August 25, 2024 • 36 mins
6:19 - Camp One Clap 2024: Day 19
For notes and details about the episode, check out the website here:
Join us at Camp One Clap for a lively conversation with Zcherina Villegas, Cheyenne East alum and speech and debate virtuoso, as she tests her hypothetical survival skills and jumps into her love for horror films. Discover Zcherina's whimsical take on the paranormal while we explore the power of authenticity in Speech and Debate. Zcherina passionately shares how being true to oneself—head, heart, and humor included—can elevate your speech delivery.
If you’d like to join the discussion here at One Clap Speech and Debate, shoot me an email at lylewiley@gmail.com or reach out here on the website.
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YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCyvpV56859lLA-X-EvHVYUg
Your voice matters!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lyle Wiley (00:10):
Well, hey, campers, we've arrived at day 19 here at
Camp One Clap and even thoughwe're stuck in the clapocalypse,
things couldn't be better.
Serena Villegas, cheyenne Eastalum and friend of the podcast,
is here to help guide us through.
I'm your camp director and hostof the One Clap Speech and
Debate podcast, law Wiley.
I hope that camp has been asource of inspiration, learning
(00:30):
and fun for coaches andcompetitors this August.
Quick reminder check the OneClap socials for today's social
media challenge.
And let me tell you a littlebit about today's guest.
Sharina Villegas graduated fromCheyenne East High School this
year after competing for fouryears in speech and debate.
Over the years she tried manyevents, including oratory
(00:52):
expository, big questions,lincoln-douglas debate, congress
, world schools and drama.
She's a state champion inoriginal oratory and a
three-time national qualifier.
Sharina is majoring in Englishat the University of Wyoming and
she's considering a doublemajor qualifier.
Sharina is majoring in Englishat the University of Wyoming and
she's considering a doublemajor in anthropology.
Sharina is here at theClapocalypse to chat about
inserting your personality intoperformance and overcoming fears
(01:14):
in speech and debate.
Here's my interview withSharina in the midst of the
Clapocalypse.
Welcome back to Camp One ClapTwo the Clapocalypse, by the way
, which is pretty scary, butwelcome back, sharina Villegas.
It's so nice to have you backon One Clap.
How are you doing?
Zcherina Villegas (01:33):
It's good.
It's nice to be back.
Thank you for bringing me backto One Clap.
I'm really excited to see whatwe have to talk about today and,
yeah, I'm really excited Season2, clapocalypse.
That's a bit of a tonguetwister there, but I love it.
It's really great.
Lyle Wiley (01:47):
Yeah, you can say it easily, it's really hard.
Well, it does mean that we'regoing to talk about scary stuff
like spooky things, fear, andfirst off, I want to hear from
you what's your favorite scarystory?
Zcherina Villegas (02:02):
It could be a movie or a book or um.
I'm actually not the biggestfan of scary movies but I have
like a very specific taste inthem.
Like my favorite horror movie Iguess right now is get out um,
directed by jordan peele.
I think all of jordan peele'slike works are so good.
I just watched nope.
(02:22):
That was a little bittraumatizing but it was really
good.
And um, I think it's just likethe type of stuff that like the
jump scares and all that.
Oh man, I am not the biggestfan of those, but I love the
thrill.
Lyle Wiley (02:35):
I do love the thrill so jordan peele, I think, is
like kind of a genius of course,the first off I think key and
peel is hilarious some of thebest sketches ever.
I I think, uh, it's, it's ishilarious, some of the best
sketches ever.
I think it's some classic stuffand, of course, very incisive
about race in America.
But I really loved Nope.
I mean, I know it's super weird, but I'm a huge fan of Nope.
(02:56):
I thought that that was areally cool movie in a lot of
ways about movies, but had a lotof really interesting things to
say.
But a good one Get Out is greatas well yeah, I love that movie
.
Zcherina Villegas (03:07):
I thought it was.
It was like a good blend of ofscary and funny and all the
things that I was looking for it.
By the end of it I was like,wow, this is like.
Lyle Wiley (03:16):
This is good, you know yeah, definitely has a lot
of interesting things to say too.
Yeah, some important stuff.
But uh, yeah, I I kind ofdidn't really peg you as the
kind of person who's like big onlike horror uh and scary being
scared uh, but you know, I meanthere's like it's like a degree
like I love indulging in it.
Zcherina Villegas (03:35):
it's just like the aftermath of where I
have to like look around thecorner or run up the stairs and
like sleep with my lights onbecause I just get so scared.
Like I had this whole phase andwhen I was really young on the
horror game franchise FiveNights at Freddy's oh my gosh, I
was stuck on that, but I couldnot go to sleep in my own room
(03:56):
for like a couple months.
Lyle Wiley (03:58):
Wow, that's pretty hardcore, I know, I know.
Well, hopefully you're past allthat as you move on to
different things in your life.
But you know it's okay, we'veall been there and that's why
we're talking about it here,because, you know, in addition
to scary stuff, I want to thinkabout what about, like, if there
(04:18):
was this crazy apocalypticevent and we're all living in
this, like, likepost-apocalyptic wasteland, and
maybe it's like zombies orsomething like that?
Yeah, something out of adystopian like kind of novel,
like what are your chances ofsurvival on a scale of one to 10
?
And like what skills would youbring to the table in a
situation like this?
What do you think?
Zcherina Villegas (04:39):
I would give myself a solid five and myself a
solid five.
And here's why okay.
So I feel like there are thereare two parts, one where I'd be
like, okay, okay, this it's theend of the world, I'm gonna get
through this.
Okay, this is what I'm gonnaget bring with me, this is
what's gonna happen.
I already found a shelter, allthis and that and I'll be like,
(05:00):
okay, I'm doing this.
