Competitive Speech’s Novice students at Bellevue East prepare for their first competition on November 1st through practice, repetition, and getting into the community. 

According to the Supportive Care ABA, who specializes in fears and different disorders and how they can help, say about 75% of people are afraid of public speaking. Public speaking being such a high fear tends to come from a fear of embarrassment or looking stupid. 

“I am nervous to talk,”  freshman Michael Sarratt said. “I know how to do the speeches right. I know how to do all of that. It’s just that I still have public embarrassment… I try to get over that. It’s just hard.”

A fear of public speaking can be overcome with a few tips and strategies. According to Mayo Clinic, by practicing and focusing on the material and not the audience you can work through your fears.

“My biggest advice for novices is, relax,” instructor John Campbell said, “No pressure. It is basically just something you’re already good at and we are just demonstrating how good you are. Whether you win, lose, or draw, as long as you prepared you can’t hurt yourself. “ 

Community is another factor in competitive speech. Campbell preaches of its importance, especially when it comes to practicing in front of an audience. This rings helpful for the novices. 

“Most people don’t like getting up and performing in front of people,” Avonelle Reliford said, “I have that too, it’s not irregular. But all of my classmates are so nonjudgmental, supportive, and helpful that it’s usually not an issue in the classroom. I also know that I’ll be more confident with my speech the more I practice.”  

This practice of being in front of an audience matters, as the Mayo Clinic points out. Speech students have to build up to the bigger and more unfamiliar crowds. Starting with people you are more comfortable with is an important step in the process. 

“Great feedback from Mr. Campbell and the others [has helped me],” Sarratt said, “If I am not doing a speech right and I am doing something wrong, they will help me a lot. I think that’s really good. They should be able to help me and others perform and do these speeches well.” 

The amount of freedom these students are presented with does give them an opportunity to explore. According to Noah Webster Education, this freedom is a positive thing for students. They get to expand their minds on a range of topics. 

“I really like the fact that we are really the leaders of what we do,” sophomore Audrey Sloan, a varsity member, said, “We control all of our subjects. We get to choose what we do.”

Debate Drills explains how much work goes into competitive speech and its process. Each speech also requires a certain level of research and thought, as well as  critical thinking.

“Definitely be prepared for the workload,” Sloan said, “At the beginning it doesn’t seem like a lot. Once you have to start to get to memorizing your speeches it turns into more busy.” 

Memorizing, according to Harvard Business Review, comes from knowing exactly the way you will present the information. They also highlight the importance of not just knowing the words, but practicing the way you will perform it. 

“I usually just rerun things over and over again until I have it memorized,” Sloan said. 

Even with the challenges of competitive speech, Debate Drills highlight how finding a community does not only benefit your academic career, but also your social one. They tell about how to be a part of the community while enjoying the performance.

“I think performing the speech is the best part of it,” Sarratt said. 

Noah Webster Education really highlights not only the effects of speech on students but also the reasons why students join it. It provides a voice to students. It empowers them.

“I went into high school kind of knowing that I wanted to do something related to competitive speech or debate,” Reliford said, “When people ask me why I do it, I tell them that I get to ‘argue competitively’ and that usually seems to flip a switch. It’s a channel for passion, and one that I feel offers a lot of variety. It’s a really great opportunity for people that find that passion in writing, activism, and even acting with the Interp [Acting] events.”