Courtroom setting as Thurso teams go head-to-head in debating competition
Two pupils from Thurso High School have qualified for the semi-final of a national speechmaking challenge – having progressed by beating another Thurso team.
Ola Omand and Ellis Macdonald emerged as winners for the Grampian, Highlands and Islands sheriffdom in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) public speaking competition for secondary schools. It allows pupils in S2 and S3 to develop their skills and gain confidence in public speaking by debating topical issues.
This year, for the first time, Thurso High entered two teams of two speakers from third year. Competing in addition to Ola and Ellis were Emily Wallace and Maree Ford.
Twelve teams from the Grampian, Highlands and Islands sheriffdom took part, with Thurso’s teams coming out on top in their two heats – meaning the third heat was a Thurso head-to-head with a place in the national semi-final at stake. The venue was Wick Sheriff Court.
Coach Alexis Wallace said: “We were delighted to do so well, though it was a bizarre experience to have to prepare our two teams to compete with rather than support each other!
“I wasn’t sure what to expect in the sheriffdom final and it turned out to be a very enjoyable experience. None of us had ever been in the courtroom and it was grander than we had expected.
“Patricia Forbes, the sheriffdom organiser for the competition, and David Morton, who has chaired many of the online debates, both travelled up to be there, which we really appreciated. Normally we have to do the travelling.
“There was also a small audience of sheriff court workers and three judges – David Barclay, procurator fiscal depute at Wick, Fiona MacDonald, local defence agent, and Sheriff Neil Wilson – so it felt more of an ‘event’ than the online heats, and it is always more rewarding to speak to a live audience rather than online.
“I was very proud of both of my teams, who have put an enormous amount of work into the competition and made great progress.
“For all three rounds each pupil had to create a sophisticated, researched five-minute speech. The topic for this heat was ‘disability does not mean inability’.
“The head judge commented that he really could not identify any faults in their speeches and the verdict was that both teams had put in an excellent performance.
“In the end, one team had to win, and they said that it was a very close competition. They ultimately chose Ola and Ellis to receive the sheriffdom trophy and represent the sheriffdom in the national semi-final in May, which will be online against one other team from any of the other five sheriffdom finalists.
“It will be very tough competition, I imagine, but we will give it our best shot. The final in Edinburgh in June would be an amazing experience.”
Mrs Wallace added: “This is Ola’s second speechmaking trophy in her third year. She and our other team, Emily and Maree, all took part in the Rotary speechmaking competition, which Ola won, and Emily won last year’s Clarke Trophy in-school debating competition.
“We have many talented speakers in our school and I really enjoy watching their progress and hearing their ideas in debating club.
“The head judge, Neil Wilson, a former pupil of Thurso High School, commented that our speakers were ‘formidable’.”
The semi-final topic is “Are women now equal to men in Scotland today?”