But then there's also the otherside of me that's just like okay
, zombie, just bite me already.
I don't want to deal with this.
I'm done Like I don't want to.
No, no, thank you.
But I think that if I were togo to the side where, like, I'm
super motivated and I want tosurvive this thing, I think I'm
(05:22):
pretty adaptable.
Of this thing, I think that Ithink I'm pretty adaptable.
I think if I were like stuck inlike a school or like, um, I
don't know, some random place inthe middle of nowhere, I think
I could adapt well, but I mightjust want to end it at the end
because I'm like I don't want todeal with these zombies also,
it depends on what kind they areor like what's happening, I
think I don't know.
That's why I give myself a fivebecause I'm like maybe, but
(05:46):
also maybe not.
Lyle Wiley (05:48):
So, if motivated, a really good chance, if
unmotivated a really bad chance.
Zcherina Villegas (05:58):
Yeah, if I don't feel good that day, maybe
not today.
Maybe not today.
Lyle Wiley (06:02):
Oh yeah, fair enough , I get that.
Um, that said, I will say, likemost speech and debate, folks
don't feel super confident abouttheir chances.
You know, we all, a lot of us,are like, hey well, I'm pretty
good communicator, maybe I couldlike talk my way out of stuff.
But yeah, let's just hope,maybe we can prevent the
apocalypse from happening.
Zcherina Villegas (06:18):
Yeah.
Lyle Wiley (06:27):
That's our best.
Other best chance, probably.
Um well, all of that said,let's talk about some speech and
debate stuff.
This was another really goodseason for you.
You, uh got to go to nationalsthis year and compete and um,
yeah, like other than that, likewhat were some of the
highlights from this year foryou?
What are some of the memoriesthat you made that you're going
to treasure from this year'sspeech and debate experience as
a senior?
Zcherina Villegas (06:44):
well, like you, it was my senior year and
my fourth year competing inspeech and debate, and it was
definitely a crazy one.
It was a roller coaster ofemotions and things.
So many things happened, I meanthroughout every single
tournament and everything thatwould happen throughout the year
.
Me and my senior friends wouldgo to like our underclassmen
friends and be like this is ourlast second tournament of the
(07:07):
year.
Are you guys gonna miss us?
You're gonna miss us so much.
And they'd be like stop, shutup.
So that was really.
That was really fun, but alsojust like making memories with,
uh, with my friends was probablythe highlights of this year
being able to compete witheveryone and really share these
(07:29):
last moments of my high schoolcareer in an activity that I
really care about and I think atNationals, that was definitely
one of my favorite memories.
It was, I think, the first dayof breaks for supplementals and
not breaks, it was just thefirst day of breaks yeah, the
(07:51):
first day of breaks and all ofour friends we just kind of
gathered around and we werestaying in a dorm so we went out
to their common area andoutside and all of us and all of
our team we just kind of hungout and shared some stories and
memories and like hugged andcried it was, it was.
It was definitely one of myfavorite memories at nationals
(08:13):
and just overall in speech anddebate.
Lyle Wiley (08:16):
It was kind of cool.
You and I got to hang out alittle bit at nationals.
That was pretty fun.
I enjoyed hanging out with youand Andrew.
That was great.
It was a highlight.
What's something like youuniquely learned about yourself
or the activity this year inparticular?
What do you?
Zcherina Villegas (08:29):
think I honestly I feel like I could say
this for every single year, butit's like how to overcome like
disappointment and failure andhow to use that and feel
yourself to want to do better orto move forward, because I know
that people can really getcaught up on one small thing or
things that happen throughoutthe season and really have it
(08:52):
like drag them down or have themjust not feel great about
themselves, and I think thatusing those failures and using
those things that have broughtme down have helped me build
some like resilience throughoutthe season and just be like okay
, I do love speech and debate alot and it's a big part of my
life, but also it isn't my life.
(09:13):
So, yeah, just something that Ithink is important, especially
when speech and debate has beenthe thing that I've really
grasped onto throughout thesefour years.
Lyle Wiley (09:26):
Yeah, finding that balance between allowing it to
be an important thing in yourlife but not taking over to the
point that it's an unhealthything.
Yeah, the relativity of likesuccess and failure is important
to keep in mind.
If you've worked hard onsomething and you've put
yourself into stuff and you haveshared something that's special
(09:46):
to you with a bunch of people,then in a lot of ways it's
successful, no matter what therubric is that you're trying to
use.
Zcherina Villegas (09:52):
So that's pretty important.
Lyle Wiley (09:54):
I want to take a moment for a ghostly interlude.
Are you a ghost person?
Do you believe in ghosts?
Do you believe in theparanormal?
Why or why not?
Zcherina Villegas (10:04):
I think yes, because why not?
I mean, why isn't there?
Why wouldn't you believe in theparanormal?
There's so much that we don'tknow about this world that you
can't outrule the paranormalfrom actually existing.
I feel like I don't even knowanything From actually existing.
I feel like I don't even knowanything.
(10:25):
I feel like there's so muchthat I don't know about the
world and anyone doesn't knowabout the world that there's no
way that ghosts don't exist.
But maybe we're just notThinking about it in the right
way.
There has to be, like some form.
There's no way that it doesn'texist, no way.
Lyle Wiley (10:42):
So you're going with the?
We know so little that there'sgot to be something out there.
We might not understand it andI don't really know what it is,
but there's something.
I think that's probablyprobably pretty smart and safe
response.
I like it well.
