Jaiden Tucker, doing what he does best!
Jaiden Tucker’s commitment to his role as president of Otago’s oldest student organisation is one of the few things in his life that isn’t up for debate.
The fifth-year Law tauira is the 2023 president of Otago University Debating Society (OUDS).
The society was founded in 1878 as part of a tradition of student debating societies that has existed since the 18th century.
Student debating societies provide a space where ideas can be honed, public speaking practised and critical thinking sharpened.
Jaiden’s significant success in debating and adjudicating (judging) at both national and international competitions led to his recent nomination for an Otago University Golds award.
OUDS club secretary, Lara Seaton, says Jaiden has enjoyed successes in debating for many years.
“He has also made a very positive impact on the quality and culture of University of Otago Debating Society, taking the society from strength to strength.”
She also highlights the role Jaiden has played in developing debating for school students across Aotearoa, particularly in the Otago and Southland regions.
Jaiden, along with his teammates Tony Huang and Julia Randerson, recently came second to Auckland in the longest running debating tournament in the Southern Hemisphere, Joynt Scroll.
Jaiden was also part of the team that was champion of the Joynt Scroll tournament in 2022 alongside OUDS members Joe Garry and Georgia Barclay.
Officers Cup, the other major NZ debating tournament, was hosted by Otago in September 2022, with Jaiden acting as convenor.
Lara says that this involved all the physical organisation of the tournament, from arranging the rooms the debates would be held in, to setting up the food for tournament, inviting the attendees, sorting the logistics for the social events and meticulously calculating the timings of the whole event.
This year, Jaiden also represented Otago at the World University Debating Competition in Madrid which Lara describes as “the most prestigious debating competition in the world, which draws in the best debaters in the world”.
With fellow Otago debater Seth Whittington, Jaiden placed 88th out of 256 participants.
In addition to these competitions, Jaiden is currently a member of the New Zealand University Debating Council, which oversees university level debating across Aotearoa, he has been a Dunedin Schools Debating Judge for the five years he has attended university, and is an Otago and Southland Regional Schools Debating Competition Judge.
Dushanka Govender, the New Zealand University Debating Council President says Jaiden is a successful debater and adjudicator who consistently has proven his debating abilities across his five years at Otago.
“He has shown that he is a formidable force at many national tournaments; and plays an active role in the development of high school debating across Aotearoa.
“Beyond these national accolades Jaiden’s talents have taken him to compete in both the World University Debating Championships and the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships within the past year.”
Govender goes on to say that Jaiden’s achievements as set out in the nomination from OUDS are significant and exemplify his commitment and professionalism in the world of competitive University debating.
~Kōrero by Alice Billington