8 minute read
SPEECH AND DEBATE
BY Chloe Liu ’26 and Rahmaan Shajani ’26
The outcome of a debate is found not only in an individual but the partnership. The origins of debate may be traced back to ancient Greece when philosophy and politics were often debated issues. Debate is not only alive and well now, but it is also relevant in Middle School. This debate season, we have received nothing but encouragement and assistance from our teachers and classmates. With our coaches providing immense feedback and help, each individual in debate has grown into a speaker, leader, and debater. With over thirty participants this year, debate provided students with an opportunity to speak up and push themselves. With new members from every grade, it provided a chance for each student to learn and grow. Our coaches, Ms. O’Neill, Ms. Westers, and Mr. Bodnar, have provided endless encouragement and support to both new and returning debaters. With their assistance, debate has seemed more like a community than a club.
This year we founded and organized the inaugural STS In-House Tournament. We sought to provide new debaters with a chance to hone their talents in the company of their peers. It was also a chance for students to improve their leadership abilities and provide feedback to their classmates. This tournament was played under the British Parliamentary, or BP style, which included two teams on each side. Each side offered an in-depth explanation of the topics, allowing for an engaging debate. This tournament provided an opportunity for each debater to learn and get more familiar with various debate styles.
Last year STS participated in the 2021-2022 Calgary Regional Debate Tournament. We congratulate Noah Francis ’25 and Amy Xia ’25 on their fifth-place finish in this tournament. This allowed them to go on to represent Calgary and STS at provincials. Noah and Amy were not the only debaters that competed in regionals. STS sent four teams from various grades and skill levels. This tournament consisted of four rounds each with different topics. Each topic forced debaters to think outside the box and find ways to prove their side of the motion. These motions made us think about different points of view and perspectives to better understand the way of the world. Although we did not make it to provincials this year, we still are glad that our friends and fellow debaters were able to have such a great opportunity.
Overall, we had a successful debate season, but we aim to have an even better season next year. Debate is the foundation of our democracy, and it is critical that as the next generation, we have a proper ability to assist society as we shape our world’s future. Debate is far more than just argumentation, it is a form of art that everyone should be familiar with.
““With over thirty
Fearless
BY Bolu Kasumu ’23
A fear of public speaking is the most common phobia, ahead of spiders, heights, and even death. That means that at a funeral, most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy! When I first came to STS in Grade 4, I was one of these people. I was (and still am) extremely A talkative, but ironically, public speaking was one of my biggest fears. I loved speaking with family and friends, but the thought of speaking in front of my peers in a formal setting made me feel queasy. This fear continued with me into my Middle
School years.
When the option of joining the Speech
Club arose in Middle School, my response was an instant ‘no’. Why would I join a club dedicated to one of my biggest fears? Unfortunately for me, the speech coaches had the clever idea to email parents about the opportunity to join the club. My father lovingly urged me to join
Speech, primarily because he knew it was a weakness of mine.
At the time, there was nothing I wanted to do less than join Speech, and if you had told my seventh-grade self that in four years, I would compete in the World’s
Individual Debate and Public Speaking
Championships and place second in the world, I would have simply laughed at such an absurdity.
In the Speech program there are many different categories of public speaking but the category that challenges even the most seasoned of public speakers is probably
Impromptu Speaking. The Impromptu category is completely unprepared. After you are given a topic you’ve never seen before with only two minutes to prepare, you deliver a speech for up to five minutes that is essentially created as you perform it. As a young public speaker, this category terrified me, and I avoided it at all costs.
However, encouraged by my dad and my coaches, I worked at the skill, and naturally, it improved over time. The differences between me at the beginning of my STS journey, and who I am now are many. For one, I’m much taller. I’m a much better public speaker, in fact, you could say I’m pretty good at it. But most importantly, I’ve taken more risks, and I’ve tried things far outside of my comfort zone. My proudest accomplishment in Speech hasn’t been advancing in a competition or placing well; in fact, what I am most proud of is how much I’ve grown in my ability to try new things, and risk embarrassing myself in order to grow.
Something that used to terrify me is now one of my greatest strengths, and for that, I am extremely thankful to STS. With this in mind, I’m excited to see what fears I’ll get the chance to conquer in the future.
““Something that
THE OF SPEECH
BY Kate Julian ’22
Ever since I was a little girl, my absolute favorite activity has been talking. I have a remarkable ability to talk the ear off anyone, regardless of the topic of discussion. My parents once took me to visit a speech pathologist, who said, “The words come out faster than they form in her brain.” With seemingly boundless energy and words that never seemed to stop, talking defined who I was.
I was overjoyed in Elementary School at the prospect of being able to use my at times overzealous speaking ability when I joined the Speech Club in Grade 7. The Speech Club has been an integral part of my school experience all the way through to finishing my Senior School year with the team in 2022. After six years in the club, I realized i something my Elementary School self would not have known. The first thing is that the program has provided me the opportunity for growth and confidence in all forms of public speaking. The second is the enjoyment I received in the competitive aspect of the program and perhaps, the most important, are the connections formed and the memories of the club that will last a lifetime.
The STS Speech Club is not segregated by grade or division.
Students in Grade 7 can work with and learn from Grade 12 students. I remember when I was in Grade 7, Senior School students accepting me as part of the team and making me feel welcome. In turn, in my Senior School year, I have enjoyed mentoring the younger students so they too will share these memories when they look back on their last year in the club. Of course, the focus of the program is to improve public speaking skills but the club goes far beyond just skill development. In fact, the memories I look so fondly on are those made with the older students, riding the bus to competitions, exploring different schools where competitions and tournaments were held, checking in with each other between rounds, and the rush of waiting to see if STS could take all the medals in one category (which is not an uncommon occurrence).
Speech taught me how to harness my natural “motor mouth,” but most importantly, speech afforded me the ability to connect with older students who I knew would support me. Because of speech, I learned to be comfortable in my own skin, “motor mouth” and all. I learned how to deal with difficult social situations, how to approach teachers and adults, how to manage co-curriculars and school work, how to win, and most importantly how to lose. Many of these lessons came from my coaches, peers, and older students whom I looked up too, which makes these memories very special. Even now as I graduate, I am still in contact with those older students whom I formed connections with and I still find myself turning to them for advice about the transition to post-secondary school. My time as an STS student officially came to an end in June 2022 at Senior School Prizegiving. However, I am able to confidently state that the public speaking skills I have developed, the connections I have made, and the lessons I learned during my time in the STS Speech Program will stay with me for the rest of my life.
