St Mary High School will face off with Titchfield High School in the finals of the Area 2 police debate competition on Tuesday, February 10, after the two teams put together stronger performances in their contest last Friday, January 30.St Mary High came away winners in the match Friday at Hotel Tim Bamboo, Port Antonio, in Titchfield’s back yard. The two teams had each won one match before Friday’s clash, in the competition that also included St Hilda’s High.After an exciting debate over the moot “Jamaica’s economic future lies not in the glorified tourism industry but rather in a regulated marijuana industry,” St. Mary High 1,253 beat Titchfield High 1213 by forty points. St. Mary High’s first speaker, Abigail Barrett, who opposed the moot was adjudged the top speaker.The aggregate scores for the teams, after each played two matches, are:St Hilda’s 2,237, Titchfield 2366 and St Mary 2,429. The finals will be held on February 10 at the Sandals Grand Riviera, Ocho Rios, St. Ann.The judges’ report on Friday’s match was done by James Walsh, retired educator and community contributor, who said there was too much reading done by both teams. He emphasized the need for the use of empirical data and for debaters to pace and not race their presentations. The other judges were: Shanna Orr, civilian executive at Area 2 police; Franklin McKnight, chief judge; Carol Pinnock, lecturer at CASE, and Desmond Sinclair, SDC.
In attendance were: head of Portland police, superintendent Wayne Cameron, ACP in charge of Area 2, Glenford Hudson, other police personnel and students and teachers of both schools. Sergeant Julio Francis did the vote of thanks and Halshane Burke of Irie FM chaired the debate.
