Speech and Debate builds skills to communicate

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Shane Davis, Staff Writer

Currently there are four students competing in Program Oral Interpretation, two in Duo Interpretation, and one in Humorous Interpretation.

Kelsie Daff, Elena Jones, Jessica Lanham, Jeffrey Luther, McKenzie Martin, Jesusita Linger, Tiffany Voland, Maggie Garland, Aleesa Whitney and Heather Kirk compete each week for the team.  Martin, Whitney, and Kirk are new additions to the team and will begin competing in the near future.

Within weeks there will be a new duo, a new Original Oratory competitor, and one in The Lincoln Douglas debate. Each of these categories are vastly different and the students compete in three or four rounds out of five in front of several students. They do not win or lose, they place. Only the first six placers are recognized.

As of right now, students at Jackson-Milton have not placed this year but they are working very hard and it is early in the season. There have been two meets so far but there are three more in December, and an additional three in January.

Districts are held in February. If the students make the cut there, they go to state in March.

Only individuals can make it to state, teams do not move on to the state level. Students can join anytime during the season.  

Senior Speech and Debate member, Jeffrey Luther states, “The speech and debate team is a bunch of hard working and caring people wanting to do their best in their tournaments.”