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$15K for high school students in 'The Debaters' competition in Surrey

Scholarships awarded in Rotary club event April 15 at Newton convention centre
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The Rotary International logo.

SURREY — Students who enter a debate competition hosted by Surrey-Newton Rotary Club could each win a $3,000 scholarship.

Five of the prizes, totaling $15,000, are up for grabs at "The Debaters" event taking place on April 15 at Taj Park Convention Centre in Newton.

The deadline to enter the competition, for public-school students in Grades 11 and 12, is midnight on Tuesday, March 28.

There is no fee to enter debate.

CLICK HERE to visit the competition website, which includes a link to an application form.

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Students are asked to submit a 300-word essay about why they should be part of the debate competition, said Sandy Jhand, president of Surrey-Newton Rotary.

"The quality of the essays we're getting is so impressive," Jhand told the Now.

A selection committee will review the applications and select 20 students to compete in the debates, Jhand explained. The 20 students will be assigned into four random groups, in teams with five students per team, with head-to-head debate to follow.

The winner of each side will move onto the finals and debate each other. The winning debate team will receive a $15,000 scholarship ($3,000 per student) for post-secondary education tuition fees.

The debate topics are as follows:

  • Parents should choose whether their children are vaccinated
  • University education should be free
  • Leaders must have integrity
  • Intelligence is genetic/environmental
  • Social Media has made us more social
  • Is global warming an issue
  • NAFTA Yes or No

The debate event on Saturday, April 15 will begin at 6 p.m. at the convention centre, located at 8580 132nd St., Surrey.

The Now