RCHS Speech & Debate Team

The RCHS Speech & Debate Team seeks to provide students with opportunities to harness the power of words to find their voices and to shape their worlds; to speak in front of an audience and think on their feet; to build confidence; to hone their research skills; to practice developing sound arguments; to expand their minds by increasing their understanding of multiple sides of important issues; and to prepare to compete in regional competitions.

Since our inaugural year (2019/2020), we have been generously supported by grants from The Richmond Forum's Speech & Debate Initiative.

Learn about Speech & Debate Events

Speech involves a presentation by one or two students that is judged against a similar type of presentation by others in a round of competition. There are two general categories of speech events, public address events and interpretation events. Public address events feature a speech written by the student, either in advance or with limited prep, that can answer a question, share a belief, persuade an audience, or educate the listener on a variety of topics. Interpretation events center upon a student selecting and performing published material and appeal to many who enjoy acting and theatre. You can learn about each of the speech events here.

Debate challenges individuals or teams of students to persuasively argue for and against a topic. A debater’s goal is to convince a judge that, as a general principal, their side of the topic is more valid. Through extensive research and preparation, students in debate develop a deep understanding of complex topics, honing their ability to think critically and analyze important issues from multiple perspectives. You can learn about each of the speech events here.

Please note: Clicking on a thumbnail below will open a partial view of the document's first page; clicking on this partial view will then allow you to see—and download—the entire PDF.