Students from Nelson McIntyre Collegiate (NMC) are building confidence, communication skills, and a strong sense of student voice through participation in debate and public speaking competitions, including the recent Rupert’s Land Debate and Public Speaking Tournament hosted by Balmoral Hall School.
The tournament brought together Grade 10 to 12 students from across Manitoba for a full day of parliamentary debate and public speaking. For NMC, the event marked an important milestone for a newly established debate and speech club, which officially launched this school year in response to growing student interest.
“This is part of our speech and debate club, which is kind of new for this year,” explained teacher and coach Michelle Mohal. “Students expressed interest in staring a debate team, so we officially launched it this year. While we focus mostly on debate, there’s a lot of crossover with things like Ethics Bowl, Youth Parliament, and Model United Nations.”
Organized through the Manitoba Speech & Debate Association, the Rupert’s Land tournament is one of several competitions offered provincially. It includes both public speaking and parliamentary debate, giving students opportunities to practice and prepared and impromptu communication skills in a competitive setting.
One of the defining features of the Rupert’s Land tournament was its coordinate parliamentary debate format. Students competed in teams of two, but rather than working with familiar partners, they were randomly paired with students from other schools.
“That was definitely nerve-wracking,” said Miles McFadyen, a Grade 11 student. “We only found out a few days beforehand that it was going to be impromptu and random pairs.”
For Pietra Velloso, a Grade 11 student, the format was familiar. “I was nervous, but I knew how it worked,” she said, noting her previous debate experience.
Matias Perez, a Grade 11 student, added that he felt more comfortable going into the tournament, having met other participants through previous events such as Youth Parliament of Manitoba. “I was a bit dismayed that I did not get the opportunity to debate with my partner, Victor Puzhevich, due to the randomized pairing format.”
In addition to parliamentary debate, students competed in individual public speaking categories. In impromptu speaking, students drew a slip with three possible topics—often quotes or proverbs from philosophers—had just two minutes to prepare and deliver their speech without notes. Each student completed this twice during the tournament.
The parliamentary debate portion required students to prepare arguments collaboratively. Teams were given a topic and resolution in advance and had approximately 30 minutes to prepare before debating opposing sides.
With the format confirmed just days before the event, NMC students quickly adjusted their preparation strategies.
“About 48 hours before, we called an emergency impromptu speaking meeting,” Miles explained. “We all got together and Ms. Mohal gave us a sheet of paper to pick a topic from and five minutes to prepare. Outside of school, I found a random wheel spinner with impromptu topics and give myself a minute to prepare something in my notes app before throwing my phone to the side and pacing around my room practicing.”
Students identified communication, confidence, and critical thinking as the most important skills developed through the experience.
“It’s really hard to stand up there,” Pietra said. “Even when there aren’t a lot of people in the room, it’s still difficult. You can be given a topic you don’t know much about, and you have to think critically and speak confidently.”
Learning to stay calm under pressure was key. “You only have two minutes to prepare for impromptu speeches,” said Miles. “I usually get really nervous, but by the final round I was able to take a breath and calm myself down.”
Despite the challenges—limited preparation time, unfamiliar partners, and competing alongside students aiming to qualify for national competitions—the experience was deeply rewarding. Pietra was recognized as Best Speaker for NMC, an achievement she described as a highlight of the day.
Pietra with her medal.
“The award ceremony was really memorable,” Pietra said. “It felt good to see that the hard work paid off.”
“I remember just feeling like, so overwhelmed with joy after the first paired impromptu debate,” said Miles. “There was such a sense of success and accomplishment afterward.”
Ms. Mohal has observed clear growth in students since the club began.
“I’ve seen a lot of confidence building,” she said. “Their ability to speak off the cuff, put together an argument, challenge an argument, and actively listen has really improved.”
Looking ahead, students say the experience has shaped their future interests. Pietra, who hopes to pursue a career in communications, said the tournament reinforced her confidence. “Anything that has me speaking is a wonderful opportunity for growth,” she said. Miles added that the experience sparked a growing interest in politics.
Both students emphasized the importance of participation and visibility in sustaining the program.
“There really is a want from the student population here to debate,” Miles said. “I remember Ms. Mohal told us at the first meeting as long as you’re interested, I’ll keep putting in the work for you guys to keep debating. Engagement matters—not just for yourself, but for students who might join next year.”
Pietra agreed, noting that many students didn’t even realize NMC had a debate team until they saw the recognition from the tournament.
Through debate and public speaking, NMC students are finding their voices, building transferable skills, and helping establish a growing culture of student leadership and engagement within their school community.