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Why DEBATE?
Better Grades. Research indicates that speech and debate participation develops skills in communication and critical thinking. This typically coincides with higher grades across the curriculum. Speech and debate students also tend to score higher on standardized tests including the SAT and ACT.
College Admission. According to a Wall Street Journal study of top-tier college admissions, participation in high school athletics provided no advantage in acceptance at top universities. Participation in activities like band increased acceptance by about 3%. Being debate captain, however, improved an applicant’s chances by more than 60%. In addition, about 90% of high school debaters earn at least 1 graduate degree.
Taylor debate captains have attended such notable universities as: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Northwestern, UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, George Washington, Wake Forest, Emory, Rice and the London School of Economics.
Scholarships. Speech and debate competitors earn more scholarships than participants in any other extracurricular activity.
Career Success. Speech and debate competitors have a hiring edge in nearly all fields. Communications skills remain the most important factor that employers look to in hiring.
Taylor debaters have:
--graduated from the country’s top law schools including Harvard and Yale
--graduated from the country’s top medical schools
--graduated from the country’s top business schools
--clerked for Supreme Court justices
--edited the Harvard Law Journal
--interned in international relations at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium
Who Debates? The ranks of high school debaters have included: Oprah Winfrey; Brad Pitt; Adam Sandler; Ted Turner; Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer, Antonin Scalia, and Sonia Sotomayor; news anchor Jane Pauley; actress Shelley Long; James Earl Jones; Bill Clinton; John Belushi; James Dean; Bruce Springsteen; and even John Wayne
What We Do
Events: The Taylor High School Speech and Debate Team competes in a variety of events ranging from debate to public speaking to acting. The specific events we compete in are:
EXTEMP--Contestants draw three topics on current events, select one, and have 30 minutes to prepare a speech on the topic. Most of our tournaments divide the event into categories. Most tournaments use foreign and domestic topics as the divider with foreign extemp focusing on events happening in other countries and domestic focusing on events happening in the US. The maximum time limit for the speech presentation is 7 minutes.
ORATION—Oration is a speech prepared by the student on a topic of the student’s choice, usually on a socially significant issue. It must be the original work of the student. Speeches must be memorized, with no more than 150 quoted words. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.
HUMOROUS—This is an acting event in which the student presents a scene which is humorous in nature. Selections from published plays, novels, short stories, or poems are acceptable. The performance must be memorized and must include an introduction stating the title and author. No props or costumes may be used. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.
DRAMATIC--Same as Humorous, except the selection must be serious in nature.
DUET ACTING—This is a team acting event similar to humorous and dramatic except it is performed with a partner. The selection may be serious or humorous in nature. No props or costumes may be used except two chairs. Scenes must be memorized and cannot have been used by either contestant in a previous year or in another event. Time limit is 12 minutes.
DUO INTERP—Similar to duet acting in that teams of two perform a selection. No costumes or props may be used. Chairs may not be used in duo. While the participants in duet present a scene together, duo partners act in tandem without direct touch or eye contact. Time limit is 10 minutes.
PROSE—Similar to the acting events, prose is an oral reading event and must be presented from a binder. The selection must be in prose form (short story, selection from a novel, etc.). A memorized introduction stating the title and author is mandatory. Maximum time limit is 7 minutes including introduction.
POETRY--Same as Prose, except the selection must be poetic in nature.
IMPROMPTU—The focus of this event is speaking “off the cuff,” or without preparation. The student draws 3 topics to select from and normally has 5-7 minutes (the rules for this event vary from tournament to tournament) to divide between preparation and speaking time. Topics may be humorous or serious in nature. Topic focus varies widely from tournament to tournament with some tournaments viewing the tournament primarily as a speaking event and others as an acting/improvization event.
CX DEBATE—Also called policy debate, CX debate focuses on discussion of specific government policies and the advantages and disadvantages of adopting those policies. CX is a team event. Each student has a constructive speech to set up primary arguments followed by a cross examination period. Each speaker then has a rebuttal speech to crystallize issues.
LD DEBATE-- LD is an individual debate event which focuses on the values associated with a resolution. For instance, when two important values conflict, which should take priority? Topics often ask students to weigh such issues as whether national security is more important than individual rights.
PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE—PF is a team event which is designed from the premise of the news program Crossfire and focuses on relevant news topics of the day.
CONGRESS—Congress is a legislative style of debate which focuses on a central set of legislation. Speakers will alternate sides in discussing the bills. Points are awarded on the basis of speeches given.
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PROSE—Similar to the acting events, prose is an oral reading event and must be presented from a binder. The selection must be in prose form (short story, selection from a novel, etc.). A memorized introduction stating the title and author is mandatory. Maximum time limit is 7 minutes including introduction.
POETRY--Same as Prose, except the selection must be poetic in nature.
IMPROMPTU—The focus of this event is speaking “off the cuff,” or without preparation. The student draws 3 topics to select from and normally has 5-7 minutes (the rules for this event vary from tournament to tournament) to divide between preparation and speaking time. Topics may be humorous or serious in nature. Topic focus varies widely from tournament to tournament with some tournaments viewing the tournament primarily as a speaking event and others as an acting/improvization event.
CX DEBATE—Also called policy debate, CX debate focuses on discussion of specific government policies and the advantages and disadvantages of adopting those policies. CX is a team event. Each student has a constructive speech to set up primary arguments followed by a cross examination period. Each speaker then has a rebuttal speech to crystallize issues.
LD DEBATE-- LD is an individual debate event which focuses on the values associated with a resolution. For instance, when two important values conflict, which should take priority? Topics often ask students to weigh such issues as whether national security is more important than individual rights.
PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE—PF is a team event which is designed from the premise of the news program Crossfire and focuses on relevant news topics of the day.
CONGRESS—Congress is a legislative style of debate which focuses on a central set of legislation. Speakers will alternate sides in discussing the bills. Points are awarded on the basis of speeches given.
Who We Debate
The Taylor High School Speech and Debate Team competes throughout the year in four different academic debate leagues:
1. TFA. Most of our tournaments are affiliated with our state speech and debate organization, the Texas Forensic Association (TFA). Students compete locally and at tournaments throughout the state at TFA-sanctioned contests to earn the right to compete in the country’s largest and most competitive state tournament in March.
2. UIL. The Taylor Speech and Debate Team has dominated our district University Interscholastic League (UIL) academic meets for more than a decade. We have won numerous UIL State championships and earned UIL State finalist honors in CX Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Persuasive Speaking, Informative Speaking, Prose Interpretation, and Poetry Interpretation.
3. NFL. The National Forensic League (NFL) is the national speech and debate honor society. Students earn membership and advanced degrees in NFL through interscholastic competition. Students also have the opportunity to compete in the East Texas NFL District Tournament to earn a qualification to the NFL National Tournament in June. Additionally, numerous Taylor debaters have been honored as Academic All-Americans through the NFL.
4. TOC. Taylor Debate is an active participant in the National Tournament of Champions (TOC) league. Often referred to as the “national circuit,” Taylor regularly competes in TOC tournaments at the University of Texas, Emory University in Atlanta, UC-Berkeley, and other locations. Taylor students have earned TOC bids in CX Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate and Extemporaneous Speaking and advanced into final rounds at the TOC National Tournament in each of those events.
.Upcoming events:
October 6—Booster Club Meeting @ 7 p.m. in room 181
October 13—Team Meeting @ 2:45 in the debate room (181). New members welcome.
October 16-17—Alief Hastings Tournament
October 24—Hosting Taylor Middle School Tournament
November 6-7—Clear Lake Tournament |