Speech Team Heads to Debate Clinic

Students will travel to Ankeny to prep for the season.

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The students above represented the debate team last year.

By Kade Nachtman

On Saturday, Sept. 20, some of the older speech students that are interested in branching out in debate will be attending a clinic. The event will take place at Ankeny Centennal High School and will start around 10 a.m. and go until around 2 p.m.

According to speech coach Matt Smith, the clinic will cover two types of debate. Lincoln-Douglas is a “values” debate, and Public Forum is a team debate.

Smith said some of the students that will attend this event include Kat Chess, Ethan Halterman, Matthew Brewer and Nick Edwards. Smith said that students are going because it is a “wonderful opportunity” to see a coach other than himself instruct his team in debate. Smith also said working with a different coach “is like a guest band director from another high school…The way they attack something is different.”

Smith hopes sophomore Katie Darrow will try Lincoln-Douglas style debate. Smith explained that Lincoln-Douglas is “a much higher level of debate.” He said Darrow is “ready to jump in…and argue values.”