What started as a series of emails last summer between sophomore Polina Creadon and US English Teacher Joe Gonzalez has now become, what some might consider, one of Shorecrest’s most prominent up-and-coming clubs given its recent success.

    After it was started this year, the Speech and Debate Club has gained popularity and recognition for its success in competitions. The club is Shorecrest’s first of its kind. Members train for and compete in numerous public speaking categories. 

     “Basically, the goal for students is to practice and better their public speaking, reasoning and argumentation skills,” said Gonzalez, the club sponsor. “There are speeches and there are debates, [which involve] taking a current issue, often a real-world issue, researching both sides of [it] and being able to argue either.”

     Members attend tournaments to showcase their newly-learned skills. Gonzalez explained that the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative (FCDI) hosts all-day regional qualifier tournaments throughout the school year, where the top 25% of students advance to states. Gonzalez was happy to announce that Creadon, the club’s founder and president, was a part of that top 25%, and will therefore compete at the state championship in Sarasota later this April.

     But the club’s purpose spans far beyond attending competitions and racking up awards.

     “Our democracy needs people who are able to understand how facts work,” Gonzalez said. “Whenever we vote, whenever we think about how our society can be improved, whenever we think about the good of ourselves or our community, we should be taking into account facts and logic and credibility of the people that are trying to convince us about things.”

      On a smaller scale, Creadon feels that she’s already reaped benefits in her personal life. She explained that the team doesn’t only allow its members to improve their public speaking skills.  Participating in Speech and Debate can also be beneficial in everyday life. 

    “I’m a bit of a shy person, so sometimes it’s difficult for me to reach out to people and to communicate,” said Creadon. “It’s kind of ironic that with speech and debate, I can find a voice for myself where I otherwise wouldn’t. It’s empowering to be able to stand in front of a room full of people and move them.”

     Creadon, reflecting on the team’s accomplishments, expressed her satisfaction with the team’s performance.

     “I’m really, really proud of our members, especially those who’ve competed so far, like Summer Farkas and Kenes Sugralinov. They’ve done a seriously awesome job, and I’m excited to see what comes next for our club,” she said.