This is the first year that Ponte Vedra High School has had a speech and debate team in quite some time, and it has already left its mark in year one after winning a pair of state competitions.
According to PVHS teacher Holly Chaker, who serves as the team’s sponsor, the idea behind the creation of the team started very grassroots, as she was approached a year ago by students Ella York and Cecilia Connor who were interested in getting it started.
One year later, York was one of the two Ponte Vedra students who earned first place in their respective categories.
“She is a very determined young lady, and she is really taking the world by storm,” Chaker said.
York won the novice extemporaneous speaking competition, while Garrett Smith took home the top honor in novice extemporaneous debate.
Eight students from PVHS competed in the competition in a wide variety of speech and debate categories in what turned out to be a long but successful day in Orlando.
There are about a dozen students that are on the team and have competed in some form of competition this year.
“We got in around 8 a.m. and did not wrap up until around 10 p.m.,” Chaker said. “There were more than 600 students taking part which makes all the more impressive what these kids were able to accomplish.”
Each student found out their topic on the day of the competition and had 30 minutes to research and devise a speech or debate pertaining to it, which they would then present to judges to be graded on.
“It can be an intense atmosphere, but these kids handled it with such grace and eloquence,” Chaker said.
Not only did York win her category, but she took home a second trophy as her score earned her second overall for the competition.
Both Smith and York are juniors, which Chaker is excited about because of the experience they and the rest of the team gained this year, that they will be able to lean on next year.
Especially since they are expected to be moving up from the novice division for next year’s competition, which means even more challenging dynamics.
One of the neat aspects of the team is that there are a varying degree of speakers and personalities that make up the group. From York, who has spoken at the state capital and Washington D.C. to others who do not feel as comfortable speaking in front of others.
According to Chaker, that has been one of the great things about the team, the way in which it can take people out of their comfort zone and help them grow as people.
“Ella and Garrett entered the competition with an air of confidence, so they just had to figure out the rules of the competition and how to go about it, while others are more shy and learned a little about themselves.”
Chaker is looking forward to the team’s future and believes that the success had will only help grow the number of students interested in joining the team moving forward.
One of the anticipated events next year will be the Great Debate, which is a national tournament held in Florida in November.
“We’re already planning for it, and we would not be able to do any of this if it was not for the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative helping fund our way,” Chaker said. “It also helps to have such a great group of kids who are determined to put in the work and be successful in everything that they do.”
