Weber State Speech Team

 

What is Competitive Speech?

We are a competitive team that participates in a variety of categories, including Prose Speaking, Dramatic Interpretation, After-Dinner Speaking, Duo Interpretation, Spoken Word and Poetry Events, Persuasive, Informative, Communication Analysis, and several Limited Prep events. We were organized in Fall 2019. We compete against teams based in the Pacific Northwest, as well as travel to national tournaments and participate in all levels of competition. In our inaugural season, we won various awards and honors, but most importantly our team is still new, so now is the time to get in on the ground floor of this up-and-coming program.

Benefits of Participation

A variety of benefits occur when individuals and teams compete in college forensics. Bellon (2000)  discussed that “participation in competitive debate among high school students positively correlates with significant gains in cumulative GPA,” and many programs, as well as departments of Communication throughout the United States, find that critical thinking is enhanced and the ability to reason is improved. Bartanen and Littlefield (2015) also discussed the benefits of forensics, saying it “depends on research, relies on critical thinking, and requires the ability to speak and respond to questions.” Speech and Debate can change lives, from internal reasoning to external discussions and persuasion. Almost any career or educational path will find personal and professional gains when you participate.

Get Involved!

Connect with the faculty advisor:

Mark Galaviz
markgalaviz@weber.edu
801-626-8920
EH 111B