Speech and Debate

“Confidence comes from attempting something difficult and being encouraged to pursue it until success is achieved.”

About

Available to 9th-12th graders, Speech and Debate is a competitive course for students who desire to learn higher level critical thinking, writing, and speaking skills. Students will learn philosophical and factual debate along with spontaneous argumentation, oratory, extemporaneous, and impromptu speaking. This is a great class for students who have a flare for the dramatic and an interest in public speaking from politics to teaching and beyond. It is a skill that will carry you throughout college and benefit you greatly in life, not to mention, it is great fun.

Speech and Debate is an important part of fulfilling the goals of ICS in that it enables students in their ability to logically think through and discuss controversial issues. These skills are important for Christians when discussing Biblical truth with others.

Statistics

  • ICS’ Speech and Debate team began in 2004. Since then, the team has won five state championships (2006, 2011, 2017, 2018, and 2021) and eight second place titles.

  • ICS has turned out more 1A State Champions in the past 15 years than any other 1A school.

  • ICS also competes on the national stage and has qualified students to the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament eighth times (some schools never qualify students).

  • In 2015, an ICS student was ranked in the top 60 debaters in the nation at the National Tournament.

  • Coach Croswhite has received numerous state and national awards in 2006, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2021 including the 2015 and 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year Award for Speech and Debate (making her a Two Diamond NSDA coach).

A message from the coach

Since its inception in 2004, the ICS Debate team has consistently taken top honors at the State tournament with numerous State Champions in every category. Students have also qualified for the prestigious National Speech and Debate National Tournament seven out of ten years of the team's existence. When asked about Intermountain Christian School's performance at the Stanford Debate tournament, the Tournament Director replied, "Small team, brings a few kids every year; and almost every kid breaks finals."

The Region XXII 2020-21 XXII Champions

The Region XXII 2020-21 XXII Champions

Ask an ICS debater about it? They will tell you the team is their family. "Trophies gather dust," said former Team Captain Michelle Kfoury, "but the memories I made with the team are some of my best in high school."

"I learned how to think and how to write in this class," says TCU Journalism major Hayes Clement. "Coach Croswhite helped me be the writer I am today."

Katherine Brown, Extemporaneous Speaking State Champion 2014, summed it up this way, "Everyone should be required to take this class, not just because of the incredible things you learn, but it's fun!"

Interested in participating in our Speech and Debate Program? Contact Coach Jacqueline Croswhite at jcroswhite@intermountainchristian.org

Intermountain Christian School, 6515 S LION LN, SALT LAKE CITY, 84121(801) 365-0370info@intermountainchristian.org

Intermountain Christian School admits students of any race, sex, disability, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, disability, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.