Speech and Debate is a competitive activity where students prepare for and attend tournaments on weekends at various high schools around the city and state. Students will compete against other high schools in public speaking events, acting events, and different styles of debate. The majority of competitions will be on the local circuit, governed by the Texas Forensics Association (TFA). Based on their performance, students will acquire state points that qualify them for the TFA state tournament in the spring. Students will also have the opportunity to compete in University Interscholastic League (UIL) tournaments and qualify for the UIL regional and state competitions as well as the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) tournaments and qualify for the national competition. All members of the speech and debate team must take a debate course during the school day. Speech and debate requires a significant amount of teamwork and collaboration, so being in the class is essential. There are academic advantages to being in the class as well: Debate 1 is a speech credit (required for graduation), Debate 2-4 classes are eligible for GPA exemption, and Debate 4 qualifies as an English 4 credit. We welcome all students to join, regardless of prior speech and debate experience. For more information about Speech & Debate, please contact Coach Cook.