PMHS Speech and Debate
The PMHS Speech and Debate team is the competitive speech and debate team of Pasadena Memorial High School. The program has been built on a long tradition of excellence (National Forensic League), the talent and hard work of its members and the support and encouragement of the administration of PMHS.
The PMHS Speech and Debate team competes throughout the state of Texas and the United States. Through competition students have the opportunity to win awards and college scholarships.
The members compete in Lincoln Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, Student Congress, Extemporaneous Speaking, Duet Interpretation, Oral Interpretation (Prose and Poetry), Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Original Oratory, and Impromptu.
The PMHS Speech and Debate team Debate and Forensic Team is a member of four different leagues. They are Texas Forensic league(TFA), University Interscholastic League (UIL), National Forensic League (NFL) and the National Catholic Forensic League.(NCFL) The National Forensic League is an honor society for students who compete in speech, drama, and debate. It is one of two organizations that the National Association of Secondary School Principals recommends each high school have, the other being the National Honor Society. Students earn points by performing and competing, earning advanced degrees, and, with the degree of honor, the right to wear the silver and ruby honor cords at graduation. The National Catholic Forensic League is an organization originating from the Catholic secondary school community in the United States for the purpose of providing a service to all public and private secondary schools in the United States and Canada.
It is the mission of the Pasadena Memorial High School (PMHS) Speech and Debate program first to develop an active listener and then a student who will seek to understand all sides of an issue (whether world affairs or personal choices). He/She will become intellectually competent through extensive research on various speech subjects, and through researching and argument of the debate topics. The enduring legacy of forensics training in Debate, Public Speaking and Oral Interpretation of Literature is the ability to conceptualize and communicate ideas clearly, effectively, and with lasting resonance. Our students not only strive to better themselves as individuals, but as citizens of their society.
