March 07, 2008: The 2008 Leeward Islands Debate competition recently ended with hosts St. Kitts capturing the title and St. Maarten, the proposed 2009 hosts, securing the first runner-up slot. The 36th annual competition attracted participants from Anguilla, Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat and St. Maarten. It took place over a 4 night period from February 29th to March 2nd.

Anguilla was well represented by a team consisting of Olufunmike Banks-Devonish, Shountae Boothe, Quinson Gumbs, Shereena Richardson, Sangrena Harris and Melissa Mussington. They  opened the competition with Shereena Richardson (previously profiled on AnguillaLNT) and team captain Sangrena Harris proposing the moot "Popular Caribbean culture is the main contributor to the degradation of West Indian women" against Antigua. Antigua proved victorious on the night by 8 points, but it was not for a lack of fine representation by the Students from Anguilla.

The best Speaker of the competition was adjudged to have been Melissa Bryant of St. Kitts. Anguilla's Shereena Richardson won best speaker on the night her team debated and in the end was only 1.5 points away from obtaining overall Best Speaker

Below you will see members of the 2008 Anguilla team: