SPEECH AND DEBATE

SPEECH AND DEBATE

Speech and Debate

ELOQUENT EAGLES

THE BRENTWOOD ACADEMY SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM
20x NATIONAL QUALIFIERS SINCE 2016

FINE ARTS

DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE

Through speech classes and our competitive Speech and Debate Team, students develop the speaking and acting skills that allow them to become confident communicators in any arena. Students prepare, memorize, and present various types of dramatic material, competing locally and nationally against the finest high school speakers in the United States.

Tournaments, such as those held at Harvard, Wake Forest, and Emory Universities, prepare students for the highest level of competition. Brentwood Academy has a strong history of excellence in a variety of events such as Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Original Oratory, Impromptu Speaking, Prose, and Poetry.

1 PETER 4:10 (NIV; BA THEME VERSE 2001-2002)


Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

BOX OFFICE

To view our upcoming performance dates and to purchase tickets, please view the BA Box Office.

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MEET THE FACULTY

AUSTIN GROVES
CARI CHEETWOOD

 

AUSTIN GROVES

Austin is the Speech teacher and the Eloquent Eagles Speech and Debate Coach at Brentwood Academy. During his seven years of coaching competitive speech, he has qualified 22 different students to the annual National Speech & Debate Association National Tournament. Austin’s students have competed at the national level in Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Program Oral Interpretation, Informative Speaking, and Persuasive Speaking.

Austin knows the experience of competing in high school at an elite level on a personal level. As a student at Blue Springs High School in Missouri, he won a national championship and national tournament runner-up on the high school national circuit. While competing at the collegiate national level, Austin advanced to 10 final rounds at nationals, succeeding as a national tournament runner-up, and won the national championship while representing Western Kentucky University.

 

CARI CHEETWOOD

Cari Cheetwood is originally a California native who moved to the Nashville area 6 years ago. She is absolutely thrilled to be part of the Brentwood Academy family.

Cari graduated with an undergraduate and Master’s degree in Theatre and Education from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. She has been both a teacher and performer in the Theatre for more than 20 years. Cari has performed in hundreds of shows over her career and found her passion in creating choreography for musicals while working in Los Angeles.

Since 2002, Cari has been certified as a Dale Carnegie and Associates Trainer where she was recognized as one of the top trainers within her local California organization and was then heralded as #7 of the top 10 trainers worldwide for the Dale Carnegie International Corporation.

Cari is very proud of her family and believes they are her greatest gift and accomplishment. Derk is her husband of 17 years, and she has three beautiful children Kylie (15), Audrey (12), and Cody (8).

ADMISSION


Our intentional class sizes vary by grade and discipline, all led by faculty who are accomplished in their fields of study, creating an ideal environment for academic growth and success.

Our admission process