You don't want to make the ghostmad on your side so, uh, one of
(11:06):
the things I wanted to talk toyou about moving back into the
speech and debate world, which Imean in its own way, is kind of
like about horror, ghosty,scary things, but yeah, but I
thought it would be interestingfor us to talk about keeping
your personality in yourspeeches and in your pieces and
in whatever it is that you do,even, I mean, I think even in
debates, it could be reallyimportant to keep your
(11:26):
personality so, and you havelike a really great, awesome
personality and you've done agood job of integrating who you
are into your speeches.
So I was just, you know, Iwanted to kind of like see what
your thoughts were on how to,how to keep yourself and insert
yourself into your speeches inan authentic way, you know and
insert yourself into yourspeeches in an authentic way.
Zcherina Villegas (11:47):
You know, yeah for sure, okay.
So when it comes to personalityin speeches, I have this like
in three sections.
So this is for beforecompetition, during competition
and after competition.
So I think that the best way toinsert your personality is to
be your most authentic self.
I know that for a lot of peopleit's really easy to just take
(12:07):
other people's personality orsee what they do well in their
speech and take what they haveand use it in yours because
they're doing good.
So then why won't that make medo well as well?
But I think that that's where alot of people fail at that part
, because they're just trying tobe someone that they're not.
So I think that that's where alot of people fail at that part,
because they're just trying tobe someone that they're not.
So I think that being your mostauthentic self is going to help
(12:29):
you, like, bring out that mostnatural and authentic
personality in your speeches,because overall, that's what
judges are looking at.
They're not only looking at thecontent of your speeches, but
also how you present yourself,and if it's obvious that you're
not being yourself or you kindof cringe every once in a while
you tell like some joke, then Idon't think that that is the
(12:50):
best way to insert thatpersonality, because it isn't
yours, because what you'relooking at is your personality,
not some other person's, butgoing into more of that content
stuff.
So this is before competition.
So when it comes to putting inyour content, like writing down
what you actually have to say,this is more so for platform
people.
So, having a lot of passion, Ithink about what you care about
(13:12):
and I said this in my episodelast year, I'm pretty sure but
really caring about what you'redoing and fueling that passion
is going to help you bring outthat personality in your
speeches.
Because if you're talking about, like I don't know, the color
pink and your favorite color isred, and you're like, ok, well,
I, I like pink, it's not goingto, you're not going to actually
(13:33):
feel like you like what you'retalking about, like you want to
talk about the color red, sotalk about the color red.
I mean, that's obviously somerandom example, so I don't know
if you want to use that, but youknow, just actually be
passionate about what you'retalking about.
That way your personality is canbleed through your speeches a
(13:54):
lot more naturally, and thatalso has to come with inserting
different stories.
So, whether that be your own orsome other people's, stories
that really connect with you andresonate with you as a person,
I mean if they resonate withother people.
And if they resonate with you,then obviously they're going to
resonate with other people,depending on what you want to
(14:15):
talk about.
So something that you reallyconnect to, and not to say that
just because something seemstraumatic or because it's oh my
gosh, this is so shocking, soobviously it has to do well,
like that's usually the thingthat people think about oh, this
is just so shocking that it'sobviously going to do well.
It's obviously going to do well.
(14:40):
That's not always the case,because that isn't what is the
most authentic about your piece,right, you're just doing it
because you think it'll do well,not because it actually hits a
part of your heart.
You know, not just kind oftrauma dumping, but really
caring about those stories andbeing authentic.
And this also goes with a lot ofplatform too, but also interp.
(15:01):
Yeah, I think it goes for anyand all speech kids, but on my
team we talk about the three H'shead, heart and humor.
As long as you have those threein your speeches and you're
really clocking them down, thenI think that would be like if
you find something that reallyhits you in your personality,
that you care about, like that'sheart, right, and then head,
(15:22):
something that you really careabout.
That's that part.
And then humor, just thingsthat you actually find funny.
So it comes with like addingjokes and things that'll really
engage your audience but alsokeeps you engaged, because you
don't want to be bored as aspeaker, especially because
you're going to be speaking somany times during a tournament.
You don't want to just be like,oh, that joke, that thing, I
(15:46):
have to say I mean my coach saidit was good, so I guess it's
fine, but I don't really like it.
So like you have to really takethat into account, because if
that's not you, then it's notyou Right.
So then that also goes with notonly knowing yourself but also
knowing your audience.
Because, yes, you may want totalk about all these different
things that really that reallygets you and like, get your
(16:08):
humor, but also you have to knowyour audience and knows what'll
know what'll get them.
Yes, insert your personality,but also there has to be a level
of professionalism to it.
You don't want to go all outand then have a judge be like,
okay, let me take a step back.
What's going on here?
This is not really what I wantto hear, this is not my speech.
(16:32):
So just really knowing what typeof people that you're speaking
to and especially in Wyoming youhave to kind of watch out to
what you're speaking to.
But do not limit yourself andbe like, oh, because this judge
might be homophobic or somethinglike that, I shouldn't talk
about this, even though I reallycare about it.
I'm not saying don't talk aboutit, but really just know what
(16:54):
is good for you to talk about.
Like you might all of a suddenget this really young judge that
really understands you and getsyour piece, but you also might
get someone that's a little bitdifferent and doesn't exactly
match your views, but alsorealize that that is maybe who
you want to be speaking to andcater your speech to that
audience.
So then you can now get upthose ranks and really show
(17:16):
people what you want to talkabout.
But moving forward from that,that's for content and before
competition, when you're writingdown all your speeches and
you're integrating thatpersonality, and now this is for
a delivery.
So you've got everythingwritten down, you know what you
want to say, you got it allmemorized and you're in
competition.
You're ready to go up and let'ssay that someone has an amazing
(17:40):
speech, an amazing topic, allthese jokes that are so hard
hitting and all this stuff thatsomeone really wants to listen
to, but their delivery is flat.
So by delivery it's like bodylanguage and tone of voice and
things like that.
