SENIOR DEBATING
Back Row : Wyatt Horsfall , Lily Graham , Lola Kidd , Rani Williams Front Row : Emilie Horsfall , Cindy Wang , Kaiya Read-Butcher , Agyeiwaa Tabi-Amponsah , Katie Hodson
Arguably , 2021 has been the most successful year for debating at HNHS to date . We started the year off strongly with four teams across all year levels competing in the Hawke ’ s Bay regionals . Two HNHS senior teams managed to break into the semi-finals . The first of these teams included Kaiya Read-Butcher , Alex Grant , and Zoe Congalton . The second team , of Lily Graham , Katie Hodson and Cindy Wang ended the tournament as runners-up , narrowly losing the final round to Karamu . Three HNHS debaters also achieved individual recognition , with Kaiya Read- Butcher being named ‘ Most Promising Speaker ’, Cindy Wang earning one of the two reserve positions on the Hawke ’ s Bay regional team , and Emilie Horsfall also returning to the regional team .
In May , the NZIER New Zealand National tournament was held , with Emilie Horsfall representing Hawke ’ s Bay alongside Lindisfarne ’ s Ned Brougham and Karamu ’ s Keelan Heesterman . In a historic tournament for Hawke ’ s Bay , the team became the first Hawke ’ s Bay team to make the national final , overall coming in second place to one of the two Wellington regional teams . Emilie additionally earned a place on the New Zealand national team to compete in the Macau Online World Schools debating competition in July , alongside Isaac Mellis-Glynn ( Auckland Grammar School ), Julia Randerson ( Wellington High School ), Tony Huang ( Onslow College ), and Callum Hackston ( Christ ’ s College ). In the lead up to Worlds , Emilie participated in the Asia World Schools Debate Open in a team with Isaac and Julia , breaking to the octofinals and ranking 11th best speaker overall . The NZ team additionally managed to break into the partial double octos at Macau WSDC , placing 29th overall .
Back in Hawke ’ s Bay , teams also participated in several online regional debates , as well as the Hawke ’ s
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Bay interschool competition . The junior students also had the opportunity to show off their skills in the HNHS Junior Impromptu Tournament ( facilitated by the debate club ’ s leaders Emilie Horsfall and Rani Williams ), won by Year 9 students Isabella McKeefry and Poppy Buller . Jeremy Beecroft emerged as the best speaker of the tournament , with Isabella McKeefry , Becs Cadenhead , Alexis Ormond , and Amponsaa Tabi- Amponsah also earning speaker awards . Although the plans for the Hawke ’ s Bay Impromptu Cup were interrupted this year by the nationwide lockdown , two teams from HNHS were able to compete against Kahurangi-Malborough in an impromptu tournament , with Emilie & Wyatt Horsfall ultimately winning the tournament , and Emilie Horsfall and Becs Cadenhead being named best senior and junior HB speakers of the tournament respectively . At the end of the year Emilie also competed in two international British Parliamentary tournaments , making the semi-finals of the East Malaysia Open alongside Mia Perkins ( Whanganui Collegiate School ). As the HNHS debate club moves into its 5th year , we look forward to the future success of its junior members , and we encourage students to continue to get involved .
Emilie Horsfall
Kaitlynn Pilbrow Year 12