The 2023-2024 interhouse debating tournament at Trinity College School came to an exciting conclusion on Thursday, February 8th, as the finals were held in the Junior (Grade 9-10) and Senior (Grade 11-12) divisions.
The Junior final, held in the Memorial Chapel, saw the Hodgetts House team of Ira H., Ewan E., Wyatt S. and Caden K. face off against Burns representatives Maeka I., Anjali S., Grace P. and Marina Z. Debaters tackled the resolution that “social media companies should be held responsible for the mental health impact of their platforms on teenagers.” In the end, the judges – Dr. Greg Hodges, Mr. Tim Clutton and Ms. Jennifer Paziuk – awarded the Dr. Michael T. DuBroy Junior House Debates Trophy to Hodgetts House!
In the Senior division, Hodgetts was again a finalist, with the team of Atticus H., Jaxson P., Samuel S. and Nolan M. going up against the Orchard House squad of Arjun S., Nick S., Eason F. and Wolfgang V. Taking the stage of the Dick & Jane LeVan Theatre, the finalists argued whether it is unethical or not for schools to use surveillance technology to monitor student behaviour. The judges – Ms. Pam Dew, Mr. Kristopher Churchill and Mr. Greg MacPherson – had a tough task, but ultimately the Tom Lawson Senior House Debates Trophy went to Orchard House!
Congratulations to Hodgetts and Orchard on their wins, and kudos to all of the students who committed to representing their houses in debates this year. A special shout-out to the judges for giving of their time.
