The 2024-2025 competition season has been filled with valleys and peaks, leading to new records, TFA and UIL state qualifications, bootcamps, spirit nights, elementary outreach, and Mustang Hour meetings with other clubs. Throughout the year, Kingwood High School’s Speech and Debate teams have continued to push the limits of success, reaching new heights and setting records.
Outreach
In early August, Speech and Debate hosted their annual ‘bootcamp,’ a day-long training course that teaches incoming members and alumni valuable speaking skills to aid in future competitions and prepare them for the season. We also held some fun collaborative meetings with the Black Student Union and the Muslim Student Association, helping individuals use their voice to empower others. The Speech and Debate Executive Committee also hosted over 20 after-school practices to help our team gain state points and increase their speech and debate qualifications. Lastly, the Executive Committee went to middle schools to teach them about speech and debate and the culture of the class. The Excom even visited an elementary school for the first time, reinforcing that it’s never too young to use your voice. All of this outreach helped us attract a strong team of learners who want to better themselves and refine their skills. This outreach is what makes Speech and Debate successful, allowing us to have a large en
Our Accomplishments
We started off the TFA competition season ready for new heights, and we did not disappoint. Noor, Corinne, Deni, Dawn, Brayden, Marilyn, Bekah, Sophie, Elin, Jacob, and Jaimeson all left the TFA competition season with state points. Additionally, Noor and Bekah received over 12 state points each, qualifying them for the state competition in Houston on March 4th.
It’s uplifting to see not only seasoned debaters get state points but also new members. We even set some new records with new members in UIL. Our UIL CX Districts competition on January 15th was a huge success, with our three debate teams taking 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places, and the freshman team taking 2nd place, qualifying Brayden and Aylee for UIL state later this year. It’s evident that the future of speech and debate is bright, with underclassmen paving the way for success alongside the upperclassmen.
Humble ISD’s high schools have started an annual award that will be passed on to different high schools; it’s called the ‘Speech and Debate School’ award, outlined by which high school is recognized as the most dedicated and successful within speech and debate. We were recognized through Humble ISD as a “Speech and Debate School,” showcasing traits of courage and hard work. It’s clear that Kingwood Speech and Debate has climbed the ladder back to the top, and we’re not stopping here.
Future of Speech and Debate
As for the future of our program, we still have numerous things to look forward to. NSDA district is February 20-22 and is a national qualifier for speech and debate. We also have both TFA and UIL states to look forward to in the near future. On top of this, we have a spirit night on February 25th, our speech and debate elections for next year’s executive committee, and the end of the year banquet. Beyond this, Speech and Debate has a bright future for the years to come, as we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible within this organization. We will always recognize the strong individuals behind the movement. All of this couldn’t have happened without our amazing coaches, Coach Lange and Coach Garcia, along with our booster club. Hopefully, the next time y’all hear about Speech and Debate, we will have even more experience and qualifications under our belt, paving the way for a better future.
