If you’re looking for something to get involved in at school, and you have great public speaking skills, Speech and Debate is the club for you! It meets on Mondays after school in Room 021. Speech and Debate are two separate groups. Speech is public speaking, while Debate is picking a topic, deciding if you’re for it or against it, and researching and presenting reasons why everyone else should support your view on the topic.Additionally, there are different types of events for both Speech and Debate. Speech has informative/informational speeches, dramatic speeches, and comedic speeches. Debate has group debates and one-on-one debates. They have different events and competitions throughout the year, and this year, they were even the committee for the homecoming dance!

Getting involved in Speech and Debate will also help you improve your public speaking skills, meet new people, and develop friendships. You will often get to collaborate and work closely with other people who are involved, and this will allow you to get to know them better. From this, you will probably develop friendships with those people that will last for a very long time. It will also look good on your college applications and job applications, especially if you want be a journalist, a communications/public relations specialist, an author, a playwright, a poet, a screenwriter, or a reporter after you graduate from college. If you are considering a future career in one of the occupations I just mentioned, doing Speech and Debate in high school can set you on the right path to achieving your goal! I met up with Mr. Herink, the director of Speech and Debate at East, and I asked him what his favorite part of coaching Speech and Debate was. “I think my favorite part is probably watching my students grow as authors and public speakers, particularly the ones that go on to choose English-based careers.” he replied.

Speech and Debate can help set you on the path to choosing a career that will allow you to use your strengths in the best possible ways. It will help you get into a college where you can refine your skills and prepare for a career. But most important of all, it will allow you to make friendships and memories that will last for a lifetime.