Sometimes, I think especiallyfor speech, well, even sometimes
debate to honestly, everythingis performance.
(18:03):
You have to honestly, reallykeep that up, because you may
have gone through four roundsthroughout the day, or even
three rounds.
However, however many rounds,you're feeling kind of tired and
you're like, oh, I don't wantto do the speech anymore.
Many rounds and you're feelingkind of tired and you're like,
oh, I don't want to do thespeech anymore.
So you go into your next round.
You're like, okay, I'm justgonna just do whatever because
I'm tired.
You have to really watch whatyou, how you speak and how you
(18:25):
present yourself and your bodylanguage and everything that
happens in that room, because,honestly, that is how that is.
Those are the things thatreally help the competitors in
that room.
So that is, those are thethings that really help the
competitors in that room, likepresenting yourself in a way
that's like okay, I'm tired, Idon't really I don't, I really
want to go to bed, but I'm goingto deliver this speech the best
that I can.
(18:46):
So it also means changing yourtone of voice.
You don't want to talk in a waythat isn't you right.
You don't want to just be like,oh well, this and then right.
So like really changing yourtone of voice and like varying
how you actually sound.
Like what I try to do in myspeeches is that I'm not a
(19:07):
person that just talks likemonotone, but I mean, that's
just me.
So I try to take that into myspeeches when I'm talking
normally to people, but justelevate it a little bit, because
that's what keeps your audienceengaged, right.
So you just got to make surethat you're watching how you're
speaking to other people and, um, watching your body language
too, like if you look confident,if you, like, are speaking your
(19:29):
jokes and you're like, oh,that's not that funny.
So you speak it as if it's notthat funny.
That isn't really going to help.
So, just acting like you wrotethe speech, you like your speech
, you're funny, you're going todeliver it like it's funny, this
is yours, no one else's.
And even if you're like, oh,what if they don't like it?
(19:50):
Okay, as long as you like it,that's all that matters.
Honestly, that's really allthat matters.
But that also goes with notlooking like you don't want to
be there, right, because you'rehere for a reason.
You want to be here to speakabout what you're most
passionate about and just reallydelivering yourself as you
(20:10):
would, talking to a normalperson, because, at the end of
the day, that's what you'redoing having a genuine and
honest conversation or telling astory about something that you
really care about.
So, um, yeah, just watchingthose delivery habits.
So that is what I have forduring competition and that is
(20:32):
this last part.
Okay, bear with me.
Okay, so this is for after thecompetition, when you're going
through all the ballots andstuff.
Um, I know we were talking aboutinserting your personality and
into the speech, but aftercompetition, I realized that a
lot of my peers and fellowcompetitors and other people
they'll look at their ballotsand be really discouraged about
(20:55):
what judges have to say to themand be like, okay, well, I don't
.
The judge said that they didn'tlike this part, but that was
more of me into my speech.
So does that mean I have tochange it?
Or like, does this stuff haveto happen?
Or even if coaches give you sometype of advice that you're not
really taking, you don't knowthat you don't have to take
(21:16):
their advice.
Like, if you really don't thinkthat that is something that's
true to you and true to yourself, true to your personality, then
don't take it.
Like you don't always have totake things so seriously.
You don't have to be soovercritical, you don't have to
be so overly critical ofyourself, because at the end of
(21:37):
the day, you're just here toimprove yourself and speak about
what you want to talk about.
So just be aware of that goodand bad advice and really stay
true to yourself.
Be your most authentic self.
So that's what I have for thosethree points on personality.
Lyle Wiley (21:54):
I think that's some really good advice.
I think that I've talked with abunch of people about platform
and how you know it's kind ofdangerous to insert yourself
into stuff because then you'reinvested in a way that that's
the nature of our activity isthat it's competitive, and so
you get ranked and you get itand you get feedback, and that
(22:15):
feedback might be like meant tobe helpful but can be, can be
read in some ways that are youknow, that can kind of make you
feel as though the parts of thespeech that bring up is that
it's important for coaches andjudges to also be aware that,
(22:36):
especially in platform speechesbut I think in all pieces, like
people put parts of themselvesand things, and so the way we
respond to performance and towritten speeches and everything
is pretty it's important to becareful because it becomes
pretty personal, because peoplehave put a lot of themselves
into this.
But then also for competitors,important to know when to
(23:00):
compromise.
And feedback can always behelpful but it doesn't mean you
always take it, it doesn'talways mean that you use it that
you use it Like.
I like your point too about, youknow, thinking about your
audience, and maybe this is notthe audience that's going to be
most receptive to what it is youhave to say, but maybe that the
audience need to hear it themost and maybe that's the whole
(23:22):
point.
So that's, that's some goodstuff.
Some good stuff in there.
Yeah, I like it, thank you.
Have you had moments where youfelt sort of personally attacked
by comments and suggestionsbecause of the personal stuff in
your speeches?
Zcherina Villegas (23:37):
Oh yes, especially when I was doing so
my first year that I did oratorybecause I wrote about skin
bleaching and colorism,specifically within the Asian
community, and I got this oneballot from a judge who was like
, oh well, this isn't real, thisisn't true, because everyone's
(23:58):
trying to look tan like you.
We're already in a point wherethis doesn't exist anymore and I
was just like dang, why did youhave to say that to me?
I mean, I thought it washilarious because I was like
this girl doesn't know what theheck she's talking about.
But sometimes that's just whatyou have to do.
Just realize that.
Okay, I'm not taking that atall, but that's all right
(24:21):
Because you know, I still likewhat I'm talking about, because
I was really scared about whatpeople would say, especially
living in a really white placelike Wyoming, and I didn't want
people to have such negativefeedback, but they needed to
hear it.
