Grossmont College’s award-winning Speech and Debate Team recently hosted a showcase on campus to inspire the student community with its work.
The event took place May 13 and was well-attended by students and faculty. Through drama and poetry, the team presented its work, moving the audience through laughter and tears.
Some of the pieces presented at the showcase included “Babel,” a reader’s theater piece, as well as a debate on the resolution “Trade schools are preferable to a four-year degree,” an impromptu speech and three additional speeches.
According to Coach Roxanne Tuscany, one of the goals of the showcase was to inspire the audience and show what speech and debate involves. “I hope that students would like to join the team,” she said.
Many students who are part of the team are not Communications majors, but still take the class to increase their confidence. Jadine Montanez, a national and international award winner in prose and drama, said even though her major is dental hygiene and public health, she is planning to continue being part of a speech and debate team after she graduates because the class has helped her.
“Speech and debate has been very helpful for my personal life and even in the workforce,” she said. “I’m able to even voice out problems that I have at work or even like at school, so that has definitely helped me.”
No experience is needed to be part of the team. Edgar Torre, a national bronze award winner in impromptu speaking, said he has been part of the team for less than a year, and even without previous experience, he still competed against other schools and won various awards.
Tuscany mentioned how inspiring it is to see students evolve during the class. She said Montanez started as the shyest person in class, but she soon became a “really good” speaker. “What you kind of have to do to step out of your comfort zone,” she said.
For more information on what classes to take to be part of the speech and debate team, reach out to Tuscany at [email protected] or to Michael Mchan at [email protected].
