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.
