Spoken Word-The Janus Way

ty 27 01 2012

Last term’s contributors to the Spoken Word include a bigger and better group than ever before. Our Year 7s in particular have been exceptionally enthusiastic.

Spoken Word contributors include: Rosie Hudson, Olukemi Taiwo, Anna McDonald, Cathy Hensman,  Lizzy   Hensman, Lucy Johnston, Bethany Downey, Vanessa Saunders, Gaby Corry-Mead, Nuha Bazeer, Georgia Bell, Lucy Rowan, Sophie Allin,   Celeste Bellia-Veniou, Katie Newton, Suzanne Azim, Leila Mason, Brigit Hiza, Margot Hiza, Stella Jukic, Farida Ben-Younis and    Maria   Paradinas.

Our events have ranged from Debating Friendlies (at King’s and Wimbledon High), where our teams have battled with three other schools on topics as wide-ranging as introducing CCTV to schools to making school attendance voluntary. There have been lots of wins, a few panicky moments but lots of fun as well. Suzanne’s impressions: “It was fun and  amusing; I am definitely debating again.”

There have been two major competitions as well – the Cambridge Schools and the English Speaking Union’s Schools Mace – both demanding rigorous debating skills. Rosie Hudson and Lucy Johnston have been hugely successful in coming second in the Cambridge Schools’ regional round and winning the Schools’ Mace regional round as well. On the Schools’ Mace, Rosie reports: “Our motion was ‘This House Would Make  Post-Mortem Organ Donation Compulsory’ and we were opposing the motion. We talked for seven minutes each on the motion … Along with Surbiton High School we are now waiting for the dates of the next round where we will do it all again!”

Next term brings an even bigger range of events, with our speakers hoping to make a mark in range of events on offer :

  • the School of African and Oriental Studies Debate – with over 200 pupils participating internationally;
  • the Rotary Youth Speaks Competition – three teams representing Coombe, talking about topics relating to the Olympic Spirit;
  • the English Speaking Union Public Speaking Competition – to be hosted by Coombe;
  • the Jack Petchey Speak Out Competition – for a group of 25 Year 10s and the Oxford Schools’ Competition – notorious for its strictly contemporary debate  motions.

We wish our speakers the best of luck for the Spring Term.