Lyle Wiley (24:43):
So they heard it, yeah, and that's a pretty good
example of something that it'sgood that you didn't change,
that you kept because, it wasyours and it was important to
the speech, but also kind of youknow you're informing people
about things that they don'tknow about and maybe they don't
accept right away, so but Idon't know.
That's like kind of thebeautiful thing about what
(25:04):
speech is is we get to advocatefor and inform people about
things that are important.
I do want to hear from you alsolike examples of times or
stories that you've overcomelike spooky obstacles or scary
times in speech that helped youkind of learn.
I think some of the stuff we'retalking about I mean all of
what we talk about a lot oftimes is about like overcoming
(25:25):
difficult things and improvingand dealing with hard stuff.
But do you have any likeinteresting stories about scary
times that, like you've overcomefrom speech and debate?
Zcherina Villegas (25:36):
Oh, so many.
Lyle Wiley (25:38):
Yeah.
Zcherina Villegas (25:40):
I have two in mind, okay.
So the first one that I have iswhen I first joined speech and
debate.
That was scary in itself.
I mean I was looking at allthese people scary in itself.
I mean I was looking at allthese people.
I just walked into this room atmy school and all these people,
they were like congregating anddoing these weird things and
like I was like, okay, yeah, I'mnot doing this, this is way too
(26:03):
scary for me.
And then all of a sudden, Istarted doing it and I got to my
first competition and it was so, so scary.
I was scared and I was like Ifeel weird, like I'm not used to
this.
But sometimes you realize thatyou just have to, like take
risks.
Sometimes that's like just thebest way to overcome it and like
not to just because you'refreaking out and like don't want
(26:25):
to try, it doesn't mean that isa bad thing for you.
Sometimes that's what you need.
You know.
Just facing your fears, that'slike the best way to overcome
them.
And it's like I was so scaredto try something new.
And that is honestly what ledme down the path that I went
down in speech and debate, likeovercoming that pressure to not
(26:51):
be weird and not want to dosomething that I'm not used to,
because at first I was reallyscared and I didn't want to.
I was kind of eyeing this eventcalled Oratory I don't know if
you've heard of it but I waslike, oh, that sounds something
like I might want to do myfreshman year.
But then I was like, but Idon't know anyone, and what if I
have no one in the event thatI'm in and I don't make any
(27:13):
friends and I'm sad and allalone and I don't want to be
here anymore.
So I was like, ok, I'll just dosomething that one of my
friends is doing.
And so I did it.
And I was like, yeah, I don'tthink this is for me.
So then I tried, tried oratorythe next year, and that was took
that risk.
I mean, who knows if I wasgoing to be good at it or not,
(27:40):
but at the end of the day, thatis what helped me love speech
and debate.
Like I love that event and Ilove platform.
It's just always been my thing,you know, and I wish I took
more risks, honestly, in mycareer.
I mean I wish that I could havecompeted in more events and not
let that fear of tryingsomething new, trying something
scary, overcome me.
Like I've always wanted to tryand dabble in some more interp
events I thought.
I always think that those arethe coolest events.
(28:01):
I love watching them and, um, Ijust think that performance is
so cool.
But you know, just try toexplore.
I mean, you're in high school.
There's no better place to trynew things.
So, but that was that was likemy first like moments of scary
in speech and debate.
But I I figured, as you goalong the line, things kind of
(28:25):
get scarier, things get a littlereal and and, um, this is from
this year actually.
Um, I had, uh, like you thinkthat after four years of
competition, you're like, ok, Ishould be good by now.
Right, I'm not scared ofanything.
But even as a four yearcompetitor, or no matter how old
(28:45):
you are, how long you've beencompeting in speech and debate,
you still get those really scarymoments where you're like, oh
my God, what's going to happen?
So I think it was in May,sometime in the spring, I was
competing in two speechcompetitions at the same time on
the same day, like twocompletely different ones.
(29:06):
So I was in last chancequalifier and this was virtual
and I had to do everything overZoom.
But I was also in a scholarshiplike speaking competition, and
that one was in person and thatwas doing that itself was so
scary.
And then so I was competing.
I would compete in person in aroom at one point and then run
(29:30):
back to another room and gocompete and do my speech in
another room and by the end ofthe day the building that I was
using was like, oh, we can'thave you here anymore.
And the last chance competitionwas still going on and I was
like, oh shoot, what the heck amI going to do?
So I was so scared and I waslike, oh, my gosh, it's over for
(29:52):
me, no-transcript.
(30:14):
I was like, okay, where's thenearest Walmart?
Because none of the librariesor anything was open either.
So I so I went to Walmart and Iran to the family bathroom and
I was like, hey, we're ready tocompete.
And it was.
I mean, that's an extremesituation, but it was.
(30:35):
I swear that was the most scarything that has happened all
year.
But sometimes you gotta facethat fear and just do what you
gotta do.
You never know like.
I didn't, definitely did notexpect to be doing some
competition in a Walmart familybathroom, but, but, but I mean,
(30:55):
life excites you every day.
Lyle Wiley (30:59):
Never a dull moment, and, uh, I don't, I mean I
that's probably one of the greatthings that you've taken from
speech.
Debate is just the ability toadapt to all kinds of really
ridiculous scenarios.
Zcherina Villegas (31:14):
Yeah.
Lyle Wiley (31:14):
But yeah, never a dull moment, never a dull moment
.
Are you going to miss all that,though?
Right?
Zcherina Villegas (31:28):
I mean I think that, like I said earlier,
I indulge in the thrill.
I think that the thrill andkind of the scares that I've
gotten through speech and debatehave been more of the like
exciting times in my high schoolcareer and I'm really grateful
for them cool.
