IN JAMAICA: THE University of the West Indies (UWI), Ardenne named Sagicor-UTech national debate champions

Sunday, April 19, 2015    

THE University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, and Ardenne High School debated their way to top honours in the tertiary and secondary divisions of the 2015 Sagicor UTech National Debating Championship earlier this month.

Brenda Lee Martin (centre), vice-president, Sagicor
Investments Jamaica Limited, join Ardenne High School
sixth form students Pablo Grant and Désirée McKenzie as
they display the symbolic cheque for $100,000 which
 they won for dominating the secondary division of the
2015 Sagicor UTech National Debating Championship
earlier this month.

The teams -- Jamar Pike and Jawayne Jarrett of UWI and sixth formers Pablo Grant and Désirée McKenzie of Ardenne -- argued the moot: This House Would Make the Teaching of Civics Mandatory in High Schools.

They emerged from a pool of 16 teams that advanced to the second round.

The competition organisers explained that the 2015 national leg of the championship commenced with 48 teams, whittled down from the original 60 that contested in the two-zone league. The first round featured the motion: "This house believes that trade embargoes do more harm than good" and saw both collegiate and sixth form institutions competing in 12 matches. In the second round, the top 16 teams from each category (tertiary and secondary) advanced.

Hosts University of Technology, Jamaica B was first runner-up in the tertiary division, while Meadowbrook High School copped the number two spot in the secondary division.

The Sagicor-UTech National Debating Championship, now in its fourth year, started with 16 teams and has grown to 60. Ingrid Card, Vice President of Group Marketing at Sagicor, believes the development is encouraging and sees even more potential for expansion.

"Sagicor is committed to the holistic development of the nation's youth and this programme demonstrates the brilliance of our young people. The participation has increased significantly since inception and the objective is to attract an even larger audience," she said. more