Speech and Debate Program Begins at CA
On Wednesday, the Upper School hosted a “virtual” Club Fair, during which students could learn about the wide range of clubs we offer at CA. During that time, I hosted a meeting for all students interested in our new Speech and Debate program. The turnout was good and included students of all grade levels, which was gratifying to see. Among many points covered, I mentioned the following:
- There are multiple events in Speech and Debate to compete in. Most are individual events; a few involve pairs of students. Among the events are four different categories of debate, four different kinds of interpretation events (humor, poetry, drama, mixed media), two different kinds of prepared speeches, extemporaneous speaking, and others that are tournament specific.
- Speech and Debate is governed by CHSAA in Colorado, just like sports. At this time, there are two divisions (comparable to 4A and 5A), and there is discussion about adding a 3A classification. Currently more than 150 high schools in the state have programs.
- All tournaments will be virtual until at least January this year. Usually they take place at host high schools all around the state. There are multiple tournaments all year long, including most Saturdays between October and March. Tournaments are typically all-day events on Saturdays, and students may compete in one or two of them, or in several.
- Because this is a new program at CA, we will start slowly and build. I am going to be careful about establishing a particular team dynamic that will be inclusive, supportive, and allow for multiple entry points. Other faculty members will be assisting me.
- There will be also be a Speech and Debate class offered during Trimester 2 and 3 this year. Students can be in the club, and not the class, and vice versa. Students in the class will try multiple events, including debate, original oratory, extemporaneous speaking, and at least one interpretation category.
This program will definitely help students build public speaking skills and confidence. One of the best parts about Speech and Debate is that it allows for multiple ways of engaging, and it is an activity that individual students can spend a lot of time doing, or they can just dabble in it.
I will be holding an informational session for parents sometime in the next few weeks. It will be a Zoom meeting in the evening and will be noted in various communications from the school. In the meantime, parents should feel free to contact me at any time.
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