The Wheeling Park High School Speech and Debate Team feels the burden of a legacy that stretches over four decades, but many students and staff don’t fully understand what the team does for their consistent championships.
While we know that it takes great talent to keep this title, what work actually goes into it?
“We take classes for this, sometimes multiple periods a day, along with practices everyday after school. We give up our personal lives to be able to succeed like we do,” said Norman.
With the 50th season beginning on September 27th at the Novice Tournament, Wheeling Park hopes to bring home the 46th consecutive state title from the WVSDA State Tournament in March.
“Since we have created such a family, especially with people who make each other feel seen and heard, it definitely takes away some of the stress we feel when competing for the consecutive title,” said senior member, Ava Norman.
Morgan Janick, a first year member, comments on how she is handling the anxiety of the upcoming competition,
“It’s a little nerve wracking, the idea that we’re leading the next chapter of Speech & Debate team. I hope that we can keep the title, but there’s definitely pressure”, said Janick.
For the team, practice consists of talking to walls, practicing tech movements, timing cases, debates, performances, and skill toning drills. While observing a team practice, the dedication, hard work, effort, and time that team members put into their work is visible.
Along with their dedication, they receive tremendous support from not only their community, but from coaches, parents, and peers,
“The support from the community is a key part of the success of the Speech & Debate team. Always having the knowledge of our community backing us up and being there gave us the motivation to perform our best every time,” said Alice Joseph, a Speech & Debate team alum from the class on ’24.
The Wheeling Park Speech and Debate Team as they kicked off their #roadto46 with their first tournament on the 27th of September against five schools including Parkersburg, Scott High, Robert C. Byrd, and Ripley. The Novice Student Congress tournament will take place in Parkersburg, WV against Huntington High School, Parkersburg, and Cabell Midland.
