Five local students will head to the United States capital next month to compete in an international debating competition.

Students Nikki Lynn Marshall, Michelle Kelly, Jacari Brimmer Landy, Catherine Campbell and Nicholas Rinehimer make up this year's Bermuda Debate Team and will be going to Washington D.C. for the World Schools Debating Championships.

The group will be up against 45 different countries from Argentina to Zimbabwe and will debate a handful of social, moral and political issues, explained team coach Christianna Hiles.

The team has been training regularly for the past few months, sometimes two to three times a week, in order to prepare arguments for the known debate topics.

The most challenging part of the competition, however, will come later on when the debaters are given impromptu topics.

The teams will be left in a room with a dictionary and an almanac and have only an hour to prepare their case.

"This is part of the real challenge and the best way for students to really test themselves," explained Ms Hiles, who is joined by veteran debate coach Gladstone Thompson.

Apart from the obvious challenges involved, debater Nikki-Lynn Marshall, 16, is looking forward to the experience.

"I am looking forward to meeting everybody from the other countries and learning something new," she said, "because basically we all get the same topics but it's interesting to see how each team interprets them differently."

Miss Marshall said the Bermuda team was known for being nice, however, shouldn't be underestimated in the competition.

"Team Bermuda is really known for being a really nice team, but we really go because we want to put Bermuda on the map," she said.

"Most of these people at these competitions have never heard about Bermuda and it's nice to tell them a little bit about us and let them know that we are good debaters."

Miss Marshall has been competing with the Bermuda Debate Team for a year and a half, but admits she has competed with Bermuda High School and Consumer Affairs since she was eight years old.

"I first started debating when my school picked me for a competition and ever since then I've still always debated," she said.

"It broadens my knowledge, helps me learn new things, helps me with public speaking and it's going to help get me into a good college," she said.

Miss Marshall, an aspiring lawyer, believes debating will also help her in a future career and told The Royal Gazette: "I really enjoy arguing and public speaking and persuading people to see my point of view and I really see myself in this profession."

The debaters, sponsored by the National Debate Society, will be in Washington D.C. from September 5-15. Supporters can track their progress on the Debate Society's website.