what is speech and debate?

what is speech and debate?

What the heck is speech and debate? Of course, there’s so much that you might not know when you start, and it’s hard to answer everyone’s questions. But, with this short article, you will hopefully get a basic outline of the speech and debate world. “what is speech and debate?” by emily wang 

Ah, the mysterious, interesting, and rather crazy world of speech and debate. Here, you will get nervous, freak out, eat a crazy amount of instant noodles, and of course talk to walls. However, before diving in, you must first understand the basics. Below, you will find a brief explanation of speech and debate. 

Speech: In speech, there are numerous events. You can do anything from act dramatic to talking about topics you’re passionate about. See, there are three different categories inside of speech. Interpretation(interp), platform, and limited prep. Under each category, there are different events. If you love acting, that’s what interp is about, and it can be done in different ways, depending on the event. Platforms are speeches you write yourself, picture changing the world with your words. And then, you have limited prep events. These are speeches you prepare during the tournament within a specific amount of time. The events in this category don’t require too much work pre-tournament, however you would need to be able to work under pressure. Still, it’s easier than it sounds. 

Debate: I’m just gonna be honest. I don’t dabble in debate. The closest thing to debate I’ve tried is SPaR, and if you’ve been in the speech and debate community for a while, SPaR isn’t really considered a true debate event. However, I can provide you with some basic information. Like speech, debate consists of different events. Most debates focus more on real world problems, and usually are prepped before the tournament starts. And it can be A LOT of prep! A few events in debate are … congress, policy, and lincoln douglas.  I won’t go too deep into it, considering my lack of experience, but I hear debate can be pretty fun. 

Okay, now you know the two categories. Well, when do these come in handy? At tournaments of course. This is where all the nerves, freak outs, instant noodles, and wall talking takes place. When I first started off, one tournament a month was the normal amount, but as you dive deeper, it might bump up to two or more, however if you really wanted, you could most likely go to one every weekend. 

Some tournaments are larger than others, and the location could range from an elementary school, a college campus, or even at a hotel for some larger tournaments. This all varies, but some places are a larger hassle than others. Date, time, location and competitiveness of the tournaments depends on the league hosting it. 

So, that is an outline of what speech and debate is. It might sound technical and boring at first, but once you give it a try, you might find more than you expected. The speech and debate community is full of  energy and passion in a  competitive yet fun atmosphere. It’s an activity we can all share and enjoy, you just need a little push in the right direction and feel it for yourself.  Hopefully, you get a better understanding of what you’re committing yourself too, because like any skill, with speech and debate you need to put in WORK. But, once you decide to explore, this community is truly an incredible, absolutely wonderful place. 

emily.wang

Hi! My name is Emily Wang, and this is italktowalls. Two years ago, the thought of public speaking for fun would’ve been absolutely terrifying, but look where we are now. On the weekends, you can find me at a tournament in my heels and suit, but on every other day, I’m just your local thespian who loves Chipotle and Pink Drinks.