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21 | Thursday, September 19, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com White Oaks Secondary School (WOSS) hosted a Debate Camp for students from Grade 7-12 over the summer break. White Oaks' debate program has won tournaments all over the country over the last 30 years and helps teach strategies for winning performances as well as boosting confidence in everyday classroom presentations. | photo by Nikki Wesley ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) Whole Home DVR 1 Teacher instills love for the art of debate Debate isn't something you're automatically good at, so I encourage students to read as much as they can. by Scott Stewart Oakville Beaver Staff Hamish Guthrie loves a good debate. Over the summer, the long-time debate coach at White Oaks Secondary School (WOSS) held an inaugural debate camp, and 15 students joined him for the week. Guthrie, who has coached debate teams in schools for 30 years, said White Oaks has a very successful program. "Our team won the McGill University tournament last year as well as the Western University tournament," he said. "The season was truncated by job action, but once it ended, we got back to debating and had a great time for the rest of the year." Guthrie said that debate's popularity can rise and wain depending on the availability and enthusiasm of coaches, but that doesn't seem to be a problem at White Oaks. The school's junior debate team is 60 Hamish Guthrie teacher members strong, while the senior team has 20 members on the roster. "The camp was so much fun because five senior debaters were there," Guthrie said. Mohamed Sarraj and Jack Reeves, two former students who now attend McMaster and the University of York in England, respectively, served as instructors. The 15 students who participated in the camp each paid $300 to attend, and that money, Guthrie said, will be given right back to the school. "Our principal, John Stieva, has been a huge supporter of our program," Guthrie said. "He's been great in paying for the team to travel to competitions, including one in Edmonton. I thought this would be a way to say thank-you by donating the money back to the kitty." Campers spent much of their time debating throughout the week, but they also attended workshops where they learned such skills as how to refute an argument, how to brainstorm a position and how to effectively build a case. "We also went over what they should be reading," Guthrie added. "In addition to the New Yorker magazine, I recommended 1984, Brave New World and Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse by Jared Diamond. "Debate isn't something you're automatically good at, so I encourage students to read as much as they can," he said. Guthrie plans on making the camp an annual event, and will promote it throughout the year at other schools across town. "I made visits late in the year to Monclair and Munn's, and now potential coaches know about the program. I'll be offering workshops at the schools." Among the topics debated during the summer camp included legalization of prostitution and use of performance enhancing drugs. "A lot of the topics are counter-intuitive," Guthrie said. "I always tell the kids not to take my opinion, but to think for themselves." You've got it! Powered by an advanced hybrid fibre optic network. Cogeco.ca/YouGotIt