Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

There's no debating it; these two are the best

 Ravenscourt debater Aidan Fishman makes his case at the Asper Cup debating finals Monday afternoon.

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Ravenscourt debater Aidan Fishman makes his case at the Asper Cup debating finals Monday afternoon. ( PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

ADAM Yan and Aidan Fishman just love to argue -- with family, friends and classmates.

And the duo from Winnipeg's St. John's-Ravenscourt proved they are among the best in the country at it when they walked away with the top prize at Fourth Annual Asper Cup International High School Debate competition.

"Yes, sometimes it causes problems with my family," Yan said yesterday after the finals debate with Vancouver's West Point Grey school 'A' team.

Yan and Fishman joined students from 41 other debating teams from across the country last night for the closing banquet to the annual competition, hosted by the Gray Academy of Jewish Education on Doncaster Street. The event attracts the best high school debating teams from across the country.

The final debate was topical. The resolution read: "This house prefers a coalition government." SJR's Yan and Fishman, the crowd favourite at the Berney Theatre where Monday's final was staged, argued in favour, while the team of Iqbal Kassam and Jonny Carson, from Vancouver's West Point Grey, argued against.

The judges for the two-day competition were Moe Levy, executive director of the Asper Foundation, Marty Weinberg, president of Canterbury Park Private Equity, and Morley Walker, books editor and columnist at the Winnipeg Free Press. The Free Press is a sponsor of the competition, along with the Asper Foundation, Investors Group and Pitblado LLP.

Linda Martin, the debate coach at Gray Academy, said it was no surprise that the SJR team won; a team from the school has won every year.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 2, 2008 B2

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