Mr. Wallace, the club’s advisor, with club president Alaina Roberts
Debate Club is an organization centered on building students up. At the Debate Club, students exchange values and opinions on various topics. This club teaches students critical thinking skills, teamwork, and social skills. These are skills and lessons that will serve students throughout a lifetime.
“Debate Club is a welcoming environment filled with wonderful people,” said freshman Alaina Roberts, club president.
At the Debate Club, students are passionate. Each person researches their topic extensively, leading to passionate and knowledgeable debates. However, everyone listens to each other. They care about hearing each other out.
“Students enjoy debating on topics they feel strongly about,” said Mr. Wallace, Debate Club sponsor. “That will lend itself to a challenge students will find difficult due to the opposition being equally prepared and knowledgeable, not just in the topics, but in how to break down an argument.”
Debate is an important part of a society based in the ability to have open dialogue. However, Debate Club seeks to teach students a better way to communicate differences.
“In our American society, we like to argue, but we also like to always be right. Students in the Debate Club are learning how, in a debate, it is not about who is right or wrong,” said Wallace. “Both sides have an argument to make, but can they vocalize that argument that counters the other side?”
Debate Club is consistently challenging students, leading them to reach new heights. It teaches students public speaking, when to lead, and when to listen.
“It's a very good way to learn public speaking in a smaller group,” said Roberts. “When I first joined the group, I was nervous to speak out because I was afraid of being judged. Now, I feel a lot more comfortable speaking my mind. It's still a school-related club, but you're not learning English or Math. You're learning a skill: how to debate and how to get your point across.”
Debate Club is a place where students learn something new every day. The environment is competitive, thoughtful, and goal-oriented.
“I want students to develop their oratory and argumentative skills,” Wallace said. “This includes the ability to compose and deliver a speech based on critical thinking and reasoning. Students in a debate club refine their critical listening skills and this simply comes with practice.”
The club is open to any student, regardless of their experience or confidence level.
“Members come in with varying degrees of skills in arguing in a debate, and they can learn from one another,” said Wallace.
The Debate Club is focused on getting one's point across rather than being right. The ultimate goal is to learn new things. Often, students discuss topics brought up by psychology and sociology. The goal of debate club is to challenge students to use critical thinking to successfully make an argument.
“Debate Club itself is a very student-led club,” said Roberts. “It's a lot of learning without being explicitly taught by a teacher.”
The club teaches the art of learning by doing. This is an art that will impact students throughout their lives. Debate Club encourages asking questions and finding answers, especially if the questions need to be seen from different perspectives. It focuses on finding one's truth and learning to think beyond the surface.
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