The Academy Speech Club is open to students in grades 7-12 with Junior High students participating in intermediate speech competitions, which also include students in grades 5 and 6. Students in grades 9-12 compete in monthly competitions at various high schools.

Junior High competitions are held four times a year on various campuses. Intermediate speech club members compete in storytelling, program reading, impromptu speaking and duo or group interpretation. High schoolers compete in the above categories in addition to the categories of humorous interpretation, dramatic interpretation, original oratory, United States and International extemporaneous speaking, and Congressional Debate.

In previous years, Speech Club members have qualified for state-level competitions and participated in tournaments for the National Forensics League (NFL), the country’s most prestigious forensics honor society.

Students who participate in speech contests gain valuable experience in public speaking.

High school speech coach, Jill Sprott, says that students in speech contests gain confidence, creativity, resourcefulness and professionalism.

“Students can improve on facing challenges and taking risks. It’s also fun and helps them get to know other students. They are not the same people at the end of the year as they were at the beginning of the year,” Sprott said.

Freshman Katie Christian, who has been a member of the speech team since the fifth grade, said, “Speech has helped me academically because I’m more accustomed to presenting my ideas and speaking to a group of people. Before doing speech, it was scary for me to get up in front of a crowd. I enjoy speech a lot, and I would recommend it to people who enjoy acting or public speaking.”

Freshman Julia Oehlers also believes speech has helped her.

“Socially, speech has helped me become a more confident person. The more I practice, the more comfortable I am in front of an audience,” said Oehlers, Christian’s partner in duo interpretation and a three-year Speech Club veteran.

Students who compete in speech tournaments earn one percent extra credit, added at the end of the quarter. Students who judge or keep time for tournaments earn 0.5 percent extra credit to their grade.