The Speech and Debate team has been a long standing club at Bowling Green High School, but recently the team has undergone some changes that have shown to be beneficial.

The previous coach, Mrs. Martin, retired 3 years ago, and Mrs. Whitmer has taken over as coach. Mrs. Whitmer has lessened the requirements for competitions, making it easier for busy students to manage the club with their schedules.

Speech and Debate is an amazing opportunity for a variety of students to improve their writing and speaking skills. 

The club is not limited to presidential speeches or future CEOs, as there is a wide variety of events students can choose to compete in. From humorously interpreting a piece of fiction to giving a TV broadcast, there is an event for everyone in Speech and Debate.

There are also many opportunities for teamwork. In duo improv, two partners can spontaneously create a situation and act it out without any memorization. Not all events require memorization, as there are plenty of events like extemporaneous speaking, impromptu, and various on-demand debate competitions.

For more specific information on events, you can visit the Competition Events Guide on the National Speech & Debate website. 

As Mrs. Whitmer is currently on maternity leave until winter, Mr. Parry is standing in as the interim coach for the team.

“I’m excited to be the interim coach for Mrs. Whitmer,” he said, as he “never got to do (it) back in high school.” Mr. Parry is also the sponsor of the Drama Club, so he has experience leading actors and speakers in their craft.

The Speech and Debate team’s next competition is in November, and members are vigilantly preparing. 

One member, Norman White, has spent the past few weeks memorizing his speeches. He is competing in prose, poetry, and duo improv with fellow speech and debate member Neal Calvert. Students in the prose events can choose one or more pieces to combine for a specific theme. Norman is combining a couple pieces on the overuse of AI alongside the natural hope that humans have.

“I’m very excited for this season to begin. I’ve been very excited to get back into speech and debate,” White said. He has been in Speech and Debate since middle school, and says that it has “helped (him) become a better speaker,” encouraging him to become more outgoing and confident.

Speech and Debate has a variety of competitions where students are given time to socialize with other like-minded members. 

Speech and Debate is always open to new members who want to improve their public speaking and acting skills. The team meets on Mondays after school to rehearse and prepare for their upcoming competitions.

If you’re interested in joining the team, feel free to email Mr. Parry at [email protected]. Even if not, wish these speakers luck on their upcoming competition!