Douglas students reviving debate club

By Kayla Gahagan, Journal staff | Monday, December 15, 2008

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His advice was simple: bigger motions, memorize more, smoother transitions, project your voice, but don’t yell.

“They’re saying that sometimes silence speaks louder than words,” said Douglas High School speech coach Tony Mraz, explaining what a judge recently wrote to one of his students.

It’s early morning before class starts, and his speech team members are taking turns running through their pieces. Down the hall, Mary Kron’s debaters are doing the same thing.

The students have been here before — the school sponsored a speech club last year. But this year, Douglas High School Speech and Debate is on the books — listed with the National Forensic League, the students travel to competitions and they already have won their first trophy, which is proudly displayed in Kron’s classroom.

“I tell the kids, ‘You are birthing something,’” Kron said. “They are laying the foundation and setting the precedent for what speech and debate will look like here at Douglas.”

About 22 students have joined the team so far. One of them, Katelynn Kenney, an 11th grader at the school, stood to practice her original oratory during the morning practice. It’s Patrick Henry’s speech to the Second Virginia Convention, which includes his famous declaration, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

Mimicking a thick male British accent is fun but challenging, she said.

After she sits, Mraz gives her pointers and her teammates chime in. Kenney had done well with the piece and made it to the final round during a tournament last week, but the piece needs to be more polished, Mraz said. Kenney said she’s struggling with how to be intense without being loud.

“He’s so passionate about freedom and it’s hard for him to get quiet,” she said. “And when I get nervous, I look to the paper and I mess up.”

Down the hall, Kron works with students who take her debate class in school, and then practice outside class, as well. It’s new territory for everyone.

“I stress the ethics and the art and the professionalism of debate,” she said.

The students will learn and compete in a variety of debate styles, including public forum, Lincoln/Douglas, student congress and policy debate, as well as such individual events in foreign and domestic extemporaneous speaking and original oratory.

“The kids are committed; they do an incredible amount of work,” she said.

Many of her students thought debate was simply coming into class and arguing about current events.

“They thought it was an easy A,” she said. “(That) had to be dispelled readily.”

Very much like the speech side, debate requires research and practice. It also requires well-rounded knowledge about the world, current domestic and world issues and lots of preparation. The students spend weeks and months preparing and researching topics.

This year, the students have taken on difficult topics such as whether the United States should adopt a universal health care system modeled after the French, and what kind of an effect social networking sites have had on the U.S.

The students have come a long way already, Kron said.

“I’m so proud of them; they’ve just blossomed,” she said.

Last week, the team was preparing to take off on another trip and Kron had written reminders — and a little encouragement — on the white board at the front of the classroom.

“Dress code. Bring snacks if you’re hungry. You guys rock!”

Contact Kayla Gahagan at 394-8410 or kayla.gahagan@rapidcityjournal.com