Speech and Debate is among the most popular extracurricular activities and it encompasses a variety of facets for argument, research and discussion over globally significant issues. More importantly, the very people in the class are united through their passion and worth ethic.

Manas Pathak is currently a senior who participates in both congressional and extemporaneous debate. While congressional debate is devoted to debating pieces of legislation regarding foreign and domestic policy, extemporaneous speeches take on a different structure.

“Extemporaneous debate is really not a debate and more like a speaking event. So it’s really just 30 minutes to prep a… seven minute… speech over any foreign policy,” Pathak said.

One of the major concerns beginners have is timing: timing is crucial in almost every event because having a mastery over pacing can help with the delivery of one’s presentation.

“I think timing comes with experience; at the very beginning, it’s a little hard to know in your head what the time is when you’re giving your speech without looking at an actual clock,” Pathak said. “I think it’s pretty common sense to me now [and I know] when to move on to my second point or my third point, because [improvement] comes with giving a bunch of speeches.”

Public forum is one of the most popular events; it features a variety of topics that change every two months in the fall and once every month during the spring. Andres Mendoza, a junior who participates in public forum, shares both his knowledge and experience in the event.

“It’s a format of debate that is two people against two people that debate [either] affirming or negating something. For example, these two months are focused on…whether we should and we shouldn’t forgive all student loans,” Mendoza said. 

As soon as the respective topic is released, participants spend all their time in class researching to present their best points and, hopefully, surpass the opposing school in a tournament.

“I think [speech and debate] teaches you to think critically with the time crunch and how to transfer ideas from your head into what you’re actually saying,” Judjoy Jeter, a senior in public forum, said. 

Jeter is in Varsity for her performance in public forum, and although her achievements are milestones in her high school career, she expresses that the environment in class has proven to be a valuable experience.

“Everyone helps each other out and is really contributive; the upperclassmen always try to help out the underclassmen and really build them up,” Jeter said.

In any class setting, the atmosphere is definitely one of the most important factors that contributes to the experience. According to other members of Speech and Debate, the atmosphere is both constructive and easygoing.

“I think I’d recommend Speech and Debate to anyone because it’s a fun environment; everyone’s really fun to talk to and the atmosphere like in the room [is different],” Pathak said. “The activity itself is pretty fun..[because] the creativity is there, and the lively personalities are there as well.”

Senior Kate Njeru’s main event is original oratory: an event that is inspired by Aristotle. Original oratory is a 10 minute speech where a societal topic is discussed; there is a little more freedom in the topic of choice because participants usually pick something very important to themselves. It’s structured with an introduction, a problem, an impact, and a proposed solution. 

“While it’s very important to focus on things like the content and really discussing the issue as an entirety and how we can solve it, it’s also really important to focus on your presentation and really try to make connections to the judge through things like personal stories,” Njeru said.

Through research on broader topics, it is possible to self-reflect based on how modern society works. It can be helpful to retain the positive aspects while leaving behind negative behaviors or outlooks.

“For me, [oratory] helps me to work on myself to be a better person. Because a lot of the times I’ll research and… feel kind of called out. That kind of helps me reassess and reevaluate myself and honestly improve myself as a person as well,” Njeru said. 

One of the most promising aspects of the people in the class is their genuine interest in serious topics and their nuanced understanding of the components of argument.

“My favorite thing about debate is that I feel a lot less ignorant of everything going around me because the topics that are covered are very… global,” Mendoza said.“I also like the fact that it’s a very social community.”

Often, people in Speech and Debate are only known for their ability to professionally assert themselves, but many members feel that other benefits are overlooked. Becoming aware of the society we live in and how it is shaped leads to a better understanding on how to resolve modern problems.

“My favorite part about [debate] is the versatility and being able to… come up with a fresh new problem every single year,” Njeru said. “Honestly, it actually really helps you to have more societal awareness. And when you research these problems deeper, you can see how it impacts literally almost everybody who’s close to you, even yourself.”