LPSMC Senior English Debating Team Clinches the Term Final Championship with a Stellar Performance.

The English Debating Term Final held on January 26^th in the Hong Kong Secondary Schools Debating Competition was a resounding success for our school, LPSMC. In a thrilling term final, our Senior English Debating Team emerged as the champions, defeating Tsung Tsin College. The motion debated, "This house would drastically reduce the number of university spaces on offer," sparked intense discussions and showcased the debating skills of our team. We are proud to announce that Candy Wong from class 4D was awarded the coveted title of best speaker. Her performance was truly top notch and really turned the tide of the debate in our favour. Special recognition goes to Christine Chau from class 5B, who excelled in her first face-to-face debate, and Audrey Lam from class 2A, who displayed remarkable talent and growth despite still being a junior and debating in the senior team. With a successful term, winning all three debates, we eagerly anticipate the upcoming term 2 debates.

Debaters

First Speaker: Chau Sze Ting, Christine 5B

Second Speaker: Lam Hui Wing, Audrey 2A  

Third Speaker: Wong Sin Ping, Candy 4D

Student Reflections

Reflection by Chau Sze Ting, Christine 5B

It is my greatest honour to share my marvellous experience about participating in our school's English Debating Team for one term! Let me tell you why I was eager to take part in the English Debating Team. The reasons are abundant, ranging from cultivating my critical thinking skills and enhancing my teamwork skills to honing my English proficiency. After all, it is worthwhile to grasp every chance to dabble in and explore unfamiliar fields, expanding our repertoire of abilities and skills! So, what harvest have I reaped through debating? I gained not only debating techniques, but personal skills and holistic views of different issues. In terms of English proficiency, I find my pronunciation has improved under the guidance of our teacher. Also, I am required to deliver my speech eloquently and confidently, which, without a doubt, will benefit my presentation skills tremendously. Moreover, learning how to contemplate issues from diverse perspectives is one of the most meaningful lessons debating has taught me, as we must think in the opponents' shoes to offer robust rebuttals. The most important lesson, which broke down my stereotype of debating, is that we should learn to appreciate our rivals' innovative opinions and derive inspiration from their persuasive strategy to refine our models, instead of simply rendering debating synonymous with groundless arguing. In my view, the sparkling antithetical opinions are the most valuable aspect as they challenge our beliefs and propel us forward in the pursuit of truth. Lastly, I would like to extend my gratitude to Mr. Byron and my excellent and cordial team members. I firmly believe that we will strengthen our skills furthermore in the upcoming practices and competitions. I highly recommend joining our joyful English Debating Team. It will never let you down!

Reflection by Lam Hui Wing, Audrey 2A
I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to participate in the English Debating Team for a second year. This term has been an unforgettable experience filled with excitement and hard work. After last year, my debating skills greatly improved. I can now control the pace when I present the speech as well as understand the motion even better and actually have my own thoughts on it. I'm thrilled that we won the final. Although it was a tough motion and we had incredibly skilled opponents, we persevered through it and made ourselves proud. Very soon, we will return to our battle fields and prepare for the coming debates. I hope both the junior and senior team will get satisfying results.

Reflection by Wong Sin Ping, Candy 4D

On 26 January 2024, we engaged in a fierce face-to-face debate with Tsung Tsin College in the Term 1 Finals. The match was intense, as both teams presented compelling arguments. Nevertheless, we gained an edge with our superior rebuttals and presentation skills and therefore emerged victorious. The high-quality debate provided an opportunity for me to try out on-the-spot rebuttals and tackle the opposition with persuasive delivery. This experience was definitely an eye-opener as we got to have unique interactions with debaters from another school. Overall, the debate was spirited and reignited my passion for debating. Fingers crossed we have continued success in the upcoming rounds!

The adjudicator Mr. Alan Wong presents LPSMC with the championship trophy.

A proud moment for the team as they are congratulated by our Principal.

Christine Chau gets LPSMC off to a solid start with an assured speech.

Candy Wong delivers a powerful and dynamic performance to clinch the debate

and win The Best Speaker Award.

Audrey Lam debates with composure and conviction.