January 23, 2009

Evergreen SchoolScene

Evergreen Valley High School to host Speech Tournament

By Ramesh Bhimarao
Special to the Times

Evergreen Valley High School Speech and Debate club (EVSD) is hosting a Coast Forensic League speech tournament on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009.

Over 700 students from local high schools such as Leland, Bellarmine, Lynbrook, Saratoga, Presentation, Notre Dame, Gunn, Palo Alto and Monte Vista, along with Evergreen Valley, will participate in this daylong tournament from 7 a.m.-5 p.m.

EVHS students, who were eager to participate in various speech and debate events, started the EVSD club in 2006. It started with about 20 students and as of 2008, has blossomed into a group of 70 students. The parents’ volunteer group, which supports the students’ efforts, has also hired a Forensics coach to help students prepare for tournaments.

Just recently, in December, EVSD students brought back six trophies and six medals from the Santa Clara University Invitational speech and debate tournament. EVSD is a member of California High School Speech Association, a local chapter of the National Forensics League.

Forensics art is about debate, public speaking and interpretation. There are various types of speech and debate events. In Public Forum debate, partners will debate about controversial issues that are making headlines in local press. For example, topics such as Social Networking are debated as to whether they are beneficial or a danger to kids.

In Lincoln-Douglas debate, propositions of value are debated with emphasis on developing logical argumentation rather than an accumulation of information. Topics such as whether one human life can be sacrificed to save hundreds of others fall into Lincoln-Douglas type. Student congress and policy debate round out the other types of debate. On the speech side, original oratory involves students to research and speak about an original topic such as alternative energy. In the “Extemp” category, a contestant draws three questions on an international or domestic topic, selects one, and has thirty minutes to prepare to answer it.

For Dramatic Interpretation, a student will perform a memorized, dramatic selection from published material.
In Humorous and Duo Interpretation, one or two students will perform a memorized humorous or dramatic interpretation of published material.

Speech and Debate activities have beneficial effects on students and the communities where they live. When National and Global issues are directly impacting personal lives, when time and resources are finite, it is important to understand why Speech and Debate is critical to the development of young adults. Students involved in Forensics develop skills such as research, critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, organization, persuasion and communication skills. They also have fun speaking, debating, competing and developing social skills including teamwork, leadership, friendships and team-bonding. Students involved in Forensics garner a number of lifelong benefits such as self-confidence, independence and they feel more included and accepted socially in their peer group. In addition, Forensics is recognized as one of the most important activities for college admissions. Commun-ities which foster speech and debate programs, grow as a direct result of the support base of parents and volunteers who are committed to the community. They retain citizens who are passionate about their communities and anxious to get involved and this increases community cohesion and accountability.

The number of students in EVSD is expected to double every year over the next few years. A number of community-outreach activities are planned to support this goal. A mock Speech and Debate tournament will be performed by EVSD students at local middle schools to make them aware of Forensics opportunities at EVHS.

Another activity that has been planned is to make other clubs within EVHS aware of the value of Forensics. In addition, other schools within the East Side Union District will be supported to start their own Speech and Debate club.

For the next school year, EVSD is also looking for an EVHS teacher to become a full-time coach for the Speech and Debate club. The club’s long-term goal is to have a Speech and Debate course available as an elective at EVHS.

To support the efforts of these young adults and additional information, please contact evsd_info@earthlink.net.