Parramatta diocese excels in debating grand final
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| St Patrick's Marist, Dundas Year 9 winners |
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| Catherine McAuley, Senior winners |
Systemic schools in the Parramatta diocese won three of the six divisions at the Catholic Schools Debating Association (CDSA) metropolitan grand final.
Held recently at St Ignatius College, Riverview, Catherine McAuley Westmead won the Senior 1 Division, St Patrick’s Marist College, Dundas took out the Year 9 division and Nagle College, Blacktown South were the Year 8 winners. In addition, St Paul’s College, Greystanes were the Year 9 runners-up and Cerdon College, Merrylands were runners-up in the Year 10 division.
Cerdon College were also awarded the Jane Sulis Shield for Best and Fairest, which is presented to the school where the spirit of debating, fair play and support for the CDSA is fostered.
Commencing in Term 2, the annual CDSA competition involves more than 60 Catholic schools from across metropolitan Sydney and Wollongong. This year 428 teams took part in the Friday night competition, which was an additional 62 teams than in 2007.
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| Nagle, Year 8 winners |
In winning the Senior 1 division against Domremy College, Five Dock, the Catherine McAuley team of Kritika Baraskar, Ashley-Rose Prophet and Jennifer Rajca were awarded the Michael Robson Shield. Speaking as the negative ‘that the power of one is enough’, the Year 12 students felt the topic was a very apt one, given the support they had received from their teachers, friends and family over a number of years of debating and in the lead-up to the grand final.
Debating together since they were in Year 9, the girls paid tribute to the school’s English coordinator Larry Grumley who helped them broaden their kno