speech and debate improve and scrimmage with morehouse college:by Maycee Jackson

 Our recent speech and debate workshop with Morehouse College proved to be both entertaining and invaluable for developing our communication skills. The improv exercises, where we had to embody different celebrities in various situations, initially seemed like simple fun, but they actually taught us crucial debate fundamentals. By stepping into different personas, we learned to think quickly on our feet, adapt our speaking styles to different contexts, and maintain composure even in unexpected scenarios. These skills directly translate to debate, where you must be ready to respond to any argument your opponent presents and adjust your delivery to persuade different audiences.

The scrimmage that followed gave us the opportunity to apply these skills in a real debate setting. We tackled the resolution of whether single-sex education is better for students, which required thorough research and careful argument construction. The competition pushed us to organize our thoughts clearly, anticipate counterarguments, and present our case persuasively under pressure.

Earning second place was an incredible confidence boost. It validated all the hard work we put into preparation and showed us that our skills are genuinely developing. More importantly, it proved that we can compete effectively and hold our own in debate competitions. This experience has motivated me to continue improving and has made me excited for future tournaments, knowing that with dedication and practice, success is within reach.