Speech & Debate Mission Statement

It is the Mission of the Speech and Debate program first to develop an active listener, a student who will seek to understand all sides of an issue (whether world affairs or personal choices). He will become Intellectually Competent through extensive research on the subjects of his speeches, and through researching and argument of the debate topics. In addition, he will apply our shared standards of the Grad at Grad, most notably a Love for Justice. He will be able and willing to articulate what might be an unpopular opinion for those who have no voice and to communicate these concerns to a wide lay audience. As many choose to avoid this path, the student will most often become The Leader in both this community and in any in which he finds himself. Ultimately, the student will come to see himself, first and foremost, as both a Loving Teammate and Opponent, whose ultimate goal is to represent Bellarmine for the Greater Glory of God.