Swampscott speech, debate course praised by students

SWAMPSCOTT – If you’re a wallflower, you certainly won’t be after taking the new debate and speech course offered at Swampscott High School.Students can sign up for speech and debate for one semester or a full year for the course, which is taught by Peter Franklin.”There is a lot of energy in this class,” Franklin said. “There are no shrinking violets in this class. If they were shrinking violets when they came they are not now.”Franklin said it took a couple of years to get the class up and running.”It took two years to get speech and debate as a bona fide class,” he said. “In the past we had only the extra curricular debate class.”Franklin said the course is divided into two distinct components each semester. He said the first component focuses on the theory of oral communication and the primary tenets of effective public speaking. The second half of the course focuses on debate theory, research and debate strategies.The course is a hit with the students who took it last semester, which was the first time it was offered.Among them was senior Arielle Lerner, who said on the first day of class Franklin told the students speech and debate would be the most important course they would ever take.Lerner readily admits she was skeptical at first but now she agrees with that statement whole heartedly.”I can honestly say that speech and debate with Mr. Franklin has been the most influential class I have taken in my four years at Swampscott High School,” she said. “The skills that we are learning can truly be used on a daily basis, which is something that cannot be said about most other courses I am taking. It’s all about communication. Whether you are talking one-on-one or to an audience, communication is everything. This class has taught me how to have good communication in both of these situations. In other classes, I find myself speaking up more often because I now know how to execute my ideas more clearly.”Her classmate Marissa Gambale said she dreaded speaking in front of people when she signed up for the class.”I hated speaking in front of people and was very nervous as to what the course may consist of,” she said. “My first speech may not have gone as well as planned, but by the next one, the changes made within me were ridiculous. I went from turning bright red and failing to speak loudly to projecting my voice with great eye contact and confidence. This was easily the most enjoyable and useful course I have ever taken. I know that what I have learned in this course will continue to benefit me throughout the rest of my life.”Suzanne Murphy, who like Lerner and Gambale took speech and debate last year, agreed it was the most useful class she has ever taken.”Taking debate really helped me develop a clear thesis and helped me get my point across in a clearer manner,” she said. “Not only is speech and debate my favorite class that I have taken in high school, but it has also been the most beneficial one as well.”The Swampscott High School Debate team is a registered chapter of the National Forensics League, the nation’s leading honor society for speech, debate and leadership. Franklin said many students enrolled in the course also participate in National Forensic League tournaments, which requires an additional time commitment.