Lyle Wiley (31:44):
That's that's cool, yeah, well, uh, we'll revisit
like whether or not this is allworth it in the long run at the
end, but uh but what's what'snext for you, sharina?
Like what?
What's your?
What are your plans outside ofschool now?
Like where are you headed?
Zcherina Villegas (31:58):
all right.
So I'm going to be going tocollege and going to be at the
university of wyoming um, rightnow I'm on the english major
track but I'm hopefully umwanting to add another major and
so I want to double major inEnglish and anthropology and
because I just really I reallylike studying culture and people
(32:20):
and like literature and textsand society I don't know
something that speech and debatehas definitely sparked for me
and even going to doing moreresearch.
I think research has definitelybeen a thing that I've just
always loved and always loveddoing, even just on my own time,
just looking up things and belike, oh, whoa, what's this?
(32:42):
So I think I'd want to be aprofessor when I get older.
I don't know that could change,but I like speaking.
I mean, I like talking to otherpeople and research, love
research, and I'd like to keepstudying those things and just
continue, continue learning andexpanding my knowledge on the
(33:04):
current world that we live inand, yeah, just just go along as
everything comes.
Lyle Wiley (33:09):
It's exciting, Like I'm sure you'll get it figured
out as you as you go, and thatsounds like fun.
I'd like to close out ourinterview with a question.
I've been asking folks aboutwhether or not speech rather die
than speak in front of thepublic, and yet we in the speech
(33:36):
debate community do this on theregular.
So the question is why is itworth it?
Why is it worth all of thatfear and terror?
Zcherina Villegas (33:46):
Well, the thing that got me and got me
really hooked into speech debateis, I don't know, I felt like I
was really lost as a littlefreshman and I was really scared
and I didn't know what to do.
But the community and speechand debate really helped me like
want to keep doing it, and notonly that, I not only found a
community of my own to help meas a person, but I also found
(34:10):
that I was really growing intomyself as a person.
I had always really beeninterested in current events and
things that were happening, butspeech and debate really fueled
that fire and helped me growinto my own person and form my
own opinions and actually knowwhat the heck is going on and it
honestly it really helps yougrow as a person.
(34:30):
Like.
There's so many people that I'veseen that come in and out of
this activity a completelydifferent person and like, like
in their final form I mean notyet, but reaching their final
form of evolution, like somekind of Pokemon or something,
and it's like really cool to seelike even just my sister, um, I
kind of coerced them intojoining speech and debate with
(34:54):
me, but just seeing them growand not being able to talk to
people like the first coupleweeks of high school to all of a
sudden performing a speech tosome random strangers and really
performing it with so much lifein their eyes and really caring
about what they're talkingabout is some of my favorite
things.
So really being able to growinto your own self in my own
skin and feel comfortable andalso just like the life skills
(35:17):
like being able to adapt to somerandom things that happen Like
who would have thought that Iwould be performing in a Walmart
family bathroom?
Or speaking in a room full ofstrangers randomly, or going to
like places like Iowa for funvoluntarily and being able to do
all these weird things Likeit's speech and debate really
(35:40):
helps you overcome challengesthat and build some resilience.
So and I think that no matterwhat fear and anything that may
come your way, ultimately speechand debate is what's worth it.
Lyle Wiley (35:54):
Yeah, thank you for that, sharina, that's lovely.
Thank you so much for being onthe podcast and I'm sure I'll
have you back again soon, right?
Zcherina Villegas (36:03):
Yes, yes Okay .
Lyle Wiley (36:05):
Good.
Thank you so much to Sharinafor stopping by and offering
wisdom here at Camp One Clap.
It's always great to have herhere and I hope to have her back
in the future.
What's going on in theClapocalypse?
Tomorrow, solomon Hendersonwill be back at camp to talk
about overcoming fears andbusting ghosts.
Remember to check out thesocial media challenges on our
socials and we'll see youtomorrow.
Campers, it was interestingworking with the ghost while
(36:28):
planning the podcast.
He mapped out all of his ideasusing ghosted notes.
Yeah, his process was verytransparent For Camp One Clap.
This is Camp Director Wileysigning off.
Well, hey, campers, we've arrived at day 19 here at
Camp One Clap and even thoughwe're stuck in the clapocalypse,
things couldn't be better.
Serena Villegas, cheyenne Eastalum and friend of the podcast,
is here to help guide us through.
I'm your camp director and hostof the One Clap Speech and
Debate podcast, law Wiley.
I hope that camp has been asource of inspiration, learning
(00:30):
and fun for coaches andcompetitors this August.
Quick reminder check the OneClap socials for today's social
media challenge.
And let me tell you a littlebit about today's guest.
Sharina Villegas graduated fromCheyenne East High School this
year after competing for fouryears in speech and debate.
Over the years she tried manyevents, including oratory
(00:52):
expository, big questions,lincoln-douglas debate, congress
, world schools and drama.
She's a state champion inoriginal oratory and a
three-time national qualifier.
Sharina is majoring in Englishat the University of Wyoming and
she's considering a doublemajor qualifier.
Sharina is majoring in Englishat the University of Wyoming and
she's considering a doublemajor in anthropology.
Sharina is here at theClapocalypse to chat about
inserting your personality intoperformance and overcoming fears
(01:14):
in speech and debate.
Here's my interview withSharina in the midst of the
Clapocalypse.
Welcome back to Camp One ClapTwo the Clapocalypse, by the way
, which is pretty scary, butwelcome back, sharina Villegas.
It's so nice to have you backon One Clap.
How are you doing?
Zcherina Villegas (01:33):
It's good.
It's nice to be back.
Thank you for bringing me backto One Clap.
I'm really excited to see whatwe have to talk about today and,
yeah, I'm really excited Season2, clapocalypse.
