For students who enjoy doing research, staying up-to-date on current events and giving speeches, joining the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Speech and Debate Team is one way for them to practice and enhance their communication skills.
The Speech and Debate Team is a club on campus in which students compete in a variety of events against other university students at tournaments.
Students can compete in various debate events, extemporaneous speaking, platform speeches and interpretation events.
Throughout the week, TAMUK Speech and Debate members spend time preparing for tournaments.
These tournaments are held across the state as well as in neighboring states.
Those who qualify for the national competition travel further.
For example, the team has traveled to Boise, Idaho and has hopes to compete at nationals this year in Hempstead, N.Y.
Competing in Speech and Debate can have many benefits for students.
“The students get an opportunity to develop professional communication skills, confidence, and a great set of friends. Students competing in debate, extemporaneous speaking and platform speeches like informative and persuasive speaking gain knowledge of current events, strong organizational patterns, reasoning,and develop polished delivery.
“For students competing in Interpretation events like prose, poetry, dramatic interpretation, or program of oral interpretation students gain skills in selecting and adapting literature suitable for performance, develop effective delivery strategies including blocking, and have an opportunity to be expressive and connect with audiences on issues, themes that they are personally committed to in the world,” the Speech and Debate coach Dr.Lana McDonnell said.
The team captain, Kylie McIntosh, has been competing in Speech and Debate tournaments since she was in high school.
For her, the competitive factor of participating in tournaments makes being a part of the team fun.
“I enjoy the adrenaline of competition and constantly absorbing new information. Sometimes just watching other people perform is amazing for me, going to tournaments feels like being a part of a competitive TedTalk,” McIntosh said.
While Speech and Debate does allow for students to compete, they can also gain communication skills as well as confidence. This confidence can help them exceed in their college career.
“Speech and Debate is the reason that I’m so comfortable talking with people now. I used it as a tool in high school to help me overcome stage fright by putting myself in an intentionally uncomfortable position, but the competitiveness and openness that I gained is worth it. I really recommend people to try it out, especially if they are terrified of public speaking,” Katelyn Horner, a member of the team said.
If you are interested in joining the team, students can attend a team meeting at 5 p.m on Tuesdays or Thursdays in the JSEC.