Following a state win last school year, the speech and debate teams are set to launch into a new season with their first tournaments at Southern Nazarene University. The debate team starts its tournament Sept. 26 while speech begins Sept. 27. The speech team is led by Coach Brett Young, and Coach Lori Crews oversees the debate team.
For the first tournament, it becomes nerve racking for not only new students but also rejoining students on the Speech and Debate team. The extra preparation of practice in polishing old events to branching out on different events.
This year is senior McKellyn Johnson’s fourth year on the speech team.
“Since it’s the first tournament at a college campus, there are already lots of people registered, which makes it more stressful,” Johnson said.
Sophomore Sylvie Harper is branching out this year and trying a new event, which is common for returning students.
“I chose standard oratory again as it’ll be my last year to do it as a sophomore as well as doing monologue for the first time in figuring out my character,” Harper said.
Junior Ellie Stayton, who is competing in program oral interpretation, shared how she prepares for a performance.
“What I do is I take time out of my day after school to go over my speech and just really make sure I have it down,” Stayton said.
Many students have different ways of memorizing scripts whether acting out in a group, feedback from teachers or individually working.
“My event is Lincoln Douglas which is different because speech kids usually don’t go online looking for blocks and argument extensions,” senior Drake Mossauer said.
Students work towards a goal, doing the best they can to develop their skills as time passes.
“My personal goal for the future is for new people to come in, quickly settle down and have the veterans guide them throughout the school year,” Crews said.
