Speech and Debate is a combination of public speaking, acting, and arguing all in one competitive sport. In Debate, students work as a team to prove their side of an argument against another team from a different school. Speech and Debate Club is a national competitive sport as students compete throughout the country. 

At Bishop Blanchet, the Speech and Debate club is a whole community, and senior Cate Brewer is someone who has cherished her time with this club, working hard, and including students from all different grades to feel included and Debate to the best of their abilities. 

The team has a fun and competitive year ahead of them and Brewer says how the team has already been competing. “We have gone to 3 tournaments, and we have 2-3 more this year,” Brewer says.

The team and the tournaments are continuing to be active, and the club is “hosting a middle school tournament this weekend,” Brewer says, “Which will be fun hopefully.” 

Brewer continues by talking about the goals for this year and how the team is trying new techniques and styles of speaking. 

“This year, the Speech and Debate Club has been focusing on impromptu speaking, “said Brewer. 

Impromptu is speaking that is done without being planned, organized, or rehearsed.

The club is also focusing on specific things such as a public forum, which is a type of Debate. 

“It is a team event that advocates or rejects a position posed by the monthly resolution topic,” said Brewer. “The team has to have a clash of ideas that must be communicated in a persuasive manner.”

Overall, Public Forum has to display solid logic, include lucid reasoning, and depth of analysis. 

“It has to utilize evidence without being driven by it,” said Brewer . “The team must present a clash of ideas by countering and refuting arguments of the opposing team.”