One of the many electives and extracurricular activities offered to the students of Cardinal Newman High School is Speech and Debate. Our Newman team has upwards of 30 members and competes in many tournaments both close to home and abroad, under the direction of the Honorable Mr. Andrew Williams.

The team competes in the Palm Beach County Catholic Forensics League,
which holds regular tournaments. Beginning in September and continuing
throughout the year, these tournaments offer an opportunity for all Debate
members to try different events and gain experience by competing against other students, both from Newman and other schools. This year’s team has won many trophies throughout the year and several First Places, the first of which being awarded to Katherine Kent at the first tournament of the year, held on September 14th, 2024.

This February, select members of the Speech and Debate team will travel to
Cambridge, Massachusetts, to compete in the Harvard National High School
Invitational Forensics Tournament, which it is a great honor to be selected for. Team members will compete in a variety of events, ranging from Public Forum and Congressional to Extemporaneous Speaking and Original Oratory. We wish all of our debate members the best of luck in this competition and in the remaining tournaments, and look forward to their performance at States in Okeechobee and Nationals in Iowa!