QRC advances to the third roundBy SANDRA SINGH Friday, February 15 2008
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PREPARATORY TALKS: Students of the Queen's Royal College Jessie Chendler and Jayson Paul engage in discussion before the start of their debate against...
It was a battle of the sexes yesterday as Queen’s Royal College (QRC) students Jayson Paul and Jessie Chendler competed against St Augustine’s Northgate College students Charis-Ann Ricketts and Chinyere Brown in the second round of the Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago 2008 Great Debate held at the National Library in Port-of-Spain.
Described as “a very challenging and good debate, ” the judges complimented both teams saying the standard of debate was not “usually heard in the first and second rounds.”
The motion debated “Be it resolved: Technology has created a gap between the generations that cannot be bridged” saw “very engaging arguments” being put forward by both sides with QRC students being praised for their “clever and strategic debating.” Arguing in support of the motion QRC students Paul and Chendler contended the rapid advancement of technology resulted in the difference of values between the generations and the breakdown in communication between the generations caused a gap to occur.
Using the imagery of a steam boat and a speed boat to illustrate the younger and older generations, Paul argued that as technology evolves, younger generations are constantly moving forward while the values of the older generations are somewhat left behind because of the differences in values with respect to technology.
He used the example of a cell phone saying that while the older generations saw it as almost a luxury, the younger generations saw it more as a business tool. “Different generations have different values which make them see the same situation in two totally different lights” said Paul. Chendler also argued that the bonding process of a child as young as four years old was affected by technology saying that the values are now being taught via the media whereas in the past, parents would have had “excessive time” for the transference of the values.
Meanwhile, Northgate College students Ricketts and Brown offered some similarly sound arguments saying that it was the breakdown in the transfer of values that created the gap, and not technology. They however added that the sharing of norms and values was evidence that the gap could be bridged. They explained that in the United States there was a 47 percent increase in the number of people over 65 years using the Internet between 2000 and 2004.
They further argued that the gap between the generations had always existed and has been created by the differing values, mores and norms. In the end, the judges gave QRC the nod allowing them to advance onto the third round of the debate.
