Orion Academy emerges winner of 2024 Inter Secondary School Debate Competition

Orion Academy’s debating team, Ejahdi Maxwell and Dymond Daniel, emerged as the winners of the 2024 Inter Secondary School Debate Competition, held at the Truth and Grace Fellowship Church, on Wednesday. The topic was, “The tourism industry is currently the most valuable tool for economic growth and diversification in Dominica.”

The Orion Academy was the opposing team, while the proposing team, was St.Mary’s Academy, consisting of Noah Sohraindo and Jelani Shillingford. Orion Academy won with a total 691 points, while St. Mary’s Academy received 671 points. Best Speaker was captured by Noah Sohraindo of the St. Mary’s Academy and the best rebuttal was won by Dymond Daniel.

Speaking with Dominica News Online(DNO), Dymond Daniel of Orion Academy remarked that as part of the preparation for the competition, they practiced and did a lot of research leading up to the competition. “I feel that debate is all about building and having confidence….it is okay to make mistakes but [it] is how you cover it up. Plus debating is fun, don’t think of it as something to stress you out. I am so happy that we won this year, as we made it to the finals last year but did not win,” Daniel added.

The Competition was won last year by the Arthur Waldron SDA School beating the Orion Academy in the finals.

Miss Trudy Christian organized the 2024 Inter Secondary School Debating Competition.

Sponsors of the debate include Dominica News Online, Josephine Gabriel and Company Ltd, National Cooperative Credit Union, Insurance Company of the West Indies, DOMLEC, Fort Young Hotel, UWI Global Campus among others.