Frequently Asked Questions

DO I HAVE TO ENROLL IN A CLASS TO COMPETE ON THE TEAM?

No. One is curricular and the other is extracurricular. However, taking the courses gives you class time to learn and practice the skills we use in competition rather than solely using time outside of class to do so.

DOES THE PANDEMIC IMPACT COMPETITION?

While we have returned to in-person competition, there may be times we must mask and/or return to virtual depending on spread. 

HOW DO I JOIN SPEECH & DEBATE?

Sign up for a tournament! You can do this in Borgsmiller's room (1511) on the bulletin board when in person and on the TOURNAMENT tab when virtual. There are no auditions and no requirements for the number of tournaments to attend. ANYONE can try it out (so long as you are MSHSAA eligible).  

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS? 

Read the posted rules and then fill out the proper forms. You only need to turn in forms once for the year!

WHEN CAN I JOIN? IS IT TOO LATE!?

Any time! Your tournament schedule is posted all year (coming soon!). Check out the dates you want and sign up two weeks in advance. Note that the OPEN portion of our season ends around mid-February.  

WHAT EVENT SHOULD I DO? 

Contact the event captain, check out the NSDA events page, or come to Monday Workshop Days to talk to others working on different events. We offer debates, public speaking events, and acting events. There's something for all types of performers. 

HOW DO I PREPARE? 

Once you sign up, get in touch with your captain. They will tell you how to get started and set up practices for you. The main requirement is that you practice once for a formal audience before you compete.  

WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT? 

Whatever you want it to be! You can go to one tournament or ten! However, once you sign up to attend a tournament, you are committing to that entire weekend. Know that you will be unable to leave that Friday or Saturday so don't plan other events. We also have late nights and early mornings. 

CAN I JUST COME WATCH A TOURNAMENT BEFORE I COMPETE? 

No. You can come on our Monday workshop days to learn about the event or attend team practices on Wednesday and/or Thursday to see what performances look like. You can also review the NSDA website to watch examples. 

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT THE TEAM IS DOING? 

Follow us on any of our social media pages. Read the weekly Sunday Post that will be on social media or our Team Updates page. Ask to be added to our team GroupMes. Most of what you need to know is on this website! But if you are not sure of something, CONTACT US!