Public speaking is a tricky thing to master. Thankfully, there are clubs created to help students with speaking such as Speech and Debate Club. This club helps others improve their public speaking skills and gives opportunities to compete against other schools.

Speech and Debate club has been a small part of Mustang life for many years, but was brought back with more intensity in 2012.  

This club is open to all, and there are no tryouts, which is meant to encourage all kinds of students to join, Club President Noah Thurm said.  Students with no public speaking experience are welcomed as equally as students who have been avid public speakers for years.

Members of speech and debate regularly attend meetings and workshops in order to improve their public speaking and prepare for competitions, which occur throughout the year.  Competitions happen multiple times in a school year and include a variety of events, so everyone can find something they like.

“We offer six to seven speech or debate events the people can join. We have meetings here where we teach them and help them learn how to do the event,” Thurm said.

The club has different types of events that club members can participate in. Thurm takes part in more complex events where participants are not given their topic awhile beforehand and only have about 20 minutes to prepare their debate. The judges give the contestant a topic that is highly profiled in the media and the contestant must adamantly discuss his or her stance on the topic.

These events and workshops that Speech and Debate Club provide help students expand their knowledge and better prepare for the future. This club is devoted to helping young students to learn the art of public speaking.