The new Speech and Debate club is an excellent opportunity for students who want to enhance their speaking abilities while discussing important issues. The club meets in Ms. McNutt’s room 216 every other Tuesday, starting at 1:45 pm and ending around 2:30 pm.
Many students have already joined, eager to develop their speaking skills. Sophomore Amanda Rangel said, “I joined the speech and debate club because I believe it will be beneficial towards expanding my communication skills, and it is also a great opportunity to meet people who have similar or the same goals of expanding their knowledge.”
Sophomore Isabella Bilbili shared, “I joined the Speech and Debate club to improve my public speaking skills and communicate with others about relevant topics in today’s world.” Some students are joining because it aligns with their career paths. Antonella Martin, a sophomore, explained, “I joined the Speech and Debate club because it falls under the category of what I want to major in while also giving me experience in public speaking.”
Gabriela Grinan Gomez, the president and founder of the Speech and Debate club, has ambitious plans for its future, according to her peers. Ms.McNutt remarked, “Our president, Gabriela, has wonderful plans for the future of the club, including potentially trying to compete.”
Sophomore Desirae Moe added, “I think the club is running amazingly. Gabriela is doing such a great job running the club, and the members who are also part of speech and debate make it really enjoyable.”
Gabriela aims to support students in various ways. She stated, “We will discuss various topics that are important in today’s world. We also plan to improve our writing skills because one of our goals is to have a newsletter where we can share our opinions respectfully.”
Others agree with the future plans for the club. Sophomore Binka Salinas mentioned, “The club plans to learn how to gather information for a specific argument and learn how to convince everyone that your opinion is right.” Salinas also said, “In the future, we will probably compete in competitions like Model UN.”
While the club has goals, the members also have personal objectives they want to achieve. Sophomore Kamila Vargas expressed, “I want to improve my public speaking, learn different argumentation styles, and also learn about various controversial real-world topics.”
Bilbili added, “I am looking forward to learning how to think quickly and respond under pressure.”I am looking forward to learning how to think quickly and respond under pressure, while also improving my argumentation skills.” Moe said, “I am looking forward to being more comfortable speaking up in class, during presentations, and talking to people I don’t know.”
The Speech and Debate club is still welcoming new members, so don’t hesitate to stop by Ms. McNutt’s room after school every other Tuesday.
