For their next presentation, students in advanced speech class will be presenting debates. Between two class periods, ten debates will be taking place. Some debates, such as policy debates, include four people, while Lincoln-Douglas debates only include two. 

To begin the process, students received resolutions to which they must debate for the affirmative or negative side. During a debate, the rest of the class will fill out a flow chart of the components, and the winner will be picked based on the class’ notes.

“I think the debates will go well. Students in my public speaking class are a competitive bunch who like to do well. The teams are evenly matched; we have some very interesting topics, and students have had ample time to prepare. I look forward to debates every year. Students gain a ton of critical thinking skills. In addition to discerning the essential questions for their side of the debate, students must thoroughly research the issue, develop a plausible solution to the problem, and present that in an articulate manner. Furthermore, students will have to think strategically about how the opposition might address their side, and be fully prepared to rebut them,” said speech teacher Carol Fullington.