Battle of words sees Bethlehem students top in arguing their point

Bethlehem College students Tom Rutherford, 17 (left), Spencer Voorend, 18, and Caleb Morrall, 17 (absent) took out the Western Bay college debating competition on Saturday. Photo/Andrew Warner

Arguing against stopping funding for illness caused by substance abuse won Bethlehem College students a regional debating competition.

Spencer Voorend, 18, Tom Rutherford, 17, and Caleb Morrall, 17, made up one of 19 teams of local college students who took part in the inter-college impromptu debating competition on Saturday.

The youngsters had three rounds in the round robin against Papamoa, Otumoetai and Tauranga Girls college teams.

Tauranga Boys College were their adversaries in the semifinals and a win there took the team through to the finals against another Girls College team.

The topic for the finals was the house will end all Government funding for diseases brought about by substance abuse and the Bethlehem College boys had to argue against it.

Tom said the teams arguments were based around not valuing one persons life over another.

"The debate wasn't clear whether it was just for illegal substances so we challenged that with how that would be implemented." Caleb spoke about the value of a life saying everyone deserves a second chance, that was our common theme.

Spencer said the team also brought up other arguments such as how food could be an abused substance.

"So it was a very fine line to draw about what substance abuse was."

Spencer said he enjoyed debating because it gave him an adrenalin rush.

Tom said debating was a way for him to be able to argue a point of view and it challenged his opinions on subjects.

The trio said they wanted an opportunity to work together in a team rather than competing against each other.

All three had ambitions to be politicians.

Bethlehem College debating co-ordinator Jan Dean said the three were extremely argumentative but knew how to channel their skills into debating.

The 19 school teams from Bethlehem College, Tauranga Girls College, Tauranga Boys College, Otumoetai College, Papamoa College and Katikati College, spent Saturday preparing up to five debates and being judged on their arguments.