By Billie Nagy

This question-and-answer session was conducted with a former Speech and Debate participant, Paxton Attridge, who graduated last spring.

De Equitibus: What is Speech and Debate?

Paxton: Speech and Debate is a lot of things. At its base, it teaches people how to communicate – whether through acting, speaking, [or] debating.

DE: Why did you join?

P: I joined when I was a freshman because my parents made me, but after a while, I found out that … I enjoyed it.

DE: Who participates in S&D?

P: Oh, many different people; people who are into sports, extracurricular activities, math, languages, English … people in pretty much all areas.

DE: When are the S&D meetings?

P: We have meetings, starting in September, [on] Mondays from 3:00-3:20.

DE: Where do you get to travel to in competitions?

P: We get to travel pretty much all over Arizona, visiting many great schools, as well as [around] the country, including UC Berkeley, Harvard, and even Alabama for the top nationals.

DE: I heard there is acting involved in S&D; can you even win trophies?

P: Yeah! Acting is the best part about S&D; I even coach it! Yes, you can definitely win trophies if you do well!

DE: How did S&D help you?

P: S&D helped me to learn how to communicate, show body language, and speak in public with confidence! Speaking with confidence really helped me past high school, too.

DE: What advice would you give to someone who wants to join S&D this year?

P: I would say at least stick with it until your first tournament to see if you might like it. Who knows? Sticking with it is really the best and funnest way to see what S&D is all about! … There is no downside to it and, if anything, you might gain a little confidence with public speaking/debating!