NOAH Petersen has tested his skill against some of the best debaters in the state this week.
The Scone Public School student’s New England team debated five preliminary rounds, finishing equal fourth overall with three wins and two losses.
Ten different regions were represented at the state debating championships, with topics including health, liberty, gender, education, and crime and punishment. The semi-finals were reserved for the four top-ranked teams.
Three teams finished equal first and another team tied for second with New England. The decision came down to the head-to-head challenge in the preliminary rounds.
Unfortunately, New England was beaten by the equally-ranked North Sydney team in a head-to-head.
The question for the debate was: ‘when an under-18 commits a crime, they should always be sentenced to community service instead of prison.” Noah was the second speaker, with his team arguing as the affirmative.
The defeat saw New England miss the semi-finals, finishing fifth due to a count back, while North Sydney went on to win the title.
The rest of Noah’s team consisted of Billy Russell (Tamworth Public School) Erica Eather ( Nundle Public School) Ava Sullivan (Timbumburi Public School) Abbey GreenTree (Nemingha Public School).
New England regional debating coordinator Lauren Bowman said the side was considered strong competition and should be proud of their achievements.
