Debating & Public Speaking Update | Term 1, 2025

Term 1 has truly been a bustling term for DPS, and we wouldn’t change it for the world.

We kickstarted the year with trials for the 2025 season of the inter-school debating competition, coordinated annually by the Debater’s Association of Victoria (DAV)! We were delighted to have over 220 students trial for our teams this year.

Mac.Rob students are known for being talented public speakers, and it was remarkable to see them demonstrate their skills during trials; the high standard of debating made our decision impossible. However, we selected 100 students across all four year levels to fill 20 teams and participate in the DAV schools competition this year. 

Before Round 1, we selected our 2025 DPS Cabinet. With the help of our Cabinet, and the guidance of our DPS Mentors, we have run four training sessions for the DAV cohort so far, where we’ve covered skills such as case construction, forming nuanced arguments and how to capture an audience’s attention. We’re proud to say that we have formed a passionate and skilled team of students, and we look forward to collaborating with them to elevate our initiatives.

Additionally, we’d also like to celebrate the successes of two spectacular speakers! 

Firstly, we have JJ (Jiahui) Zhang in Year 11, who made it to VST Squad – among the top twelve best debaters in the state. JJ was also awarded Best Speaker at the DAV Women’s Competition, alongside securing the win with her team. We’d also like to congratulate Aarya Sahu in Year 10 who was among the Top Speakers (second place) for the Intermediate Women's Debating Competition, alongside her team tying for first place.

All in all, we are immensely impressed with how resilient and dedicated our DAV cohort and Cabinet is. We had over half of our teams win Rounds 1 and 2, and truly know in our hearts that this is a testament to their drive and dedication for debating.

Dishika G & Meenakshi D | Debating & Public Speaking Captains