Ivy Zhen

Speech and Debate coaches Emily Bell and Joseph McMillan present a slideshow to new members on club expectations. “It can be difficult at first to get used to a high school level of debate,” McMillan said. “But just take those leaps once you’ve got one under your belt. The rest gets easier and easier from then on out.”

Public speaking anxiety, or glossophobia, affects about 40% of the population according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

The prevalence of this fear is also a large reason why students might be hesitant to join Speech and Debate, Executive Director and senior Feryal Haider said.

“To stand up and advocate for yourself against another person can be daunting,” Haider said. “But I think that debate does a pretty good job of keeping the atmosphere welcoming for new members.”

Furthermore, according to Executive Director and senior Jessica Ding, much of the anxiety arises from anticipating the state district season.

“When I was competing for the roster,” Ding said. “Even when I was a veteran head and running the scrimmages, I still had to qualify. And it got stressful.”

“Especially looking at AP exams, other competitions clubs have going on, and the general stress of high school, debate can be an added stress to some students’ lives,” Haider said.

To mitigate the stress, the club trains new members with drills and practice tournaments, such as asking cross-examination questions or delivering rebuttal speeches.

“Focusing on the individual elements of a round through drills helps new members refine those skills and be able to speak on the spot better,” she said.

The club will also host a novice tournament before going to travel ones, which debate coach Joseph McMillan said serves as a “low stakes environment for practice and support between friends and teammates.”

“Helping new members ease into public speaking is something the event heads themselves have a lot of freedom to do as well,” McMillan said.

For Lincoln Douglas (LD) debate, Haider said the team will try to host bonding events and foster connections between members.

“We’ll talk to people about their lives outside of debate,” Ding said. “We try to help them feel more connected to the club and comfortable with their teammates.”

“We just try to give people opportunities,” McMillan said. “Speech and Debate is just such a good way to get people out of their shells and to grow confidence.”