That's a bit of a tonguetwister there, but I love it.
It's really great.
Lyle Wiley (01:47):
Yeah, you can say it easily, it's really hard.
Well, it does mean that we'regoing to talk about scary stuff
like spooky things, fear, andfirst off, I want to hear from
you what's your favorite scarystory?
Zcherina Villegas (02:02):
It could be a movie or a book or um.
I'm actually not the biggestfan of scary movies but I have
like a very specific taste inthem.
Like my favorite horror movie Iguess right now is get out um,
directed by jordan peele.
I think all of jordan peele'slike works are so good.
I just watched nope.
(02:22):
That was a little bittraumatizing but it was really
good.
And um, I think it's just likethe type of stuff that like the
jump scares and all that.
Oh man, I am not the biggestfan of those, but I love the
thrill.
Lyle Wiley (02:35):
I do love the thrill so jordan peele, I think, is
like kind of a genius of course,the first off I think key and
peel is hilarious some of thebest sketches ever.
I I think, uh, it's, it's ishilarious, some of the best
sketches ever.
I think it's some classic stuffand, of course, very incisive
about race in America.
But I really loved Nope.
I mean, I know it's super weird, but I'm a huge fan of Nope.
(02:56):
I thought that that was areally cool movie in a lot of
ways about movies, but had a lotof really interesting things to
say.
But a good one Get Out is greatas well yeah, I love that movie
.
Zcherina Villegas (03:07):
I thought it was.
It was like a good blend of ofscary and funny and all the
things that I was looking for it.
By the end of it I was like,wow, this is like.
Lyle Wiley (03:16):
This is good, you know yeah, definitely has a lot
of interesting things to say too.
Yeah, some important stuff.
But uh, yeah, I I kind ofdidn't really peg you as the
kind of person who's like big onlike horror uh and scary being
scared uh, but you know, I meanthere's like it's like a degree
like I love indulging in it.
Zcherina Villegas (03:35):
it's just like the aftermath of where I
have to like look around thecorner or run up the stairs and
like sleep with my lights onbecause I just get so scared.
Like I had this whole phase andwhen I was really young on the
horror game franchise FiveNights at Freddy's oh my gosh, I
was stuck on that, but I couldnot go to sleep in my own room
(03:56):
for like a couple months.
Lyle Wiley (03:58):
Wow, that's pretty hardcore, I know, I know.
Well, hopefully you're past allthat as you move on to
different things in your life.
But you know it's okay, we'veall been there and that's why
we're talking about it here,because, you know, in addition
to scary stuff, I want to thinkabout what about, like, if there
(04:18):
was this crazy apocalypticevent and we're all living in
this, like, likepost-apocalyptic wasteland, and
maybe it's like zombies orsomething like that?
Yeah, something out of adystopian like kind of novel,
like what are your chances ofsurvival on a scale of one to 10
?
And like what skills would youbring to the table in a
situation like this?
What do you think?
Zcherina Villegas (04:39):
I would give myself a solid five and myself a
solid five.
And here's why okay.
So I feel like there are thereare two parts, one where I'd be
like, okay, okay, this it's theend of the world, I'm gonna get
through this.
Okay, this is what I'm gonnaget bring with me, this is
what's gonna happen.
I already found a shelter, allthis and that and I'll be like,
(05:00):
okay, I'm doing this.
But then there's also the otherside of me that's just like okay
, zombie, just bite me already.
I don't want to deal with this.
I'm done Like I don't want to.
No, no, thank you.
But I think that if I were togo to the side where, like, I'm
super motivated and I want tosurvive this thing, I think I'm
(05:22):
pretty adaptable.
Of this thing, I think that Ithink I'm pretty adaptable.
I think if I were like stuck inlike a school or like, um, I
don't know, some random place inthe middle of nowhere, I think
I could adapt well, but I mightjust want to end it at the end
because I'm like I don't want todeal with these zombies also,
it depends on what kind they areor like what's happening, I
think I don't know.
That's why I give myself a fivebecause I'm like maybe, but
(05:46):
also maybe not.
Lyle Wiley (05:48):
So, if motivated, a really good chance, if
unmotivated a really bad chance.
Zcherina Villegas (05:58):
Yeah, if I don't feel good that day, maybe
not today.
Maybe not today.
Lyle Wiley (06:02):
Oh yeah, fair enough , I get that.
Um, that said, I will say, likemost speech and debate, folks
don't feel super confident abouttheir chances.
You know, we all, a lot of us,are like, hey well, I'm pretty
good communicator, maybe I couldlike talk my way out of stuff.
But yeah, let's just hope,maybe we can prevent the
apocalypse from happening.
Zcherina Villegas (06:18):
Yeah.
Lyle Wiley (06:27):
That's our best.
Other best chance, probably.
Um well, all of that said,let's talk about some speech and
debate stuff.
This was another really goodseason for you.
You, uh got to go to nationalsthis year and compete and um,
yeah, like other than that, likewhat were some of the
highlights from this year foryou?
What are some of the memoriesthat you made that you're going
to treasure from this year'sspeech and debate experience as
a senior?
Zcherina Villegas (06:44):
well, like you, it was my senior year and
my fourth year competing inspeech and debate, and it was
definitely a crazy one.
It was a roller coaster ofemotions and things.
So many things happened, I meanthroughout every single
tournament and everything thatwould happen throughout the year
.
Me and my senior friends wouldgo to like our underclassmen
friends and be like this is ourlast second tournament of the
(07:07):
year.
Are you guys gonna miss us?
You're gonna miss us so much.
And they'd be like stop, shutup.
So that was really.
