Isn't Speech & Debate just for "nerds"?
It's funny you should ask that! Depending on how you define the term "nerd", you might make a case for that BUT you would be wrong to JUST assume that. Yes, Speech & Debate is comprised of very bright and motivated students - many of whom have gone on to become valedictorian and salutatorian of their respective classes (Rishi Suresh, Saurabh Limaye, Nathan Tamburello, Neil Patel, Matt Garber, Ruchika Bengani to name a few) but we also have the distinction of having a very DIVERSE team that is and has been made up of athletes (Constance Jacob - track scholarship to UTSA ; Drake Pechous - football scholarship to Henderson State University), band leaders (Fizza Dhanani and Christa Westheimer), HOSA competitors too numeroud to list and students from every walk of life. Our former members are now working for places like Lockheed Martin as engineers, working in law firms, running their own businesses and interning in Washington DC and much more! That's what makes debate a great class!
When can I travel to area tournaments?
You can travel to area tournaments when you feel comfortable that you can substantiate your claims on current topics and after you've worked with both your class officers (usually after school or in Quest Hour) as well as myself. Because this is a cost-intensive endeavor, we want to make sure that we always spend our money wisely and that is why there needs to be oversight to your preparation. But we WANT you to compete! Your actual competition will allow you to put into practice what we talk about in class. Doing in-class preparation only (because of the mixed ability levels we have in all classes), will be insufficient therefore after school preparation time on your part is critical.
Are there a minimum number of tournaments I must attend as a first year member?
Debate I students will attend two tournaments during their first semester in Debate I unless otherwise informed.
Are there a maximum number of tournaments I can attend as a first year member?
Currently there are no limits to the number of times (maximum) a Debate I student can attend, however, money will dictate overall squad travel and, should it come down to choosing who can/cannot attend, factors such as novice/senior competition, TFA state point accumulation, grades, behavior, adherence to Core Values, etc will be looked to. It will not be uncommon for allowance to be granted to upper classmen, but this is not a firm rule at this time. For specific concerns, please see Mr. Rutledge.
What supplies do I need for class and what course fees will be assessed?
Your class/course fee will cover most of the supplies you will need for class. This fee (at the current time) is $50.00 for Debate I students and $200.00 for Advanced Students. This fee is used to cover expenses including travel costs for buses, minimal registration fees, a squad t-shirt, printer/toner usage for traveling, NSDA and TFA membership dues, debate briefs and site access, such as to Prepd, wolverinedebate.com and other sites used for team productivity and communication.
The only supplies you need are responsible for are standard school supplies which you would have for any other class - mainly pens, pencils, a notebook to house your work and paper/spirals to take notes.
It's funny you should ask that! Depending on how you define the term "nerd", you might make a case for that BUT you would be wrong to JUST assume that. Yes, Speech & Debate is comprised of very bright and motivated students - many of whom have gone on to become valedictorian and salutatorian of their respective classes (Rishi Suresh, Saurabh Limaye, Nathan Tamburello, Neil Patel, Matt Garber, Ruchika Bengani to name a few) but we also have the distinction of having a very DIVERSE team that is and has been made up of athletes (Constance Jacob - track scholarship to UTSA ; Drake Pechous - football scholarship to Henderson State University), band leaders (Fizza Dhanani and Christa Westheimer), HOSA competitors too numeroud to list and students from every walk of life. Our former members are now working for places like Lockheed Martin as engineers, working in law firms, running their own businesses and interning in Washington DC and much more! That's what makes debate a great class!
When can I travel to area tournaments?
You can travel to area tournaments when you feel comfortable that you can substantiate your claims on current topics and after you've worked with both your class officers (usually after school or in Quest Hour) as well as myself. Because this is a cost-intensive endeavor, we want to make sure that we always spend our money wisely and that is why there needs to be oversight to your preparation. But we WANT you to compete! Your actual competition will allow you to put into practice what we talk about in class. Doing in-class preparation only (because of the mixed ability levels we have in all classes), will be insufficient therefore after school preparation time on your part is critical.
Are there a minimum number of tournaments I must attend as a first year member?
