Fossil Ridge High School’s Speech and Debate Club is a welcoming community that equips students with essential life skills.

The club, which competes in tournaments across the region, has a membership that fluctuates between 40 and 50. Speech categories include improv, interpretation, original oratory and extemporaneous speech. Debate focuses on structured argumentation, where students have to research both sides of an issue and then defend whichever position they are assigned during the competition in categories such as congressional, parliament and policy debate.
Fossil’s club members stand out for participating in a wide variety of categories.

“There’s just something for everyone,” sophomore Sachit Srinivas said.

Speech Co-Captain Arthur Lamkin echoed this sentiment.

“I fell in love with all of the opportunities,” he said.

The competitions involve a lot of practice where community and collegiality are the priorities, said club sponsor Meredith McGowan, a Fossil English teacher.

“I just wanted to give kids a chance to practice their speaking skills, practice their debating skills, in an environment that is still fun and safe, but you’re still going to learn a lot,” she said.

The skills students learn extend far beyond just public speaking. Students also gain experience in researching topics.

“The number of PDFs that I have read through and just searched for hundreds of pages just to find one little quote has been incredible,” said sophomore Lauren Magelky, the club’s Debate captain. “Now, it’s like second nature.”

McGowan said the club cultivates the ability to maintain an open mind when communicating.

“Whether it’s just small conversations that you’re having with people, or if you’re voting or anything like that, it’s so important to see all sides,” she said.

Srinivas said he has developed effective communication skills, a skill valuable to many employers.

“It will be helpful on job interviews, resumes, even if you want to go into careers such as law, politics, things like that,” Srinivas said.

While students learn etiquette and behavior, competitive victory is still sweet.

“It makes you feel like you’re being rewarded for all that hard work,” Magelky said.

McGowan said Magelky’s accomplishments are impressive.

“She went to NAT calls last year, qualifying for a national event, and placed top eight as a freshman, which is just crazy,” she said.

Magelky also expresses her enthusiasm for the club.

“I’m excited to help grow the club and help other people discover their passion with debate too,” she said.

Other members describe the club as a supportive community.

“You’re building that sense of community, not just at Fossil, but with others at different schools too,” Srinivas said.

The pride McGowan feels for the club and its members is evident.

“To actually see the growth of the club and individuals in it is heartwarming,” she said.