麻豆传媒AV

Two students from North Battleford Comprehensive High School were the winners of the annual Canada Day Debate last week.

Debate club coach Lynne Thompson said Thursday she couldn't be prouder of Colton Hutchinson and Emily Jackson, who also won a silver medal at the provincial level.

"What I always admire about the two of them is how interested in the world they are and how much information they have just at their fingertips," said Thompson.

The debate Grade 12 students Hutchinson and Jackson won last Wednesday will be televised on Canada Day across the province. It's an annual event. Each year the top north and south regions' open teams from the debate community's Tournament III are invited to Canada Day Final, hosted by Access Communications in co-ordination with the Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association. The resolution is always of national concern.

Hutchinson and Jackson were new partners this year, their previous teammates having graduated.

"It was definitely a contrast," said Jackson, whose former partner's style was the antithesis of the Hutchinson's "wild" reputation. She's heard he may just throw his notes away in the middle of a debate, but their coach, Thompson, convinced them they would make a good team.

Once they had debated together, it was fine, said Jackson.

"Especially since he was willing to put up with my quirks, too."

Hutchinson admits to his reputation, and said in their first debate they got bogged down, he said.

"But after a couple of debates we found our style."

Thompson said, "They are a good combination. One [Emily] is very in the moment, and Colton is very explosive and very logical."

They are both plugged into the world, she said, and because many of their debates are impromptu, meaning the competitors don't know until the debate begins what the topic is, the synergy that comes from the two of them is dynamic.

"Yesterday they had made their speech very Canada-oriented and that wasn't true of the other side."

Thompson said she is proud of the whole debate team.

"You see them really rise to the occasion and accept the responsibility and the pressure that comes with it," she said. "That's a lot of pressure riding on some pretty young kids, but they [Hutchinson and Jackson] were masterful yesterday, absolutely masterful."

Hutchinson reckoned having the time to prepare while travelling to Regina gave them an advantage. The other team's appearance at the Canada Day Final was in the middle of their school day.

He said the Canada Day Final was also a style they don't debate in that frequently. It was in Parliamentary style. Most of the time they debate in national style.

National style is Jackson's favourite.

"You can interrupt and get your point across," she said.

Hutchinson likes the cross-examination style, which is the style they used in Tournament III in January, from where they were invited to the Canada Day Final.

"You get a whole three minutes to just rattle that person and they can't wave you down and they have to answer your questions," he said.

Debating in different styles keeps it interesting, they agreed.

The variety of people they meet as debaters also keeps it interesting, says Hutchinson.

"You see who your university classmates will be and who you are going to have to compete against in life."

The debate season normally runs only until April. The provincial finals were March 29.

"We got silver at provincials. After that we thought we were done," said Hutchinson. "I ripped up every paper I had, then we got invited [to the Canada Day Final.]"

He said he was glad it would be televised and that it is recorded for posterity, that people would be able to see what high school debate really is.

Johnson says the broadcast should take place about noon on Canada Day.

Debate isn't the only interest for Hutchinson and Jackson.

Hutchinson is also involved in the technical aspect of drama, and at the recent grad awards ceremony won a Drama 30 award for excellence. He also won an award for technical excellence at the regional drama competition.

Jackson says debate takes up a good chunk of her time but she is also involved in soccer, wrestling and curling, plays in two school bands, is on the SRC and in a group called Comp in Action, the school's French council and Relay for Life council. She is also an International Baccalaureate student. Having earned the most activity points for Grade 12, she will be doing the charge to the grads speech at the end of the year.

Once school is out, Jackson has been accepted to the University of Waterloo to study civil engineering.

Hutchinson is looking into studying audio engineering, and has yet to determine which program he will choose.

"These two have given me the thrill of my extracurricular career," said Thompson.

While Hutchinson and Jackson won the silver medal at the provincial debate finals, another Debate Club member came home with an award for his leadership and commitment. Atom Vayalinkal was the top high school recipient of the Saskatoon Home Educated Debaters Spirit of Debate Award.

Vayalinkal's debate partner, Rahul Parekh, attends Carlton High School in Prince Albert. They use Skype to plan their strategies and practice.

Thompson said Vayalinkal came to NBCHS in Grade 11, having come from India to North Battleford via Toronto and Vancouver. He didn't have a debate partner so debated with others from around the province until he met his current partner in Prince Albert.

Thompson said, because the team as a whole won the Spirit of Debate Award last year, she didn't expect it to come in this direction two years in a row, however she did submit his name because of his contribution to the debate community. That he received the award this year she sees as a testament to just how much Vayalinkal is admired for the leadership and mentorship he gives to the other debaters.

Vayalinkal said, "It recognizes active involvement in the debate community. That's why I'm really honoured to get this."

Vayalinka and Parekh were invited to the national debate in Winnipeg this past March for a four-day event.

"They learned an awful lot and brought it back to the club as well, which I really appreciated," said Thompson.

She has been coaching the debate club for 10 years, and she's proud not only of Hutchinson, Jackson and Vayalinka, but of the whole club.

"We've had a really good year," says Thompson.

The NBCHS debate club is smaller than many of the other clubs they debate against.

"We don't have the practice Saskatoon and Regina do, so coming away with medals is a perk,"

While they have a weekly meeting, other teams, such as the Saskatoon Home Educators, meet and practice more frequently as their team members may not have as many other interests as NBCHS club members do.

Thompson says, "Some of our best work together is done in the van on the way to debate."

It's not always a level playing field, but Thompson says they don't complain.

"We just have to up our game, and this year our game was pretty good."