THE MENTAL SPORT

BUILDING CHARACTER AND COMMUNITY THROUGH REGIS JESUIT’S SPEECH AND DEBATE PROGRAM

by Emilia Hull ‘25 and Hayden Oh ‘25 photo by Hayden Oh ‘25

Leadership involves inspiring, empowering, building relationships, and being a role model to others. At Regis Jesuit, these values are exemplified in every corner of the campus. The Regis Jesuit Speech and Debate team cultivates a strong group of leaders who ensure that each of their teammates develops confidence in their events and school community.

“We have a very supportive team, a very student-led team like obviously me and Mr. Woodall are there as coaches and we do a lot, but our students really take pride in what they do and they have leadership roles that allow them to be teachers within,” said coach Ms. Miranda Smith ‘14. “And we always say, You know you’re good at something when you can teach someone else to do it.”

Speech and Debate members attend practices three times a week to prepare for weekend competitions. These events are strenuous full-day commitments like any sporting event, but a priority of the program is for each member to form lasting friendships and enjoy the positive environment by cheering on all their peers.

“It is most Saturdays, but at the same time, any coach of any sport, they’re committing to every night practice and games and things like that,” Smith described. “So for me, it’s a coaching position, so I take it as seriously as I think our athletic coaches do, where I’m committed to my team because I love what they’re doing and I want to support them in doing that.”

Speech and Debate entails critical thinking skills, research and analysis of real-world problems, and clear communication skills. But the true foundation of the team’s success is in their core group of leaders who share their solidified knowledge to help other members reach success. They are outstanding leaders in their event settings and individuals who will forever influence others to be their most confident selves.

“Seeing them grow and seeing them become more confident speakers or arguers,” Smith described. “I think that’s definitely my favorite part, getting to see that growth.”

SPEAK UP!

FIVE TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN SPEECH AND DEBATE

by Rafael Rico ‘25

STRUCTURE

In order to create an effective speech, one needs to have a structured and persuasive argument in which the contentions build on each other to provide a strong foundation for the next topic point.

CONVICTION

Speaking clearly and confidently provides the audience with the reassurance they need to believe what you are saying without having to fact-check. It also makes one seem more reliable while providing brownie points for credibility.

EQUITY

When giving a speech, be mindful of the fact that some people may not have the same foreknowledge as others. Make sure to provide insightful outlooks and both perspectives to an argument while being in accord with one more than the other. By giving more than one perspective, the speaker appeals to the audience showing fairness and impartiality towards all.

LISTENING

In order to communicate effectively, one needs to listen to other arguments as closely as possible. The key to providing an effective argument is not in giving the most information, but disproving the opponent’s claim on the topic.

KNOWLEDGE

Being knowledgeable on any given topic before speaking about it is imperative to having success in any speech or debate. By having somewhat of an extensive knowledge about the topic at hand, one can dispute any false claims, provide clarity and truth, while handling any questioning about the credibility of the speech given.