The speech and debate team is a team of talented individuals who compete in a multitude of different complex competitions. Students are expected to memorize speeches up to ten minutes long and write or improvise debate cases. There are 18 different events that students are allowed to compete in. It’s a very competitive club and you can expect to learn how to write arguments and speeches effectively and learn how to speak well.
Speech and debate club is a major commitment and students need to understand that before thinking about joining. Freshman member Josephine Machete says, “It takes a lot of passion, talent, hard work, and bravery to get up and speak in front of lots of people or a judge.” Mrs. Aldridge who teaches the Advanced Speech and Debate class, also said, “The class can push people out of their comfort zone.” If you aren’t the kind of person who likes to challenge yourself, this club might not be the right fit. Along with these things, speech and debate require a lot of time, especially on weekends. If you have other commitments such as a job or sports and will not be able to invest proper time into the team, it probably isn’t the club you want to join.
Along with just being a fun after-school activity, it can also help you with your public speaking skills and confidence. If you go through speech and debate for multiple years, you will begin to grow more confident and become a better speaker because of it. A bonus of speech and debate is that it is connected to a dual credit college course, so students can earn college credit by taking the class along with competing.
Speech and debate season runs from October through April. There are 12 major competitions throughout the year, and competitions are held on Friday and/or Saturday. You do not have to attend all competitions as a member of this club but you are encouraged to compete in as many as possible. Many students go to all competitions.
This year, the team is working towards getting a sweepstakes award at one of the tournaments. Mrs. Aldridge said, “We’ve been close, but we haven’t gotten one in three years. With a young team, such as we have, to be close is an accomplishment. I believe in these kids!” The team will also compete at state in both speech (April) and debate (March).
VHS just hosted a debate tournament at our school this past Saturday, Oct. 28 where junior Allie Brown took second place in the Lincoln Douglas debate. The next speech and debate competition will be held on November 3-4 at Caldwell High School. It will be one of four that the team will compete in before Christmas Break. November 10 and 11 they will compete at Ridgevue High School in “The Rendezvous at Ridgevue.” Next, they will travel to Meridian High School on December 2. The following weekend, they will attend a competition at Rocky Mtn/Twin Falls High School. That will be their last competition before Christmas break. If you are interested in joining the speech and debate club, contact the coach, Jack McKinney ([email protected]), or Mrs. Aldridge ([email protected]).
