“The Great Debate” is a biennial debating competition organised by the Historical Association.
This year, there were 24 heats across the UK and Ireland, with the winner of each heat going on to compete in the final at Merton College, Oxford. The topic for debate this year was “Why does history matter to you?”, which prompted a range of responses encompassing topics as diverse as the Brixton riots, the ancient goddess Ashera, Anne Boleyn and the Dutch Hunger Winter.
After a competitive heat at the Drama Theatre in Sullivan, in which any of the competitiors could have be called a worthy winner, I was chosen to represent Belfast at the final in Oxford. After an interesting and educational day of debate, I had the honour of being named runner-up.
Sullivan already has a great reputation in this debate, having produced the 2010 winner and I was pleased to be able to keep up the school’s reputation in the field.
The Great Debate is a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in history and I would encourage other pupils in the future to get involved.
Report on the HA website: http://www.history.org.uk/news/news_1457.html