Newington’s Year 11 History debating team made up of Ben Adams (12/FL), Sean Hatten (12/ME), Sebastian Rees (12/PR) and Samuel Wallace (12/MO) have again made the Grand Final of the Les Gordon Inter-School History Debating competition. The team has maintained an extraordinary run of form remaining undefeated since they started in the competition in 2012.

On the way to the final in the 2013-14 competition they defeated Sefton High in the Quarter Finals and a formidable team from Tara in the Semi Finals. The Grand Final will take place here at Newington (Prescott Hall) at 4.30pm on the 13th of March. Our opponents in the final will be the unknown quantity that is Good Samaritan School, Hinchinbrook. They have claimed some big scalps on the way to the final including James Ruse Agricultural High School and last year’s Year 10 Grand finalists, Loreto Normanhurst.

The topic for the debate will be that “the historian is more important than history itself.” The boys would love to see members of the Newington community in the crowd for the Grand Final especially as we have word that our opponents will be bussing a crowd over to Stanmore for the event.

Team member Sebastian Rees shared these comments going into the final,“Having won the competition last year, we’re reasonably confident coming into the final, but we cannot afford to be complacent. We know from past experience, careful preparation and case outline can prove the difference in this competition.”

In commenting on the experience of History debating, team member Sean Hatten has offered these insights, “History debating has allowed me to take an approach to history that I would not otherwise have had; that history is not as static as some would have us believe. I have learnt to delve into various biases and opinions regarding important events in history, rather than taking the entirety or every version recounted to me as fact.”

The boys have worked hard to maintain high standards in this competition and have been impressed by the quality of other historians in the schools they have visited around Sydney.

First Speaker Ben Adams respectfully comments that, “going to other schools around Sydney has been a good insight into the standard of competition that’s out there. We’ve seen that there are other students working just as hard as us and sometimes to an even higher standard, so that has forced us to constantly lift our performances.”

The boys are the true embodiment of the critical and analytical thinking we aim to develop in all of our historians here at Newington. They have been buoyed by the support they have received from staff and students thus far and would love to see this continue in the Grand Final. If they do win, they will be the first team that has won the trophy two years running. Fingers crossed for another triumph!

Mr Marco Scali
History Teacher