National Speech and Debate Association
The Belen Speech and Debate Team provides its students with a team oriented setting and an opportunity to improve their research, argumentation, and public speaking skills while competing against students from all over the country. Over the past 10 years the Belen Forensics Team has established itself as one of the top teams in the state of Florida and is well respected on the national stage.
Separating the team into the “Speech” and “Debate” sides, Belen Speech and Debate has a place for everyone who enjoys speaking publicly, or wants to improve on important life skills. The Speech side offers five events from Extemporaneous Speaking to Humourous Intepretation of Literature. The Debate side offers events such as Student Congress and Public Forum Debate. The team competes almost every weekend and travels out of South Florida about 10 times a year. Traveling everywhere from Chicago to Atlanta to Las Vegas, Forensics provides its students with a means of touring the country and interacting with students of all backgrounds.
In recent years Belen students have won four State Championships, placed in the Top 8 in the country in Student Congress at the National Forensics League National Tournament (Mario Ariza’05-3rd Place, Daniel Barrea’08-8th Place, Benjamin Tyler’10-8th place), placed at various national tournaments (University of Florida Blue Key and the Harvard Invitational just to name a few), and won a National Championship (Mario Ariza’05). Forensics provides a great opportunity for students to develop their leadership skills and compete at the highest level. The moderator for the club is Stephanie Kelly-Esquivel.
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In recent years Belen students have won four State Championships, placed in the Top 8 in the country in Student Congress at the National Forensics League National Tournament (Mario Ariza’05-3rd Place, Daniel Barrea’08-8th Place, Benjamin Tyler’10-8th place), placed at various national tournaments (University of Florida Blue Key and the Harvard Invitational just to name a few), and won a National Championship (Mario Ariza’05). Forensics provides a great opportunity for students to develop their leadership skills and compete at the highest level. The moderator for the club is Stephanie Kelly-Esquivel.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.