The newest club on campus, Debate Club is an exciting addition to our long list of clubs. Founded by sophomore Kate Wang, it’s hard to believe that we have gone so long without this club. Meeting every Friday in S-1, here’s everything you need to know about Debate Club.

The current president of the club, Kate Wang has always found an interest in debate, starting in middle school when she was on her school’s debate team. Kate has always found debate important, believing, “that debate is really important for teaching a lot of people critical thinking skills and public speaking skills, so I think it’s a really important club [to have].” While she had to go to Livermore High’s debate club during her freshman year, Kate was inspired to start a club at Granada. Speaking on what Debate Club can do for students, Kate said, “The purpose of the club is to help people at the school practice critical thinking skills and public speaking skills and get more experience with things like that, which can not only be used in debate but can be used in all aspects of their life.”

It’s also providing Kate and her fellow officers some new life experiences, as they have had to navigate starting a new club and learning along the way what to do, and, “we gained a lot of experience on a lot of management and leadership issues.”

With two meetings already done, the Debate Club is currently focused on helping new members understand debate and making sure they have the tools to attend debate competitions one day. Pretty soon they’ll also host practice debates so if you’re interested in trying debate now is the perfect time to attend a meeting.

Revealing what you can expect from a competition, Kate explained, “Competitions are between different schools; our school, Livermore High, and just other schools in the region and for a competition, there’s usually about four rounds and each person basically just debates against another team and it’s randomized or it could be based on skill level.” It’s the perfect environment for every student, whether you’re a new member who is just trying to debate for the first time or someone who loves to get competitive.

But besides all the debating and competitions, the best thing about Debate Club is that it feels like a community. Kate described that “We are always helping each other and trying to build each other up…it’s a place where not only do we practice for debate but we help each other become more confident in who we are and just be a welcoming and inclusive environment for everybody to learn and improve.”

For so many reasons, you should definitely try Debate Club. It’s a fun, new club where members get to argue a variety of topics; whether they be national, political, local, or just for fun. It’s also a great place for any student who wants to work on their speech and public speaking skills. It’s perfect for many students, and the third meeting will be held on September 16th in S-1.