The St. Maarten Debate Team won the first round of the 51st annual Leeward Islands Debate Competition. In photo: The St. Maarten Debate Team, their coaches and MP Hyacinth Richardson (far right).
PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Debate Team, under the guidance of Hyacinth Richardson Education Awareness Foundation, emerged victorious in the first round of the 51st annual Leeward Islands Debate Competition held at John E. St. Luce Finance and Conference Center in Antigua on Saturday, March 4.
The St. Maarten Debate Team consists of students of Learning Unlimited Preparatory School, St. Dominic High and Milton Peters College. The debaters are Pooja Ramkripaul, Adio Williams, Radiah Mathew, Fayan Ortega, Odinakachukwu Nwoke, Nysette Gomes, Seybian Ortega and Radharani Natram.
Matthew and Nwoke debated as opposition, opposing the moot “Caribbean countries should prescribe that one-third of parliamentary representatives must be female,” against Team Anguilla who debated the proposition. St. Maarten was awarded the trophy for winning that debate.
St. Maarten debaters Ramkripaul and Williams debated the proposition, proposing the moot “The Caribbean failure to take mental health illness seriously has caused irreparable damage to families and communities” against Team St. Kitts who debated the opposition, on Sunday, March 6. St. Maarten was awarded the trophy for winning that debate. Ramkripaul won the Best Speaker of that debate and captured Overall Best Speaker of the series.
The St. Maarten Debate Team is the 2023-2024 Leeward Islands Debating (LIDC) champion and holds the shield for winning the competition. A special trophy was awarded to St. Maarten debaters for capturing the hearts of judges and of the audience.
Travelling with the debaters were the president of the foundation, Member of Parliament Hyacinth Richardson, also in this capacity as Chief Coordinator, as well as coaches and family members. The coaches were Roberto Arrindell, Nicole Williams-Wynter, Norisca Fleming and Reverend Liana Richardson-Woods.
Hyacinth Richardson Educational Awareness Foundation has been a member of the Leeward Islands Debate Competition (LIDC) society since 2005 and has been bringing young persons to represent St. Maarten in the competition ever since.
