the 2015-2016 season is underway!

Welcome!

This the official blog of the John Carroll Speech and Debate team. It is very useful for getting detailed information about every event you might enter in a tournament. Just click any link under Tournament Events to the right. You will find a description, plus a sample ballot, for each event.

We don't actually update this page very often - a better place to get current information is our Facebook group, Speech Creatures Unite! There you will find team photos, and videos of potential pieces you can use in competition. We also send emails to team members as necessary.

Here are the topics for the debate categories for the 2015-2016 season:

• Team Debate: Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially curtail its domestic surveillance. (We will use this topic all year.)
• Lincoln/Douglas:  Resolved: Adolescents ought to have the right to make autonomous medical choices. (Used in September and October only; new topics for Nov/Dec, Jan/Feb, etc.)

And, here is the tournament schedule for the coming year:

• Sep 24 - Aberdeen
• Oct 8 - Joppatowne
• Oct 22 - Havre de Grace
• Nov 5 - Patterson Mill
• Dec 3 - Harford Tech
• Jan 14 - C. Milton Wright
• Jan 28 - at JOHN CARROLL
• Feb 11 - Fallston
• Feb 25 - Edgewood
• Mar 3 is our snow day makeup - if needed
• Mar 10 - FINALS @ Bel Air!

Thank you for your interest in Speech and Debate, and please let us know if you have any questions!

Coaches: Mr. Schick (rschick@johncarroll.org) and Ms. Milburn (tmilburn@johncarroll.org)

Captains: Hayes Stancliff, Nicole Kanaras, and Beni Tasel

Topics!

Interested in debating for us this year?  Here are the topics!

Lincoln Douglas topic, just for September and October:

Resolved: A just society ought to presume consent for organ procurement from the deceased.

Team Debate for the entire 2014-2015 year:

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its non-military exploration and/or development of the Earth's oceans.

change in the schedule!

September 18                          Workshop at CMW      

(Please let me or Ms. Amato know if you would like to present at the workshop!

October 2                                Aberdeen

October 16                              North Harford

Wednesday, October 29         Bel Air

November 20                          Havre de Grace

December 11                           Edgewood

January 15                               Joppatowne

January 29                               Harford Tech

February 12                             John Carroll

February 26                             Patterson Mill

March 12                                 Snow Day: LD topic will come from the month of whichever tournament is cancelled. If more than one tournament is cancelled, we will make up only the first one cancelled.

March 19                                 Finals @ Fallston  (Attendance at five or more tournaments is required to compete in Finals.  This tournament is three rounds, not two.

Updates will be posted on this blog, and on our Speech Creatures Unite! Facebook page, as well as through JC email.

schedule for the 2014-2015 season!

Here is the schedule for the 2014-2015 season.  I have a really good feeling about the coming year, and I will try to be as good a coach as I can possibly be.  Having Ms. Amato on board will certainly help us all, and we can't wait to get started!

September 18, 2014                Workshop at CMW      

(Please let me or Ms. Amato know if you would like to present!

October 2                                Aberdeen

October 16                              North Harford

October 30                              Fallston

November 20                          Havre de Grace

December 11                           Edgewood

January 15                               Joppatowne

January 29                               Harford Tech

February 12                             John Carroll

February 26                             Patterson Mill

March 12                                 Snow Day: LD topic will come from the month of whichever tournament is cancelled. If more than one tournament is cancelled, we will make up only the first one cancelled.

March 19                                 Finals @ Bel Air         Attendance at 5 or more tournaments is

required to compete in finals; although team members may come and observe. This tournament is three rounds.

As more updates come in, and we have more information to share, we will let you know on this blog, and on our Speech Creatures Unite! Facebook page, as well as through JC email.

Have a great summer!

Official Updates

I have consulted the official Harford County Speech & Debate League events overview, and updated all the events links on this blog.  Some times and descriptions have changed, so you should be sure to look over your event closely as part of your preparation.

We will get together every Thursday for practice or meets, meeting in the TV Studio for practices from around 2:45 to 4:00.  Due to the new after-school schedules, it is perfectly understandable if you have to arrive at practice late or leave early.  Attendance at meetings is encouraged but not strictly enforced.

The official meet schedule is below.  Please try to make as many as you can, because A) these are our "games," where we actually compete against all the public schools in Harford County, and B) if you want to compete in the Finals Tournament, you must compete in at least five of the nine regular season meets.  Besides, meets are fun!  Ask any Speech Creature.

As always, see me with questions, or email me at rschick@johncarroll.org .  There is also a lot of good information at our Facebook group page, called Speech Creatures UNITE!

Sept 26 - CMW (workshop)
Oct 10 - Fallston
Oct 24 - North Harford
Nov 14 - Patterson Mill
Dec 5 - Edgewood
Jan 9 - John Carroll
Jan 30 - Harford Tech
Feb 13 - Joppatowne
Feb 27 - Havre de Grace

March 6 is the snow date

March 13 - Bel Air for FINALS!

A New Season!

The school year is almost here, and the Speech & Debate season is close behind.  Here is some information that should be useful to all returning members of the team, and to those students who wish to join the ranks of the Speech Creatures!

If you are already a talented and motivated speaker, joining the Speech & Debate team is a brilliant move.  It looks great on college applications, and public speaking is a skill that you will use in countless situations in high school, college, and beyond.  

Or, maybe you have just a little experience in speaking in front of people, and the very idea of giving an oral report in class freaks you out.  If so, this is the club for you.  You can learn to get over your jitters and become more confident speaking in front of groups.  The Speech Creatures can help you work on your delivery in a supportive, non-judgmental environment.  And the competitions themselves aren't super-stressful.  You don't speak in an auditorium in front of hundreds of people.  You give your speech in a classroom to fewer than ten people, consisting of one judge (a high school teacher) and a few other contestants.

Being on the Speech & Debate team is rewarding, but mostly we have a lot of fun.  There is probably way too much goofing, singing, and laughing, but you'll get used to it.   Join the Speech Creatures!

Here is the schedule for the upcoming season:

Sept 26 - CMW (workshop)
Oct 10 - Fallston
Oct 24 - North Harford
Nov 14 - Patterson Mill
Dec 5 - Edgewood
Jan 9 - John Carroll
Jan 30 - Harford Tech
Feb 13 - Joppatowne
Feb 27 - Havre de Grace
March 6 is the snow date
March 13 - Bel Air for FINALS!

Also, the league organizers have simplified and clarified the descriptions of the events.  If you click on any of the Tournament Events (to the right), you will get the new description.

If you are at all interested in being on our team, you should join us on Facebook.  The group is called Speech Creatures UNITE!, and you can find lots of info there.  It's also a great place to make or receive suggestions about entries and strategy. 

If you have questions for any of the current Creatures, message or post to the Facebook group.  If you need to ask me anything, I'm available at rschick@johncarroll.org, or you can find me in Room 121 (the TV Studio) when school is back in session.

debate topics

It's official:  the topics for the upcoming year!

For Lincoln-Douglas Debate - "Resolved:  The United States ought to extend to non-citizens accused of terrorism the same constitutional due process protections it grants to citizens."  (Note: this is the topic for the Oct. 11 meet at John Carroll and the Oct. 25 meet at North Harford.  It will change for Nov./Dec.)

For Team Debate (for the entire year) -  "Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its transportation infrastructure investment in the United States."

Happy researching!