Both BGS A & B Senior debating teams have qualified for the quarter-finals of the Northern Ireland Schools Debating Competition. BGS is no stranger to success in this competition, having come home with the trophy in 2000 and 2004. We will be following their progress online.Chris Eisenstadt (Year 14) is a B team member, and explains here his passion for debating:
Bangor Grammar has an illustrious history in debating. We have consistently provided some of the best and brightest teams in Northern Ireland. I belive that there is a reason why we have such active societies, both senior and junior; it is the emotional and intellectual thrill of besting someone in argument, a feeling I myself have experienced as I have debated my way to the quarter finals of the debating competition this year.
Debating, not against your peers in the somewhat relaxed environment of a Friday school debate, but against people from other schools - people who have travelled the length and breadth of Northern Ireland, each one a maverick, an unknown - is a unique experience. With my school friends, I know what to expect, but even with the trite conversation before a competitive debate it is difficult to discern the quality of an opponent until one hears the speeches.
It is an excitement, a concoction of nervousness, readiness and of adrenaline, that one feels getting up to deliver a speech, not least because of the impassive, objective face of the invigilator at the back. Nothing feels quite like getting up and delivering one’s argument, giving an impassioned oration, refuting the points of the opposition or answering questions with no forewarning. The sensation of contest is unmatched, and the incredible unease between the end of the debate and the invigilator's decision is matched only by the ecstasy of victory.
Debating, not against your peers in the somewhat relaxed environment of a Friday school debate, but against people from other schools - people who have travelled the length and breadth of Northern Ireland, each one a maverick, an unknown - is a unique experience. With my school friends, I know what to expect, but even with the trite conversation before a competitive debate it is difficult to discern the quality of an opponent until one hears the speeches.
It is an excitement, a concoction of nervousness, readiness and of adrenaline, that one feels getting up to deliver a speech, not least because of the impassive, objective face of the invigilator at the back. Nothing feels quite like getting up and delivering one’s argument, giving an impassioned oration, refuting the points of the opposition or answering questions with no forewarning. The sensation of contest is unmatched, and the incredible unease between the end of the debate and the invigilator's decision is matched only by the ecstasy of victory.
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