Debate: A Skill for Life!

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Students debating while a senior, Emalyn is speaking

This year our debate team is working in full swing! After two tournaments, they have made many appearances in both Student Congress as well as Public Forum. Debate is a rapid form of competitive speech events where students go head to head in a rapid intellectual battle like none other!

The debate team has roughly 30-40 students discuss and argue many world issues and current events. The club’s president is senior Kaleb Foss, and the adviser is English teacher Ms. Kelly.  Debate usually has ten competitions every season. These competitions are two days in length. Senior Ben Huang describes the routine at tournaments as “debating, researching, and pondering why you lost the last round, and then you try to get better.” CKHS competes against many other schools at these competitions. Even some schools come as a far as British Columbia, Canada.

Debate is a hobby that can help you throughout your entire life. Students develop skills in research, collaboration, and public speaking. “An increase in my self-confidence helped me lead other clubs in this school,” said junior Lina Fowler. “I believe that everyone should take debate at some point because it is a very valuable skill in your life to be able to efficiently express your beliefs to participate in democracy as a citizen,” she said. “Especially for future college, having good public speaking skills is great for presentations. It also helps build good research skills in public forum,” said junior Joel Angkico.