Should I join the debate team?

A

amy

New member
I'm generally a quiet and soft-spoken person but I really do want to learn public speaking and debate.
So should I join or not? I'm afraid that I'd look stupid and that I'd be useless because I have no pre-existing debate skills or experience

And what do debate teams usually DO?

all help is appreciated>> thanks :D
 
Definitely.
I'm in my third of debate (varsity, doing student congress this year).
It helps you branch out and learn to speak coherently and proudly. You also learn a lot.
When I first started out, I knew nothing and looked stupid giving speeches- but that's how it is for everyone. You learn eventually and then before you know it, you're teaching the new kids next year =]
 
One of the things that debate teams do is try to figure out how to attract new members. They know the new members are going to feel stupid, and will go out of their way to be supportive. After you've become a team member you can help other soft-spoken beginners because you'll know what they're feeling.

Oh, debate's also good because debaters actually learn and use history, rather than just studying it for tests.
 
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