"Time spent arguing is, oddly enough, almost never wasted." - Christopher Hitchens
So, why debate?
There are numerous reasons to join a competitive speech and debate team such as the one at Clear Lake HS. Many of the following are taken from the national speech and debate honor society, the National Speech & Debate Association.
Academically:
Academically:
- It develops and hones the critical thinking and reasoning skills so absolutely vital to high level success in education, especially in college.
- Studies show that students labeled "at-risk" or gifted and talented "act out" 50% less if they are involved in speech and debate.
- Among high school students, especially those in minority groups, speech and debate improves graduation/retention rates, SAT/ACT and other standardized test scores, and numerous metrics used to gauge college readiness. Furthermore, according to the Journal for the American Forensic Association, 90% of students that participate in speech and debate go on to receive at least one graduate degree.
- The revised SAT announced recently will require the exact skill-set debate teaches. Why? The head of the College Board, the company that creates and manages the SAT, is a former debater!
- Being a member of any team, especially one like ours, provides a safe place that fosters student expression and motivates self-growth during the vital years of high school.
- For motivated individuals, there are plenty of opportunities as an upperclassman to take on a mentorship and/or leadership role on our team, learning and boosting vital interpersonal and leadership skills.
- Competitive speech and debate is by its very nature competitive - students have a huge number of opportunities to compete against others their age in a myriad of different events. Many of our students become extremely successful, earning trophies, bragging rights, accolades, and invitations to prestigious state and national competitions.
What are the expectations?
Being a member of the Clear Lake HS Speech & Debate team isn't for everyone. Competitive speech and debate, especially at the level at which we strive to always compete on, is academically rigorous and time consuming. Speech and debate tournaments are held from August until June, with the bulk of our competitions during the fall and very early spring semesters. All team members are required to compete in a minimum number of tournaments, which are typically held Fridays in the afternoon/evening and Saturdays, all day. Additionally, all team members are required to participate in the running of the Clear Lake HS annual tournament, hosted by the team here at CLHS. This is not to say that being a member of our team doesn't allow you to participate in other activities such as band, orchestra, or sports; in fact, some of our most competitive students compete in such a myriad of activities such as the district's annual Science Fair, orchestra, Flairs, and numerous other groups and events.