What is Speech and Debate?
The best thing you could do. Love yourself. Join.
Speech and Debate is a diverse academic activity in which any student can show off their skills. Aside from being great for college applications and scholarships, Speech and Debate, also known as forensics, helps students become confident, develop their public speaking skills, and learn how to think logically.
These are the types of skills crucial to surviving in the outside world.These aren't the Pythagorean Theorem or Bernoulli's Equation or Avogadro's Number; these are real-life skills to be applied in everyday situations. Speech and Debate teaches you how to think on your feet and even improvise. Interpersonal relationships, how to work with others, is also taught here. Your experiences from Speech and Debate will stay with you throughout your whole life, making you the best that you can possibly be and more.
What do you do in Speech and Debate?
Speech and Debate is divided into two parts: Speech, and Debate.
Remember how we said that Speech and Debate is really diverse? Yeah, there's about 20 events for you.
SPEECH is all about presentation. These types of events are typically referred to as Individual Events. Actors and actresses, singers, generally performers, flock to this side of Speech and Debate. Creativity is found in abundance here. Events include quick-paced debates on wildly varying topics, dramatic and humorous interpretation, and even one where you can embrace the Picasso in you and create posters to your heart's content.
DEBATE is all about content. You can either go solo or with a partner, and tackle political issues such as foreign affairs and climate mitigation. You will research both sides of each topic, giving you the opportunity to crush your opponents no matter what side you debate. Feel the adrenaline as you decimate your opponent's case to nothing more than circumstantial what-if points, leaving you free to claim those trophies you rightfully deserve.
Our team will spend a lot of time together, whether it be eating dinner after tournaments, working together at fundraisers, or even simply competing together. We make it our goal to make this team as social as possible in a warm, friendly environment.
Why should I join?
Aside from the generally known facts, such as how its great for college, there are many reasons to try your hand at forensics. You will meet hundreds of like-minded people and create unforgettable bonds. There are people who dedicate their lives to debate, and those who view it more as just something to do on the weekends. No matter your preference, you will always be able to find someone to make a lasting friendship with. You will be eligible to join the National Speech and Debate Association, which hosts the largest academic competition in the world.
Furthermore, dozens of celebrities have done Speech and Debate, such as:
Oprah Winfrey
Adam Sandler
Jared Padalecki
Stephen Colbert
Josh Gad
Brad Pitt
Weird Al Yankovic
James Dean
See what some celebrities have to say about the National Tournament:
If you love to act, join. If you love to make people laugh, join. If you love to draw, write, dance, sing, win trophies, then in the name of Queen Bey, join! The wide range of events available to you ensures that whatever skills you have, you will be able to showcase at our tournaments.
Our team alone has sent people to Nationals, not to mention the multitude of students we send every single year to State Championships. Our room is filled with trophies that members have donated; you don't even know about the ones cluttering their rooms. Although you may just join solely to put it on your college application, you'll soon find out that Speech and Debate isn't an activity you can abandon easily. It's addictive. You'll come for the thousands and thousands of dollars offered in scholarships, and stay for the effervescent people and amazing events.
And if you're still doing this for college, that's fine. Due to rising standards and expectations of colleges, grades just aren't enough anymore. Colleges are beginning to look at extracurricular activities, and it just so happens that Speech and Debate definitely stands out. And since it teaches you communication skills and critical thinking skills, the benefits go on to give you a huge boost in the work force when it's time for you to start looking for a job.
Everyone in Speech and Debate isn't looking to become a politician. We're all not mini-adults who jump at the chance to talk about Obamacare and how it violates our Constitutional rights. Well, yeah, there's some people like that out there, but we pride ourselves in being a team that welcomes future politicians as well as future actors and entertainers!
How do I join?
We generally start registration at the beginning of the year.
However, we have permitted people to join in the middle of the year before. You are always welcome to come to one of our tournaments or sit in during one of our practices. Everyone will need to fill out the required paperwork, which can be found here. If you are joining in the middle of the tournament season, please contact one of our cabinet members to catch up!
