SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - You're on stage, adrenaline rushing through your veins as you prepare your thoughts, speak to your counterparts, defend your arguments and find weaknesses in theirs.

Sir John Franklin High School student Greg Hanna, 16, placed second nationwide at the 2011 National Student Debating Seminar of the Canadian Student Debating Federation in Hay River over the weekend. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

Greg Hanna has a passion for debating, a skill which garnered the 16-year-old second place at a national debating competition in Hay River over the weekend.

"When you are up speaking in a debate, you almost feel like you are up on the stage or in the house speaking to the rest of your honourable colleagues. You definitely have the spotlight on you, it is an adrenaline rush," said Hanna, a Grade 11 student at Sir John Franklin High School.

The 2011 National Student Debating Seminar of the Canadian Student Debating Federation was hosted by Princess Alexandra Elementary School in Hay River and took place from Thursday until Sunday. The seminar's theme was "Northern Issues" and had three resolutions: should cultural preservation be a top government priority, resource development is more important than environmental protection and Canada should take more active measures to assert sovereignty over the Arctic.

"They were all Northern-based topics, all relevant, all current affairs and issues that are happening in the North. It was easy to tap into information. It's not like you had to imagine and think 'what if?'" said Hanna. "It's what is happening."

Participants received the topics two weeks before the competition and could choose one for which to prepare. Hanna said one debate, with two people on the proposition side and two on the opposition, could take up to an hour.

After six rounds throughout the weekend, Hanna, the only student representing Yellowknife, achieved top marks for the NWT and was four-tenths of a point away from first place nationally.

He said about a dozen students from the NWT participated with more than 70 students from Grades 9 to 12 from across Canada converging on Hay River.

Hanna said the participants got a real taste of Northern activities while at the seminar, taking part in ice-fishing, sledding, snowmobiling, drum-making, skating and curling.

"It was big-time based around culture, developing social skills and having a lot of fun with debating as well," he said.

"I've been to dozens of debating tournaments before. What I liked about this seminar was it wasn't just about debating. It was debating, a little bit of this, a little bit of that, then debating again."

Hanna, who moved to Yellowknife from Nova Scotia two months ago, has been involved in debating since he was in Grade 7.

"I've been interested in it forever," he said. "Usually, across the country, every province and territory has its respective tournament within to compete. The NWT has none of that. Debating is really lacking in this territory."

Hanna is hoping to develop a debating club at Sir John Franklin High School in the future.

"There are so many transferable skills from debating - public speaking skills, critical thinking skills and you're on your toes. You have to be aware of everything that's happening. It's intellectually great for students to build on," he said.

"The interest is there but the push from behind is not there for it to happen. I really think there is the potential here."

Patricia Teskey, principal of Sir John Franklin, said she was glad to have Hanna participate on behalf of the school and the city at the seminar and hopes he can generate more interest in debating in the school.

"It's certainly something that is obviously an inherent part of school, and with Greg here to spearhead it it would be a really nice opportunity for some students who may not have thought about it before," she said.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.