"Practice makes perfect" is the saying most used by the Speech and Debate Teams this year. Both teams have meets on Saturdays when they go to different high schools and even some colleges in the area.

Speech and debate are almost entirely different activities. In speech there are 10 individual events. Some of them are prose reading, serious reading, comedy reading, and original monologue. Since these are individual events, only one student is involved in preparing and delivering the speech. Each student prepares his speech prior to the meet. Practices are held when a student or one of the coaches feels they are necessary.

Debate is an activity which includes a small group of people. The groups are varsity, junior varsity, and novice, which is the frosh‑soph team. Usually two members of each squad debates against another team's two teammates. Instead of having many topics to debate on every year, there is one topic that each competitive team uses. This year the topic is "Pollution." Basically debate is training in public speaking. The debaters must convince the judges and audience on the subject one way or another by persuasive argument.

One factor that is almost the same for speech and debate is the judging. In both, the team members are judged on their delivery, evidence, reasonability, and their physical appearance. Judges are usually impartial and give the students speaker points and team points.

Mr. Robert Harris, debate coach, and Mrs. Mariann Sullivan, speech coach, urge all students to come out for the teams, especially on the freshmen and sophomore levels.

"It's a great experience for students," said Mrs. Sullivan.

"We don't expect to do exceptionally well this year because we are in a building process. The future looks bright since there are a lot of freshmen this year," said Mr. Harris. "Many colleges give Forensic Scholarships to good debaters. Debate is for good students who might be interested in careers in law, research, politics, teaching, and many other high‑scholastic jobs."