Almost every classroom of a high school buzzes with anxiety and fervor. But a brief lapse of tranquility can be reliably found in one class—for one hour in their busy schedules, the Speech & Debate (S&D) students find a haven of comfort and excitement among the tedious competition of their other courses. While speech & debate also encourages students to compete, all of their endeavors come from a place of passion and self-motivation, instead of pressure or fear. S&D is an elective for bright, kind, and determined students—but it also frees students, allowing them to expand their self-expression, and urging them to navigate their world more creatively. 

I first had an interest in S&D back in middle school, as I had taken the course as one of my electives. At the same time, I was taking Nova42 virtually, classes from another academy that specialized in speech and debate. Although that class regularly gave me stress, it was what sparked interest in me to decide to take S&D in high school. This interest was furthered when a part of the Arcadia S&D team came to show at Foothills Middle School, where one student in particular, Austin La, a sophomore, participated in an improvisational duo acting as a pregnant woman going into labor. I recall the hilarity of the situation, how the other students within the room burst into uproarious laughter, and how it convinced me to pursue S&D in high school. 

As middle school drew to an end and high school began, I decided to try out for the S&D team, one of the largest academic teams on campus. I was nervous about not getting it, but turns out, I didn’t need to be. 

I just want to give a warm thank you to Speech & Debate. My mind had created expectations that S&D would be scary and stressful, as my previous experience in middle school had taught me, but it turned out to be the opposite: Mrs. Novak, the S&D teacher, was not only supportive, but encouraged us to interact with new peers, try new experiences, and delve deep into fascinating topics. It’s a community where everyone feels that they belong, that they can interact with others–despite the varying grade levels within the classroom–and have many different types of S&D events to choose from. In many ways, it transformed the way I felt about S&D; I no longer went through the motions alone, and enjoyed it for once.

I love you, Speech & Debate! Thank you for helping me find my passion, meet and connect with new people, and make every school day a joy to look forward to!