Challenge and More Able

St Michael's Students discuss their experiences in the Debating Club

6th Formers share they thoughts about how it has helped their studies, inter-personal skills, built confidence and friendships and expanded their minds.

St Michael’s Students debate at the US Embassy!

On the 24th of February, we were fortunate enough to participate in an annual debating tournament in honour of Benjamin Franklin. Held at the esteemed embassy of the United States, we first had to go through bag checks to even be allowed entry into the building! We were immediately overwhelmed and inspired by the beautiful architecture before the real fun had even begun but we maintained focus as we looked over our argument notes in preparation for the first round. 

It was an amazing experience to debate against so many different schools, mostly being private and grammar schools. As our first official competition, it was new, nerve-wracking but also extremely mind-opening. It gave us insight into ways to go above and beyond throughout our academic careers; at the end where all the winners were announced we had nothing but grudging respect for such brilliant, high-achieving students. The atmosphere was phenomenal, we met and conversed with other brilliant students, learned from their styles and even though we didn't win, just watching the heated final debates was so interesting and motivating, giving us an insight into what to aim for and potential future competitions to participate in. 

We were privileged enough to get a tour of the vast embassy building and were able to see their private American candy shop, glass bar, and multiple jungle-inspired balcony gardens!

We are so grateful for an opportunity like this, especially to our debate teacher Ms Casey for selecting us, Mr Divine for accompanying us and Mr Magnoff for making it happen!

Julia S (10BC) & Isioma A (10DA)

Sixth Form Debaters’ Trip to US Embassy by Amarachi Ibe

On Friday 25th February 2022, Amelie and I were nominated to represent St Michael's at the annual ‘Frankly Speaking’ debate competition hosted by Benjamin Franklin House and the US Embassy.

The two heats and the semi-finals of the competition started at Benjamin Franklin House in Charing Cross – a nondescript townhouse with an antique interior unchanged since the time of Franklin’s residency and notable crooked stairs. The rooms were so small that during debates we sat right next to our opponents with the Judges and Invigilator opposite us.

As well as St Michael’s, the competition hosted a mixture of state and private schools: Camden School for Girls, Swakeleys Girls School, Southbank International, Winchmore School, and, the previous winners, Saint Cecelia’s CofE school.

After the heats and the semi-finals, we made our way to the American embassy where we were checked in and led to a ‘foyer’ where we spoke to US diplomats and Embassy staff who spoke about their work in the embassy and their experiences living in the UK. Strikingly, were the walls in the foyer celebrating the work of African-Americans in the UK for American Black History Month (February); there were profiles of artists and designers and displays of their work.

Upon the arrival of all teams, we were invited into another room that had been set up to watch the finals between Swakeleys Girls School and Camden School for Girls. The motion was ‘This house believes that social media had the duty to police information of their sites’ - both teams debated were seasoned and debated well, making for an engaging performance. Swakeleys Girls School won the 2022 competition, with the highest-scoring individual receiving an all-expenses paid place at US-based Perdue University’s intensive Summer School about American Culture.  

US Ambassador (Interim) Philip T. Reeker, closed off the day, by expressing his joy for debating, noting that Benjamin Franklin himself enjoyed debating. Ambassador Reeker encouraged all participants to continue enhancing their debating skills. Lady Anelay, a Conservative in the House of Lords, also spoke about her joy of hearing us debate and congratulated the winners for their hard work. She ended by expressing her gratitude towards the US embassy and Benjamin Franklin House - reminding the audience that the UK is truly America's closest ally.

Overall, the day was very enjoyable and as new debaters the heats were daunting – especially having learnt that our opponents had been debating for far longer than ourselves, with some even making the British debating team. Whilst this raised some considerable challenges to overcome, this day didn’t diminish my interest for debating, instead I spent the day absorbing what was on offer, taking mental and written notes to return to our debating society at school in order for us all to become even greater debaters. 

I learnt that preparation is key and not only preparation for the side we are arguing but also the opposition, so that we don’t get stumped by any rebuttals they may have. I learnt about a ‘debating character’; the idea of becoming a different person while debating to ease nerves and enhance the style of one’s debate. But most of all, the greatest point I learnt, was to have confidence and have fun doing it - this makes the experience so much more enjoyable whilst gaining new friends and contacts, whether you win or not.

Amarachi Ibe, 12A

SSLP Trophy Success!

Yesterday afternoon, after a hard fought contest against the home team, The St. Michael’s Sixth Form Debating team came second in the SSLP competition finals held at James Allen’s Girls School, Dulwich.

Congratulations to our very able Debating team: Amarachi Ibe, Janice Kwao, Emmanuel Essel, Joshlyn Evans, Stella Okoro and Nathan Arthur, all of Year 12.

Mr Fellows