SOUTH AIKEN HIGH SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM ON WHAT GOES ON INTO PREPARING FOR PUBLIC DISCOURSE

AIKEN - For one high school speech and debate club in Aiken County, finding debate topics begins by flipping through the local newspaper.

English teacher Joanna DiPeppe, who oversees the South Aiken High School Speech and Debate Team, said that students use copies of the Aiken Standard — which are passed out each day by SAHS junior Dayshawn Bellamy — to look for timely, hyperlocal issues for discourse.

Looking at local news stories aided the club in choosing their topic for a Speech and Debate Showcase hosted on April 25 at St. John’s Methodist Church: Whether historic preservation ought to be prioritized in Aiken.

To read the full article, please visit the Aiken Standard website.

Erin Weeks, Aiken Standard Education Reporter

eweeks@aikenstandard.com

Photos by Aiken County Public School District and provided by SAHS Speech and Debate

Aiken Standard reporter Erin Weeks interviews Speech and Debate students. SAHS speech and debate student speaks about her experience. Audiences were encouraged to participate in the Speech and Debate event. Students took two sides on historical preservation in Aiken. Students did research, including using local newspapers, to back up their arguements.