The Renaissance of
Speech & Debate at SAAS

Written By: Gena Wynkoop, Editorial Content Manager

The past few school years marked a resurgence for the Speech & Debate program. After facing setbacks due to COVID restrictions and remote tournaments, the program has experienced a renaissance as we return to a more normal structure. This revival is also largely thanks to Chris Goodson, Seattle Academy’s Upper School Rhetoric, Speech & Debate, and Mock Trial teacher, who has brought new life to these programs.

As an incoming 6th grader, now rising senior, Carmen Spoonemore was attracted to SAAS because of the program.

“The main reason I looked at SAAS was because of the sort of dynasty of Speech and Debate victories, and the coach at the time was just fantastic,” said Carmen. “So I applied to SAAS, and then, unfortunately, the coach had to leave. Then, during COVID, the department struggled.”

Carmen continued, “When Chris joined SAAS, I think that was the final step towards revitalizing the program. I'm so happy that he's come on. He's been doing such a great job getting people recruited and excited.”

Carmen and other students have experienced remarkable success this school year, excelling in Nationals, winning numerous tournaments, and achieving outstanding results in the classroom, on stage, and in their after-school clubs.

There are many ways in which students can get involved in these programs; in the 9th grade, they can take an Intro Rhetoric class or, in any other grade, engage in Speech and Debate class, which is over two trimesters per school year.

“For Speech, the students need to create persuasive or informative pieces,” explained Chris. “It’s really more like acting, where they interpret a text for dramatic or humorous purposes.”

Then there’s Debate.

“Debate is sort of the other piece of the puzzle. It has the same tournament schedule and locations, it’s just slightly different. Students create original cases that argue in favor of and against resolutions of topics they don’t choose,” said Chris.

Chris, who comes from a background of teaching these topics at the collegiate level, knows the benefits this program provides to the student's overall education. It not only sharpens their ability to think on their feet, but it keeps the students updated and informed on what is happening in the world around them.

In the 2023-2024 school year, topics that were argued included student loan forgiveness, whether the US should withdraw its military operations in the Middle East, or whether or not there should be more gun restrictions. “It’s very topical, and they change monthly,” said Chris.

“Those being able to argue either side of these topical events underscores the whole endeavor. They don't get to choose these topics, especially for debate, and they are getting thrown into super relevant topics to our society, whether on a global or domestic scale,” said Chris. “They're super complex. I don't even have time in my day to do the proper research for something like that.”

For 9th graders who take Rhetoric, a two-trimester class, this is a great time to figure out if the Speech and Debate path is something they take an interest in. It’s also a good time for Chris to see if they are digesting rhetorical devices and recruit for the Speech and Debate team.

“This position allows me as the Head Coach of Speech and Debate to identify people who might be good at these other things, whether it’s a defender speaking, public speaking, or debate. If they bring a persuasive speech that is clearly organized and researched and contends with whatever the counter-argument might be, [I can see the potential as early as the 9th grade].”

Many students this season in Speech and Debate had great success, excelling at different tournaments throughout the year, including Carmen and Gia Gupta (Grade 10). The two of them made it to the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions in Omaha, Nebraska, with Carmen advancing to the finals, eventually ranking fifth in the nation.

The two had been working on their speeches throughout the year, researching, refining, and perfecting their performances, and they both kept rising to the top.

Gia focused her speech, ironically, on the concept of “debate.”

“Gia’s speech incidentally at Nationals was, ‘What is considered debate in mainstream media?’ She argued that it isn't really an examination of different points of view, but rather, a polarizing argument that if you disagree with me, you're wrong and somehow my enemy. There’s no real investigation into what deeper issues lie in any given social title.”

“She goes further into the presidential debates and says it’s not really debating. There are moments where you see a little contending with specific information, but it’s really just a clashing of personalities,” Chris said. Carmen’s speech was called “The Tipping Point” which was all about the history of tipping service workers in the US.

“The whole thing with tipping, it’s crazy, I didn’t know any of this stuff,” laughs Chris. “There’s a whole post-Civil War element as a way not to pay freed slaves. [In that time, people would hire freed slaves, and a way to not pay them was to allow them to work for tips]. So, there has been an anti-tipping movement in the United States, arguing that it's essentially un-American to shift the responsibility of paying people to the customer instead of the employer. It makes the customer the unofficial manager of the joint, with no accountability. Yet, these people are dependent on that relationship for their lives.”

“The reason I chose the topic of tipping this year is because I watched this interview by a professor from UC Berkeley, and she was talking about the history behind tipping, which I also had no idea about, and it was just a revelation,” said Carmen.

“I started the practice of tipping so differently,” she continued. “Every time I give a tip, it's no longer something that I passively think about. I understand everything that's gone behind it. All of the people who have been affected throughout history and everyone who's fighting to make tipping a practice that doesn't exist anymore. Every time I went to a store or a restaurant, I was thinking about the history. That, to me, is the signal of a great topic.”

As the program continues to flourish, the skills the students are gaining in this program are ones they can take with them throughout their lives.

“[There are many skills I want the kids to learn by taking these classes, like memorization - ChatGPT isn’t going to help you with any of that]. But they must also become familiar with certain rhetorical devices that must be included in their speeches. I want students to understand not only what these rhetorical devices are and how they can use them in their own work but also look around them,” said Chris.

“When somebody's talking to you, what do they want? How are they using rhetorical devices to persuade you? You can't really do any of that until you've done it yourself.”

And there is always a place for those interested in the art of persuasion and convincing. Students interested in law often gravitate toward related classes and clubs, finding a sense of belonging in this environment.

“I like when students say, ‘I always felt that people judge me because I am bossy or argumentative, and debate has really validated that part of my personality.’ It’s valorized in this discipline. For those kids, this program feels like home,” smiles Chris.

“It’s going to sound really nerdy, but I always say my three favorite things are writing, speaking, and learning, and Speech and Debate are all three of those things and like the most perfect package,” said Carmen.

“It's just something that combines all of my interests. It's such a fun thing to do for me, and that I know it's gonna stick with me through my entire life. The things I'm learning now and Speech and Debate are going to set the tone for the rest of my life.”