On Sunday, January 29th four students from the SBS debate team competed at the Kingswood-Oxford Public Speaking Tournament individually and as a team against ten other schools including Choate, Deerfield, Henderson, Hotchkiss, Joel Barlow, Kingswood-Oxford, Northfield Mount Hermon, Roxbury-Latin, Taft and Pike.

 

The tournament included three rounds in which forty-seven students competed. During the first round, interpretive reading, tenth grader Caroline L. placed second and 11th grader Mary P. finished in first place. Tenth grader Jane L. finished in second place in the second round, After-Dinner Speaking. Ninth grader Maraina W. received scores of 88 and 90 from judges in the third round, Impromptu Speaking.

 

For overall individual awards (a speaker's average over all three rounds), Maraina W. finished fourth and Jane L. third.

 

In overall team awards (each school's four speaker average over all three rounds) Stoneleigh-Burnham was awarded first place, followed by Hotchkiss and Kingswood-Oxford.  

 

As a result of her efforts at this event and in others this season, 10th grader Jane L. has been selected to join the U.S. team at the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Tournament to take place in Brisbane, Australia in March.

 

The debate team has dedicated long hours to developing, writing, memorizing and rehearsing their work over the year. Coach Paul Bassett (who also dedicates long hours) said, "I know how hard they worked. I am very proud of them." After hearing the announcement of the team's victory, the entire school gave Coach Bassett and the four public speakers a well-deserved standing ovation during Housemeeting.