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Milton offers dozens of extracurricular activities. There are countless political, artistic, and academic clubs. Some clubs are casual, while others are competitive. Some require hours of commitment a week, others only 30 minutes. One of them, however, seems to fall in between all of those categories: the Debate Team.
Debate is done in a parliamentary format, with two teams of two going head to head against each other. There is no research required (although a knowledge of current events doesn’t hurt), as topics are given on the spot, and the teams only have ten minutes to prepare their speeches. So debate is accessible to anyone, even those with lots of other extracurriculars. The speeches themselves are eight minutes long, with one speaker giving a five minute and a three minute speech. The speeches normally consist of both presenting your side’s arguments and refuting those of the opponent. Each year there are about six tournaments, with novice and advanced divisions, and you and your partner go to typically two or three of them.
Debate is certainly not for everyone. That doesn’t mean, however, that it’s not for you. Anyone who considers themselves a capable public speaker should do well. The time commitment is minimal–just weekly meetings and practices. Tournaments, although they take a whole day, are not mandatory. Debate is certainly open to those who just want to practice their public speaking. So, if you do happen to come to Milton, keep an open mind. Give debate a shot. I decided to take the chance, and I have loved it ever since.
Hi, and thanks for visiting us! We’re the leaders of Milton’s Orange and Blue Key (OBK) Society. OBK is the group of about 160 students who give tours to students and families visiting our campus. We work closely with the admission office to make sure you get a good sense of what it’s like to be a student at Milton. We hope that you’ll visit us in person, and until then, enjoy this “insider’s” view of the School we love.
