Competitive Speaking and Interpretation (Course #6330)

Your participation in Speech & Debate can be applied to your GPA and earn you credit towards your graduation requirements! In fact, the course counts as your required Fine Arts Credit.

Should I take the class?

Students who are first joining the team are required to take the course so that they can be introduced to the content. Beyond the first year, it is entirely up to you! You will get out of Speech & Debate whatever you want to put into it. The reality is that students wishing to gain the most from what Speech & Debate has to offer (in terms of skill growth, social growth, and fun) will commit enough time to Speech & Debate.

The vast majority of students on the team do enroll in the Competitive Speaking and Interpretation Class so that time and energy spent on doing Speech & Debate can be applied to their GPA and graduation credit requirements. The amount of time required for the class is the same as the team, so why not get the credit for it?

We do allow students to become members of the team without enrolling in the class. However, these exceptions have to be arranged prior to the start of the academic school year. A handful of JCHS students would rather not have a grade tied to their participation. We totally get it! We still want you, but we have to make sure that you have a reason not to take the class.

It is best to talk to your school counselor and Mr. Hart to figure out what is best for you. Here is a summary if it helps...
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Why the class may be a right fit for you:
  • You get academic credit for competing, practicing, and attending meetings
  • You won't miss as many classes on days of tournaments because this is one of them
  • You learn in a more structured learning environment
  • Most of your assignments are completion based--you do them because they help you learn, not because they're graded
  • Successful completion of the course means a nice boost to the GPA!
  • You get to work closely with Varsity members in a structured environment to get additional assistance if you are new to the team.
Why the class may NOT be a right fit for you:
  • You do have to attend a MINIMUM NUMBER OF TOURNAMENTS each semester to earn credit. Those not in the course, but on the team have a little more flexibility to the number of tournaments they attend. Students in the class are expected to attend a total of NINE TOURNAMENTS, while students not in the class are only required to attend SEVEN TOURNAMENTS.
  • You have to work independently in this course to work toward meeting deadlines. This course requires you to be very self-driven. If you are a person who has a hard time motivating themselves, this class will not work for you.
STRUCTURALLY, THE TEAM MAKES NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE IN THE COURSE AND
​THOSE WHO DON'T TAKE THE COURSE.
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Everyone who signs up to compete at a tournament is expected to prepare and demonstrate readiness to attend those competitions. The only difference? Those in the course are getting academic credit for everything they do...and they are receiving direct instruction from Mr. Hart