A debate team at Wilsonville is not necessarily a new concept. The idea has been experimented with multiple times before, but nothing truly resonated among the populus. This year however, speech and debate has been widely accepted across the school. Ms. Roberts has stepped forward to lead the oratory pioneers, a total which is at 15 and growing. This club has the potential to compete within subcategories such as “Oregon Style Cross-Examination Debate, Public Forum Debate, Parliamentary Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate” along with more interpersonal types of communication.

Speech and debate is for everyone because the main goal is to become a better communicator. It is for those who are captivated by current events, and those who continuously craft arguments against peers, information and the logic of the world itself. If any of the aforementioned descriptions may sound like you… feel free to reach out to Ms. Roberts.

Students who acquire these skills can learn to be the change that society desperately needs. They can learn to listen, do their own research, form their own opinions and craft a calculated and accurate rebuttal in a controlled environment. Since 1935, when Wiley College (an irregularly small school in rural Texas) started a debate team and then went on to contest Harvard College for the national championship in their inaugural year, speech and debate has been seen as a great unifier or equalizer in society. The same opportunity presents itself now, as in an obscenely divisive time words equate to power. It’s invigorating to know that the next generation can use this power to improve the world for the rest of us.