Biomedical Sciences

The SJND community received outstanding news at the end of the spring semester – students Luisa Barrantes '24 and Carrie Truong '25 of the school’s Speech & Debate Team qualified for the 2024 National Speech & Debate Tournament in June in Iowa, a championship competition that includes over 6,700 students from more than 1,500 schools nationwide.

It is an incredibly impressive accomplishment for our school's still–growing program–one that teaches students invaluable public speaking and communications skills for their college education and future careers. Both Luisa and Carrie will compete at the National Speech & Debate Tournament in National Extemporaneous Speaking, an event that consists of each student receiving 30 minutes of preparation to answer a provided current event question in a seven-minute speech.

While Speech & Debate programs have a long history at SJND, the program is currently experiencing unprecedented expansion and success under the guidance of Social Studies teacher Nicole Wong. "When I first started as coach, there weren't many students involved," shares Wong. "There were perhaps two students and I believe we were a more debate-orientated school."

In recent years, the program has expanded to 15 students. "For a school like SJND, that is a good size for a Speech & Debate Team," adds Wong. Currently, the team focuses more on speeches, but as the team has grown, more students have expressed interest in debate.

For students, the Speech & Debate Team offers opportunities to develop knowledge and skills beyond what they learn in the classroom. "What first interested me in getting involved in Speech & Debate was a combination of my passion for public speaking and my fascination with critical thinking," explains Carrie. "I remember watching a high school debate competition and being in awe about how articulate and persuasive they all were. I recognized the power of effective communication and argumentation, and I hope to learn that with my coach through this process."

In other instances, students began to see the immense value of Speech & Debate after becoming involved in the program. "I actually did not want to do Speech & Debate," admits Luisa with a laugh. "My mom dabbled in it when she was in high school, and she very much emphasized the importance of being an eloquent speaker. When I was younger, I was very shy, and once I got through middle school my mom said that the one thing she wanted me to try in high school was Speech & Debate. 

"I got out of it my freshman year because of COVID, but in my sophomore year, I had to commit. I ended up really liking it. I was really nervous when I first spoke, but after speaking a few times I would get excited to do it and the nerves were actually thrilling. I ended up getting really, really into it. My mom was so right, and I will proudly admit it!"

 

“I was really nervous when I first spoke, but after speaking a few times I would get excited to do it and the nerves were actually thrilling.”  Luisa Barrantes '24

 

With the growth of the Speech & Debate Team has come increased success in competition. Last year, SJND sent two sophomores to the State Championships. As the nation's most populous state, California students face some of the toughest competition in Speech & Debate programs. "California has one of the biggest State Championships in Speech & Debate in the country that is a closed tournament, meaning that you have to qualify to go," notes Wong. This year, SJND doubled its number of qualifiers from two to four, with one qualifier each in four distinct events: Congressional Debate, National Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, and Dramatic Interpretation. 

In addition to the challenges within Speech & Debate competitions themselves, students are also juggling other academic, extracurricular, and personal commitments. Wong endeavors to be available to coach team members whenever they can be available. 

“Whenever we focus on tournaments, we help each other prep, and I really like the collaborative environment. I think this aspect of teamwork is very central to learning to work well with other people.” Carrie Truong '25

 

"Many of our Speech & Debate competitors are also very involved in other obligations, like being in Student Government or leadership teams on different clubs, taking a vigorous course load, having outside internships, doing musical theater, and so on," she explains. "We have a group chat and I tell them when I am available for practice or rehearsal, and they drop by during after-school, lunch, or office hours -- basically whenever I have free time!" 

Of course, students do need to be prepared for the challenging competitions. Coaching and preparation for Speech & Debate competitions differ from student to student because each student has a different speech or debate discipline and a variety of material. There is no "one size fits all" training for the team members. 

"Depending on what event or what kind of tournament is coming up, they may have to devote more time or less time, and some students may want to prep more," explains Wong. "It's completely up to them and how comfortable they are."

The students appreciate the flexible opportunities to work on their skills. "Ms. Wong has done so much for the entire team," says Carrie. "We would not be where we are without her. She's always been very dedicated, taking so much time to work with us and sacrificing so much of her own schedule."

The preparation and training are necessary because of the vigorous team schedule. "In January and March, they are competing every weekend," explains Wong. "March is exceptionally challenging because we have high-stakes qualifying tournaments. We are competing against big schools with program sizes of a hundred students."

"Speech & Debate is a very team-oriented event," notes Carrie. "Whenever we focus on tournaments, we help each other prep, and I really like the collaborative environment. I think this aspect of teamwork is very central to learning to work well with other people. It's definitely a skill that I will utilize later on in my life."

Wong encourages SJND students who are interested in competitive Speech & Debate to consider the advantages of being involved. "Speech & Debate is a very competitive world, but the benefits are astounding. I believe it is one of the only co-curricular activities that is nationally recognized. If you compete in Speech & Debate long enough you can earn an Honor Society degree with the National Speech & Debate Association, which is something that you can list on a college application because all institutions will recognize it. Or if you say that you are a California state qualifier, every institution will know what it means to compete at that level."

Notable individuals who participated in Speech & Debate programs in their youth include business leaders, actors, and even Supreme Court Justices. "Participants develop a wide variety of skills that they can apply to anything or anywhere," Wong points out. "When you're involved in Speech & Debate, you're pooling all the skills that you have been learning in all of your classes into a particular skill that not a lot of people have because a lot of people don't like talking in public or can't control the butterflies." Wong notes that the SJND Speech & Debate Team members range from students who want to conquer those butterflies to students who solely aspire to become great orators.

Luisa, who will be attending the University of Rochester in the fall, believes that Speech & Debate has enhanced her other academic skills and helped her stand out on her college applications. "I think it helps me with my research ability. Because of National Extemporaneous Speaking, I've become really good at quickly finding key information that I need from resources. I think I've become a better speaker in general when it comes to in-class debates, Socratic seminars, or anything that involves thinking on the spot. I always have a stronger debate point because of the way Speech & Debate has trained me to look at data points, the way an argument is organized, and how to dissect other people's arguments. Furthermore, it has helped me become more involved in the news and understand current politics because I constantly have to know what's happening. Being able to discern what is important and what is filler information has carried on to all my classes, especially English and writing research papers."

"People will compare it to sports, and even though it's the closest comparison it's very different from Speech & Debate," remarks Wong. "I call our team a small and mighty team that likes to have fun and be competitive. They are really community-orientated and are great students and good role models, both for our school and the Speech & Debate community. I give all the credit to the students. I put them in the driver's seat, and I am here to facilitate."

(l to r) Jeanette McClure '27, Valerie Pham '24, Carrie Truong '25, Nicole Wong, Andrew Van Hespen '25, Sylvie Karlstrand '25, and Kieran Brown '27 at the Golden Gate Speech Association State Qualifiers tournament in Union City.

 

 

 

 

 

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If you are interested in supporting SJND's Speech & Debate Team, please visit www.sjnd.org/speech or scan the QR code.