Speech & debate (sometimes called “forensics”) is one of the more unique extracurricular activities offered at Lincoln. Students will train and compete in a range of events, building skills in critical thinking, public speaking, argumentation, and even character acting and joke-timing. From September to June, we’ll be competing actively at schools across the state and some national tournaments, and actively practicing at Lincoln. Students may earn activity letters if they meet the criteria. We have a successful program in both debate and individual events with reigning state champions in each including the 2017 State Championship. We have a long history of success at every level – local, state, and national – and our goal is to teach our students practical skills that will be useful throughout the rest of their lives. A core benefit of Lincoln’s program is the team culture we create. Although we’re all committed to the academic side of speech & debate, we try to create a comfortable, open, mutually-supportive atmosphere for students. Speech & debate is a great opportunity for students new to the Lincoln community to meet other students with shared interests, whether those be politics, music, drama, or something else entirely.