Glossophobia, or the fear of speaking in public, is one of the most common phobias in the world. It can manifest for a multitude of reasons however, the most common reasons are the fear of judgment, of being perceived by others, or the embarrassment that may follow. This makes our speech and debate team here at MCHS even more impressive!

Speech and debate is an elective that is offered at Middle College that was intended to help students with their public speaking, whether it be from acting or debating. Through the school year, students are competing at both local and out of state competitions to receive feedback from judges on how to best improve. This is all for the end of the year tournaments where students have to rank in the top places for their event in order to qualify for the State and National tournaments of speech and debate.

The preparation for these tournaments is a group effort from all the groups connected with the program which includes students, coaches, and support from the Santa Ana Unified School District. From the students, there are numerous ways in which they prepare for these qualifying tournaments. For the State qualifying tournament, MCHS had eight people qualify to compete in their respective event and for the National qualifying tournament, MCHS had three people.

Junior Colin Giacomo shares how he mentally prepares to compete in his event, Lincoln Douglas.

“So Lincoln-Douglas is different from other forms of debate, because it includes both arguments based on policy, as well as arguments based on values and philosophical ideas…I like to spend a nice amount of time thinking about the arguments…I’ll make an argument to myself, and then I’ll make an argument against that argument and then I make an argument against that argument, and it continues until I get bored,” Giacomo said.

Junior Yojana Hernandez shares how she prepares to compete in her event, Dramatic Interpretation.

“DI is more so acting, so my performance is about my sister who dies in a fire. It’s basically just the after events of my character, [showing] her suffering…Usually, we get coaching by coaches, and after that, we use that coaching, and we apply it to our performances,” Hernandez said.

When it comes to having motivation, Hernandez shares what kept the fire under her lit throughout the year.

“What motivates me is trying to do better than the last time. Jack Howell was the very first tournament and I got fifth there and that motivated me a lot because last year, I wasn’t placing. That motivated me to work more and it worked,” Hernandez said.

Not only do the students have their own motives for why they continue with speech and debate but they also have people who they believe have supported them. Giacomo shares who has been his biggest supporter.

“His name is Victor Estrada. He’s a senior from Godinez and I remember how every time he would beat me, I would learn from him. He would always be supportive and nice…he’s become such a close friend of mine and someone who I look up to. I feel proud that I get to carry on his legacy,” Giacomo said.

Giacomo also wanted to shout out a special member of the MCHS Debate team.

“The Middle College debate team has always supported me. The person I wanted to reference specially is Ferny Hernandez. I like to say that Ferny is the glue that holds our team together and he always has a smile on his face and manages to make us laugh. Even though we all have our struggles and issues, we would not be nearly as strong if it wasn’t for the support of Ferny,” Giacomo said.

Hernandez shared who she felt her biggest supporters were.

“I feel like a lot of people. The presidents are always being supportive and uplifting and I feel like that feels really nice, especially coming from your own team. Victoria is a big one of them too because she’s always there for me,” Hernandez said.

The support and encouragement that these students receive are ultimately what keeps them motivated to try their best at tournaments and grow.

Coaches and people from SAUSD also play a role in properly preparing students for these qualifying tournaments.

MCHS’s Speech and Debate Coordinator, Jeff Diaz, shares what keeps him motivated despite all the sacrifices he has had to make.

“In my teaching credential program, I learned that the power of one positive adult experience can literally shape somebody’s life…if I can shape or change the trajectory of someone’s not only educational outlet and where they’re going, but [also help them feel] that they are able to do things that otherwise they would absolutely never be able to do until maybe they landed a steady job motivates me,” Diaz said.

Diaz also shared how he prepares his students for qualifying tournaments.

“I see myself more as a facilitator and really to me, if you want to be successful then you have to practice. I really try to utilize class time and make sure that on my part, I have covered what I believe benefit them which means having them stay busy with either a coach from the district or peer coaching,” Diaz said.

Certificated Learning and Achievement Specialist at SAUSD, Jaclyn Hariri, expresses why she chooses to continue the support for the speech and debate program.

“Speech and debate changed me for the better as a person and I wouldn’t have gone to college, wouldn’t have become a writer, or a teacher if not for speech and debate. I continue speech and debate because I see what it can give students and how impactful it can be for them. I keep showing up to tournaments, stay up late cutting scripts, chat on the phone with coaches about next year, and fall asleep thinking about new lessons because students inspire me to,” Hariri said.

Hariri also shares her thoughts on how to best prepare students for qualifying tournaments, as a former speech and debate kid.

“I started competing in 2007 at Fullerton Union High School. I then went on to compete for both OCC and Bradley…There are a number of ways to prepare a student for a state or national tournament. At the end of the day it takes a years worth of coaching and practice and most importantly reflecting on what each tournament and coach has taught,” Hariri said.

She also wished to shout out some specific people that she believes have helped with continuing the program and supporting students.

“Thanks to the Teaching and Learning team, Bianca Barquin and Celeste Migliaccio, for supporting such an important program in our district. Huge shout out to the speech and debate team of Monique Statler and Mary Patrick! Programs shine when you have a team of people with common goals and big hearts working together. Special thank you to Vern Reinhart for always supporting and bringing life to our debate program. We all share the common goal, students first, student’s voices at the center of it all,” Hariri said.

Hariri has already started to think of next year and how to best prepare for it at the district.

“I want to bring back more technique lessons and the crafting of a piece lessons. I also want these lessons to be more than simple lectures. I see that when students are actively involved in their speeches, they hit a level of performance we have been missing,” Hariri said.

Diaz gives a piece of advice for students next year who wish to qualify.

“Don’t settle. If you want it, put in the work. It demonstrates that you do want it and 95% of the time when you are passionate about something and you give yourself over to a craft or a pastime or a hobby or an avenue such as this, you will see the benefits that it reaps,” Diaz said.

Giacomo shares his piece of advice for debaters.

“In general, I would probably say stay hungry. But for debate, I would definitely say think about the arguments and always be trying to figure out new stuff. Never stay complacent,” Giacomo said.

Hernandez gives her own piece of advice for any student competing next year.

“If you don’t make it to semis or finals, don’t let that stop you or make you give up. Even if you feel like it was your best, sometimes you’re not going to make it. That’s okay because, like our coaches say, we could do this tournament like a hundred times and every time would be different. Don’t give up just because you didn’t get the one. You have potential and you have talent and you should work hard for what you want,” Hernandez said.

As someone who has been in this program since fifth grade, I can testify that the program aids students so much and offers a place where students’ voices are heard. Being able to go to the qualifying tournaments to hopefully qualify for State and Nationals is always an exciting experience since being able to share your message with bigger audiences is the ultimate goal in speech and debate! Witnessing all the hard work and dedication that not only students but coaches and other people involved with the program are always a big motivator for wanting to try harder. While we may not always see all the benefits and advantages that speech and debate gives us, at the end of our journeys with the program, it becomes more evident in how it has shaped mine and other students’ lives.

Hariri explains what her ultimate goal in continuing the program is.

“Viola Davis started her Oscar speech by saying, ‘…we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life.’ I believe that is the core of what speech and debate is, to celebrate the voices and the power of our life. Life can be tough, but I want students to walk away from speech with a voice to speak up for themselves and to feel good about themselves,” Hariri said.