Victories worthy of a speech

Inter Lake editorial

Every year when state speech tournaments roll around, you can count on Northwest Montana students to lead the state.

This year was no exception, with one interesting twist.

Flathead High School, beaten four times during the season by defending champion Bozeman, managed to put together a stunning team effort and outpoint Bozeman by the barest of margins at the state Class AA speech and debate finale.

That team victory returned state speech bragging rights to Flathead after a one-year absence (Flathead now has won seven of the last eight state titles).

Not to be outdone, Columbia Falls won its fourth straight Class A speech and debate team trophy - and the eighth title for Columbia Falls in the past decade.

Finishing close on the heels of the champion teams were Whitefish 'second in Class A) and Glacier (third in Class AA).

Kudos is due to the students and their coaches and parents for proving again the power of the spoken word.

These superlative performances provide a good time to seriously salute the sometimes-overlooked wizards of words and compelling arguments.

Speakers and debaters compete in a quieter, more isolated venue than most other competitive activities. They don't get to enjoy the roar of the crowds that athletes do: A winning argument in Policy Debate, for example, isn't greeted by a wave from fans.

For the most part, their eloquence is heard by only a handful of judges and other competitors, but the abilities to think critically and speak clearly are likely to be far more valuable in life than being able to put a basketball through a hoop, throw a touchdown pass, spike a volleyball or earn a takedown.

Those who might question the lasting value of speech and debate competition should consider the stories of Shane Colvin and Trevor Hunter.

Both are graduates of Flathead High School, where both competed in speech and debate.

And both today are college student body presidents - Colvin at Montana State University and Hunter at the University of Montana.

They both relate that the speaking and debate skills they honed in high school were big factors in their collegiate success. Countless others, too, groomed by the top-notch programs in Flathead Valley schools, are no doubt much better for their experiences in speech and debate.

This is one competitive tradition that not only hones individual skills but strengthens society as well.