Camas High School (CHS) has always had a Speech and Debate Club, but recently, due to the effects of COVID-19, there has not been an advisor to run the club. For the 2023-2024 school year, a few students decided to step up and officially bring back the club. These students spoke with several teachers, asking them to advise the club, but none said yes until they talked to CHS English teacher Josef Hoffman.
Hoffman has big dreams for the group, which could solidify Speech and Debate as a club that would never be at risk of disappearing again. He plans to grow the program until it is more significant than himself.
“The program can’t just be my pet project. It should grow strong just like having a soccer team, where it would be unthinkable not to have soccer just because you didn’t have a soccer coach,” Hoffman said.
The student officers who run the Speech and Debate program have taken charge and grown a club community of about 35 people in the short time since school started. Two of the many students in Speech and Debate are sophomore Shelby Baldwin and junior Sophia Johnsen.
“I think Speech and Debate is an amazing club, and I think everyone should get firsthand experience in it,” Baldwin said.
The Speech and Debate team has already impacted Baldwin, helping her develop debating skills and the ability to avoid filler words when she speaks.
“I find the skills you learn in Speech and Debate and other clubs that involve that, like DECA, really useful in life and in general, especially when doing your senior boards or job interviews. Generally, being able to speak well [comes in handy],” Johnsen said.
The activities and events in this club apply to these students’ lives, helping them grow their social skills and educational abilities.
One of the students who started this club is sophomore Kavya Ashok. Ashok took on Speech and Debate because the previous high school she was supposed to go to had a significant program for it. She also wanted to follow in the footsteps of her older brother when it came to Speech and Debate.
Ashok created the club by asking members from other clubs to start the officer team for Speech and Debate, with the idea that they would run the club equally.
“If you’re going to create a club, create a club with people you work well with,” Ashok said.
The Speech and Debate Club has already garnered student support and started positively influencing the students who decided to join. The club has allowed these students to meet new people at the school and helped create a positive learning environment at CHS. The program was a much-needed addition for the students who attend CHS.
