Sts Peter & Paul debaters training for the future
Published:Wednesday | April 13, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Nadisha Hunter, Staff Reporter
Xavier Brown, Jemarc Walters and Adrian Brown of Sts Peter and Paul Preparatory all beamed with pride yesterday as they boasted about their academic achievements, which reflect a solid start for their future goals.
The boys make up the school's debating team, and from every indication, they are destined for success.
The team faced off with Clan Carty Primary School last Friday in the second round of the Junior Prep, Primary International competition, securing their position in the third round with Mount Alvernia Preparatory School being their next contender.
The boys are highly confident that they will win the series, an important characteristic with which to persuade their audience throughout the competition so they can be victorious in May, when the final is expected to be staged.
For Jemarc, who was the best speaker for the match, being in the competition is like a rehearsal for his future as a lawyer, and he has been using the debates to develop his argumentative skills.
The 11-year-old said he would, no doubt, continue debating when he gets to high school in September.
"Debating is fun because I love arguing and getting persons to see that my point of view is correct, but I also love to listen to other people's stories to see what they have to say to me," Jemarc said.
"I will be continuing this because it is a good experience for my career path."
sharpen arguments
It was similar for Adrian, the other future attorney in the batch. He, too, sees the competition as a way to sharpen how he argues about issues.
He made no joke about becoming the best attorney in the country's history as he talked about his early preparation for the task.
The students spent long hours practising for the match, and even that, Adrian said, would be beneficial to him.
"We practise in the mornings, at lunchtime and in the evenings, and I think the long hours will help me to be more disciplined and dedicated to my studies so that I can do well," he added.
relevant to studies
Not only will the competition be beneficial for Xavier's career, but he said it helps him to garner information that is relevant to his studies.
"In a way, debating relates to my schoolwork, so even when I am training for it I am learning vital information for various subjects in class, especially social studies and science," he added.
The three boys, who recently sat the Grade Six Achievement Test, are all optimistic that they are on their way to Campion College with averages in the high 90s.
One of the coaches of the team, Gillette Depass, who spoke highly of the students, said it would be a surprise to the school community if the three brilliant scholars failed to sweep the institution to victory in the competition.
"They are very keen students who we can depend on to do well. They are all prefects who have done well over the years in their schoolwork," she added.
The school has been very active in debating over the years and has secured several trophies. However, though Sts Peter and Paul has never made it to the top spot, Depass is confident that this year the stars that make up the team will shine.
She said the students were on their way to copping more trophies to add to the many they had got when they represented the school in Jamaica Cultural Development Commission events and swimming competitions.