Debate I students will attend two tournaments during their first semester in Debate I unless otherwise informed.
Are there a maximum number of tournaments I can attend as a first year member?
Currently there are no limits to the number of times (maximum) a Debate I student can attend, however, money will dictate overall squad travel and, should it come down to choosing who can/cannot attend, factors such as novice/senior competition, TFA state point accumulation, grades, behavior, adherence to Core Values, etc will be looked to. It will not be uncommon for allowance to be granted to upper classmen, but this is not a firm rule at this time. For specific concerns, please see Mr. Rutledge.
What supplies do I need for class and what course fees will be assessed?
Your class/course fee will cover most of the supplies you will need for class. This fee (at the current time) is $50.00 for Debate I students and $200.00 for Advanced Students. This fee is used to cover expenses including travel costs for buses, minimal registration fees, a squad t-shirt, printer/toner usage for traveling, NSDA and TFA membership dues, debate briefs and site access, such as to Prepd, wolverinedebate.com and other sites used for team productivity and communication.
The only supplies you need are responsible for are standard school supplies which you would have for any other class - mainly pens, pencils, a notebook to house your work and paper/spirals to take notes.
Do I get an "A" just for showing up to class?
Many students believe that, just because a class falls under the course catalog section of "Elective Classes," it means students should receive an "A". Many students DO receive "A"s or 100s for nine week or semester averages but all students should be clear that those students put forth effort every day, meet their deadlines and likely participate in offsite competition with the advanced class and attend after-school or Quest Hour practice sessions with some regularity.
What will I be discussing in class?
My approach to Speech & Debate falls in line with what CCISD wants all teachers to do - prepare students for the real world. Because this is an activity that has direct implications to all career fields and social interactions, the content is no different that what you might see in the news or see in the pages of a current events magazine like Time or US News & World Report.
What I ask students and parents to understand is that (I believe) we can cover a great variety of topics that may not be typical "dinner table" conversation in an academic setting where we talk about both sides and reasons WHY, fundamentally, both sides "could" be correct without forcing any student to believe any one thing. Because you will be forced to debate relevant/real-world topics in competition, it only makes sense to expose you to those same topics and issues in a classroom setting. And because you will not know which side of an argument you will have to defend, it is essential that you understand all aspects of an issue so that you are well-informed on all accounts and can make a persuasive argument despite your personal belief systems.
Because of the nature of the topics we will discuss in class, it is imperative that you have a mastery of grade-level (or above) vocabulary so that your reading of material doesn't present too difficult a challenge. To assist with this, I have included a list of SAT preparation words that you might find helpful. We will use this material from time to time to reinforce elevated comprehension and understanding.
Many students believe that, just because a class falls under the course catalog section of "Elective Classes," it means students should receive an "A". Many students DO receive "A"s or 100s for nine week or semester averages but all students should be clear that those students put forth effort every day, meet their deadlines and likely participate in offsite competition with the advanced class and attend after-school or Quest Hour practice sessions with some regularity.
What will I be discussing in class?
My approach to Speech & Debate falls in line with what CCISD wants all teachers to do - prepare students for the real world. Because this is an activity that has direct implications to all career fields and social interactions, the content is no different that what you might see in the news or see in the pages of a current events magazine like Time or US News & World Report.
What I ask students and parents to understand is that (I believe) we can cover a great variety of topics that may not be typical "dinner table" conversation in an academic setting where we talk about both sides and reasons WHY, fundamentally, both sides "could" be correct without forcing any student to believe any one thing. Because you will be forced to debate relevant/real-world topics in competition, it only makes sense to expose you to those same topics and issues in a classroom setting. And because you will not know which side of an argument you will have to defend, it is essential that you understand all aspects of an issue so that you are well-informed on all accounts and can make a persuasive argument despite your personal belief systems.
Because of the nature of the topics we will discuss in class, it is imperative that you have a mastery of grade-level (or above) vocabulary so that your reading of material doesn't present too difficult a challenge. To assist with this, I have included a list of SAT preparation words that you might find helpful. We will use this material from time to time to reinforce elevated comprehension and understanding.
| sat.vocab.pdf |
