Our mission is to provide a richly rewarding extra-curricular experience, academically and socially, for students interested in advancing their skills in public speaking and debate.  

The purpose of the team is to train students to compete in interscholastic high school speech and debate tournaments that take place on a variety of weekends (mostly on Saturdays) throughout the school year at various high schools (and sometimes universities) throughout North Carolina (and sometimes surrounding states). 

The Speech and Debate Team is one of Cary High’s most active and rewarding extra-curricular activities.  Beginning with an enthusiastic group of fifteen students fourteen years ago, we earned a second-place finish for overall small team impact at the statewide tournament at the end of our first season.  In our second year we doubled in numbers, qualified our first team for Nationals in June, and earned another second-place finish at States, this time in debate sweepstakes points.  In our last twelve years we have continued our streak of success, continuing to place at every local tournament where we have participated and sending more students to Nationals on an almost yearly basis. We have also hosted nine local tournaments and have sponsored several countywide training events to strengthen forensics closest to home.   

Most importantly, our team prides itself on its open, encouraging, and supportive atmosphere where all interested students are welcome to join, sharpen their public speaking skills, and develop deep and abiding friendships with other team members here and all across the state and nation. By joining the team, you can further the effort to make speech and debate a vital part of our school community. 

In order to compete in many of the best local and national tournaments, our team has joined several educational organizations affiliated with speech and debate:  the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA), the Tarheel Forensic League (TFL), and the Dogwood Speech and Debate League (DSDL).  Upon attending their first tournament, team members pay a one-time fee of $20 to the NSDA to earn points, certificates, and emblems of distinction in their time on the team. 

Head Coach:                  Stuart Blessing

Assistant Coaches:       Andrew Decker

Event Captains:  Erin Hart, Congressional Debate 

                             Grishma Shrestha, Lincoln-Douglas

                             Rowan Rusztowicz, Public Forum

     Mia Allen, Speech         

Booster Club Chairperson: Stuart Blessing

Booster Club Treasurer:  Julia Anne Carroll

Booster Club Secretary:  Nancy Hart

Booster Club Member-at-Large:  Joy Rau

Booster Club Member-at-Large:  Shristi Shrestha