Speech and Debate

Delone Catholic's Speech and Debate program invites our Squires into the dynamic world of discourse, where words weave narratives that shape minds and hearts.In this sacred realm of thought and expression, we kindle the flames of eloquence, embrace the art of persuasion, and ignite the spirit of critical thinking. Our Squires, guided by the tenets of compassion, integrity, and intellectual curiosity, are poised to become formidable voices in an ever-changing world.

These Squires compete in speech events or 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 interpretive 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. Debate involves an individual or a team of students working to effectively convince a judge that their side of a resolution or topic is, as a general principle, more valid. Students in debate come to thoroughly understand both sides of an issue, having researched each extensively, and learn to think critically about every argument that could be made on each side.