Speech and Debate
Who are we?
We are a fun and competitive team of students who won state, national and international titles in 2021-2022. We are a group of students who love to learn.We are friends who travel together and enjoy meeting students from colleges from around the nation.
It does not matter what level you start with, we gain skills and confidence together. Even though we have very busy lives, we set our own commitment levels. Everyone has a place on the team. We are people learning skills to be better speakers at school, at work, and in all aspects of our lives. We come from all ages and all backgrounds to compete for SCC! #GoHawks!
Join the team!
- Email coach Ralph at: Castellanos_Ralph@sccollege.edu or visit D-129 on Fridays from 10 am - 1:15 pm.
- Enroll in COMM 130: Forensics Team to join!
- All SCC students may enroll in the course to join the team.
Coach Information:
Ralph Castellanos, team facilitator and coach
Rita Rafael, individual events coach
George Talavera, instructional assistant, debate coach
2021-2022 Awards
- California State Championship (CCCFA)
- 2nd place college sweepstakes
- Gold medal in Poetry - Lizeth Martinez
- Gold medal in Program Oral Interpretation - Gillian Palacios
- Silver medal in Program Oral Interpretation - Lizeth Martinez
- Bronze medal in Poetry - Guadalupe Guzman
- Bronze medal in Prose - Gillian Palacios
- National Online Forensics Championship (NOF)
- Gold in Oral Program Interpretation - Lizeth Martinez
- Silver in Program Oral Interpretation - Gillian Palacios
- Bronze in Poetry - Lizeth Martinez
- International Championship (IFA)
- 2nd place college sweepstakes
- 1st place in Poetry - Lizeth Martinez
- 1st place in Prose - Gillian Palacios
- U.S National Championship (Phi Rho PI)
- 1st place college Individual Events sweepstakes, Hindman division
- 3rd place (Silver) college overall sweepstakes, Hindman division
- Gold in Program Oral Interpretation - Lizeth Martinez
- Gold in Prose, Bronze in Program Oral Interp - Gillian Palacios
- Bronze in IPDA debate - Samantha Quezada
Speaking Event Categories
The goal of this event is to explore how a speaker can move an audience with emotion.
Speakers are required to perform an eight to ten minute presentation of literature.
Competitors stand in one spot and read from a prepared manuscript (known as a “black
book”). Students in this event must research and find a text which appeals to them
and is approved by the coaching staff. The text is then edited to be most powerful
and meet the time requirements of this event. Typical programs are first established
with a teaser of the story, followed by and introduction of the literature, which
includes an argument or reason for the following performance. A rule of thumb is that
all literature performed must be widely available, not self authored.
These events are what one typically thinks of when discussing public speaking. Students
create and deliver an eight to ten minute speech. The use of visual aids is allowed
and encouraged. Winning platform events are typically about cutting edge information,
technology and social concerns.
Informative (INFO)
Informative speeches are the teaching speeches. Students are encouraged to find topics
about new medical breakthroughs, technological advances, or a growing social concern.
Students must research and include a minimum of ten source cites in each speech. The
use of V/As are highly encouraged in this event. As the semester progresses, the speech
must be kept current and revised.
Persuasive (PERS)
Persuasive speeches are concerned with changing the audiences’ behavior. While, it
is necessary and worthwhile to explore attitude and belief changes, winning persuasions
are typically those that we can immediately do. Persuasive speech topics should be
selected on the basis of large audience and practical solution. Winning topics in
the past have been: turn on your headlights during the day, prevent child death from
window falls, and obey school safety zones.
Communication Analysis (CA)
This event is perhaps the most fascinating and least glamorous of all individual events.
In this speech, the student is to explain how a particular communication phenomena
has been effective. Students explore these possibilities with the tools of rhetorical
criticism. Typically, a speech will explore a communication event with use of an established
rhetorical model. Speeches in the past have been about Harry Potter, The United Colors
of Benniton ads, and the use of masks.
Speech To Entertain (S.T.E.) Or After Dinner Speech (A.D.S.)
Speeches to entertain are created for the sole purpose of laughter. Winning speeches
to entertain teach the audience something in between the laughs. It is a light hearted
way to express social commentary. This event is like a special episode of Clueless,
in between the laughs, we learn about ourselves.
Impromptu
Perhaps the scariest and most worthwhile event is impromptu speaking. Speakers are
given two minutes to prepare a five minute speech. Topics range from traditional proverbs
to fortune cookies, from great quotations to toys. This event, while seemingly unprepared,
requires a great deal of preparation and practice. Students on this squad will do
impromptu speaking at least once, so as to understand the value and pressure of being
able to speak in an organized manner at the drop of hat. All squad members will be
asked to collaborate on notebooks.
Extemporaneous (Extemp)
Speakers in this event have thirty minutes to prepare a seven minute speech on a current
event. All squad members will be responsible for the creation and maintenance of the
“extemp tubs”. All parliamentary debaters will be required to do extemp. This activity
will make students more socially and politically aware, as well as more knowledgeable
when at a cocktail party.
IPDA (International Public Debate Association)
IPDA is a one-on-one debate where competitors have a chance to select their topics from a shortlist of topics provided by the tournament. This format embraces the art of speaking to a layperson, or a judge who is not a debater. Delivery, organization, clarity, and digestible arguments are the foundation of the IPDA style of debate.
Parliamentary Debate (Parli)
Parli debate is fun, dynamic, and never the same. Two person teams attempt to win
the speaker of the house’s ballot by providing the most effective, strategic, knowledgeable,
and/or humorous debate. Teams are given fifteen minutes to prepare a defense or mount
an attack on a given topic. All squad members will be required to sit in the audience
of final rounds of parliamentary debate. Debaters must strive to increase knowledge
in all realms of education, including but not limited to: philosophy, religion, politics,
sociology, psychology, ontology, geography, current events, sarcasm, and humility.
This team is destined to rule Parli debate!!!!
Lincoln Douglas (LD)
LD is a one-on-one debate format where one topic is debated for the entire year. Competitors compile research and develop their cases throughout the year. This event is great for students who want to dig deep on a topic and learn about the technical intricacies of high-level debate.
IPDA is a one-on-one debate where competitors have a chance to select their topics from a shortlist of topics provided by the tournament. This format embraces the art of speaking to a layperson, or a judge who is not a debater. Delivery, organization, clarity, and digestible arguments are the foundation of the IPDA style of debate.
Lincoln Douglas (LD)
LD is a one-on-one debate format where one topic is debated for the entire year. Competitors compile research and develop their cases throughout the year. This event is great for students who want to dig deep on a topic and learn about the technical intricacies of high-level debate.