Glenmuir High Wins JIS Regional Heritage Debate Competition

Glenmuir High School in Clarendon came out on top in the regional finals of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Heritage Debate competition, which was held on October 24 in the Clarendon Parish Council Chamber.
Erica Richards from the school walked away with the trophy for Best Debater.
The school received the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) trophy and the National Commercial Bank (NCB) trophy for winning the finals. Individual trophies and book vouchers valued at $3,000 each, were also presented to the team members by the JPSCo., the main sponsor of the competition.
Denbigh High School, which placed second, received trophies from JAMALCo; starter accounts at the Clarendon Co-operative Credit Union and gift items from Maxie Department Store.
For placing third, Garvey Maceo High School received gift packages from Maxie Department Store.
All the teams received certificates of participation and educational publications from the JIS.
In a JIS News interview, Miss Richards said she was overwhelmed to have won the Best Debater trophy, adding that this would motivate her even more to achieve.
“It has helped me to be quick mentally, and in a competitive world, young people need to know how to sell themselves. I think that the JIS is doing profound work and I hope that they will continue through this avenue to help young people,” she said.
Commenting on the competition, Mercedes Boothe, teacher at Glenmuir High, said the competition was well organized, and that it was an important one, which gave students the opportunity to know so much more about their National Heroes.
“Having to do a debate forces you to do a lot of research and to learn how to debate controversial issues. The students learnt a lot and were able to use the techniques that bring about a good debate.
The prizes in this competition were a great incentive. We really enjoyed preparing for it; we are very happy that we participated and even happier that we won,” Mrs. Boothe said.
Winsome Christie, Manager of Regional Services at the JIS, said that the debates began as a pilot programme in St. Thomas in 1998, where some 40 schools participated.
She explained that the JIS was planning to host a national debate incorporating the winners from the six JIS regions across the island, to be held in February next year at the Seville Great House in St. Ann.
The finals involved Glenmuir High School proposing and Denbigh High School opposing the moot, ‘Be it resolved: The agitation of George William Gordon for better social and economic conditions before 1865 has lost its value in shaping modern Jamaica’.
The competition also included Garvey Maceo High, Clarendon College, Edwin Allen High and Kemps Hill High School focusing on the life and work of National Hero, George William Gordon.
Other sponsors of the competition included the Hotel Versalles, Jamaica Money Market Brokers Ltd, the Jamaica National Building Society, Juici Patties, Rapid Sheffield, and Superplus Food Stores.