girls!

10A wins the CSDA Championship – first Championship for St Pat’s since 2013!

Our 10A CSDA team of Mackenzie Q, Orlaith B and Holly B (supported by squad members Ava M and Grace Q), had a truly miraculous run through the CSDA competition. The girls won 5/6 Preliminary Round debates, and then had to argue the less obvious side of most of their topics in the run up to the Grand Final. The girls argued the following topics in the final series:

Elimination 1: That there should be a quota for women in parliament (Negative) - defeated Bede Polding Windsor South

Elimination 2: That teacher's pay should be linked to student results (Affirmative) - defeated St Andrew's Marayong A

Quarter Final: That the internet should be censored (Negative) - defeated Chevalier Bowral

Semi Final: That climate change should be the government's main priority (Affirmative) - defeated Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta B.

This led our girls to the 2023 CSDA Debating Grand Final held at Christian Brother’s Lewisham on Friday 4 August, becoming the first team since 2019 from St Pat’s to compete at this level. The girls debated against Rosebank College, Five Dock on the topic “That we should have a quota of young politicians in parliament” and received the Negative side of this topic. Mackenzie Q expertly established that politicians need to have a balance of education and experience in order to be effective parliamentarians, and that it would be unfair to expect this of young people, which Rosebank defined as being aged 18-35 years old, and that it would be better to offer other opportunities for young people to be involved in government. Orlaith B then defended this stance by arguing that one’s pre-frontal cortex is not fully developed until the age of 25, and thus it would not be beneficial for the fate of our nation during a crisis, to be left in the hands of a teenager. Holly B then wrapped up the St Pat’s case with eight solid minutes of refutation, attacking everything the opposition had ranging from their definition, to each example brought forward, and simultaneously defending what had already been presented by St Pat’s. In front of approximately 75 people (around 50 of which were supporting St Pat’s!), the panel returned and on the grounds of having superior refutation, awarded our girls the CSDA Metropolitan Championship! An absolute roar of support came from the very pro St Pat’s crowd, and Mackenzie, Orlaith and Holly have become the first team from St Pat’s to win a CSDA Championship since 2013, in a competition which is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere for High School students. To say that we are proud of the girls is a significant understatement. The calibre of knowledge, wit, and tactical nous they were able to display regularly throughout the season was something truly special, and especially with the pressure of a Grand Final, to pull out such an amazing effort, is something that will go down in St Pat’s history as one of our best nights in a very long time!

The girls will now compete in the CSDA State Final, and this will be held after the HSC has concluded in Term 4. They will be the first team since 2013 to compete at this level, and we wish the girls the very best as they prepare for this debate!

Throughout the CSDA Season, a big thank you must go out to Mrs Bryannie and Ms Bella who both assisted with the coaching of our teams, as well as adjudicating throughout the season. Many thanks to Mrs Musico Rullo for her energetic support of our girls and for attending a variety of the away debates we had throughout the season. We also had some of our ex-students adjudicate for St Pat’s this year, a big thank you to Olivia L, Bianca R and Grace K (Graduating Class of 2022) for adjudicating throughout the season. Finally, a big thank you to Ms Lennox for her wonderful support of our girls as they travelled across Sydney throughout Terms 2 and 3, as well as myself as coordinator, and to Dr Bourne for attending the Grand Final at Lewisham.

Christopher Duncan - CSDA Debating Coordinator