That was really fun, but alsojust like making memories with,
uh, with my friends was probablythe highlights of this year
being able to compete witheveryone and really share these
(07:29):
last moments of my high schoolcareer in an activity that I
really care about and I think atNationals, that was definitely
one of my favorite memories.
It was, I think, the first dayof breaks for supplementals and
not breaks, it was just thefirst day of breaks yeah, the
(07:51):
first day of breaks and all ofour friends we just kind of
gathered around and we werestaying in a dorm so we went out
to their common area andoutside and all of us and all of
our team we just kind of hungout and shared some stories and
memories and like hugged andcried it was, it was.
It was definitely one of myfavorite memories at nationals
(08:13):
and just overall in speech anddebate.
Lyle Wiley (08:16):
It was kind of cool.
You and I got to hang out alittle bit at nationals.
That was pretty fun.
I enjoyed hanging out with youand Andrew.
That was great.
It was a highlight.
What's something like youuniquely learned about yourself
or the activity this year inparticular?
What do you?
Zcherina Villegas (08:29):
think I honestly I feel like I could say
this for every single year, butit's like how to overcome like
disappointment and failure andhow to use that and feel
yourself to want to do better orto move forward, because I know
that people can really getcaught up on one small thing or
things that happen throughoutthe season and really have it
(08:52):
like drag them down or have themjust not feel great about
themselves, and I think thatusing those failures and using
those things that have broughtme down have helped me build
some like resilience throughoutthe season and just be like okay
, I do love speech and debate alot and it's a big part of my
life, but also it isn't my life.
(09:13):
So, yeah, just something that Ithink is important, especially
when speech and debate has beenthe thing that I've really
grasped onto throughout thesefour years.
Lyle Wiley (09:26):
Yeah, finding that balance between allowing it to
be an important thing in yourlife but not taking over to the
point that it's an unhealthything.
Yeah, the relativity of likesuccess and failure is important
to keep in mind.
If you've worked hard onsomething and you've put
yourself into stuff and you haveshared something that's special
(09:46):
to you with a bunch of people,then in a lot of ways it's
successful, no matter what therubric is that you're trying to
use.
Zcherina Villegas (09:52):
So that's pretty important.
Lyle Wiley (09:54):
I want to take a moment for a ghostly interlude.
Are you a ghost person?
Do you believe in ghosts?
Do you believe in theparanormal?
Why or why not?
Zcherina Villegas (10:04):
I think yes, because why not?
I mean, why isn't there?
Why wouldn't you believe in theparanormal?
There's so much that we don'tknow about this world that you
can't outrule the paranormalfrom actually existing.
I feel like I don't even knowanything From actually existing.
I feel like I don't even knowanything.
(10:25):
I feel like there's so muchthat I don't know about the
world and anyone doesn't knowabout the world that there's no
way that ghosts don't exist.
But maybe we're just notThinking about it in the right
way.
There has to be, like some form.
There's no way that it doesn'texist, no way.
Lyle Wiley (10:42):
So you're going with the?
We know so little that there'sgot to be something out there.
We might not understand it andI don't really know what it is,
but there's something.
I think that's probablyprobably pretty smart and safe
response.
I like it well.
You don't want to make the ghostmad on your side so, uh, one of
(11:06):
the things I wanted to talk toyou about moving back into the
speech and debate world, which Imean in its own way, is kind of
like about horror, ghosty,scary things, but yeah, but I
thought it would be interestingfor us to talk about keeping
your personality in yourspeeches and in your pieces and
in whatever it is that you do,even, I mean, I think even in
debates, it could be reallyimportant to keep your
(11:26):
personality so, and you havelike a really great, awesome
personality and you've done agood job of integrating who you
are into your speeches.
So I was just, you know, Iwanted to kind of like see what
your thoughts were on how to,how to keep yourself and insert
yourself into your speeches inan authentic way, you know and
insert yourself into yourspeeches in an authentic way.
Zcherina Villegas (11:47):
You know, yeah for sure, okay.
So when it comes to personalityin speeches, I have this like
in three sections.
So this is for beforecompetition, during competition
and after competition.
So I think that the best way toinsert your personality is to
be your most authentic self.
I know that for a lot of peopleit's really easy to just take
(12:07):
other people's personality orsee what they do well in their
speech and take what they haveand use it in yours because
they're doing good.
So then why won't that make medo well as well?
But I think that that's where alot of people fail at that part
, because they're just trying tobe someone that they're not.
So I think that that's where alot of people fail at that part,
because they're just trying tobe someone that they're not.
So I think that being your mostauthentic self is going to help
(12:29):
you, like, bring out that mostnatural and authentic
personality in your speeches,because overall, that's what
judges are looking at.
They're not only looking at thecontent of your speeches, but
also how you present yourself,and if it's obvious that you're
not being yourself or you kindof cringe every once in a while
you tell like some joke, then Idon't think that that is the
(12:50):
best way to insert thatpersonality, because it isn't
yours, because what you'relooking at is your personality,
not some other person's, butgoing into more of that content
stuff.
So this is before competition.
So when it comes to putting inyour content, like writing down
what you actually have to say,this is more so for platform
people.
So, having a lot of passion, Ithink about what you care about
(13:12):
and I said this in my episodelast year, I'm pretty sure but
really caring about what you'redoing and fueling that passion
is going to help you bring outthat personality in your
speeches.
Because if you're talking about, like I don't know, the color
pink and your favorite color isred, and you're like, ok, well,
I, I like pink, it's not goingto, you're not going to actually
(13:33):
feel like you like what you'retalking about, like you want to
talk about the color red, sotalk about the color red.
I mean, that's obviously somerandom example, so I don't know
if you want to use that, but youknow, just actually be
passionate about what you'retalking about.
That way your personality is canbleed through your speeches a
(13:54):
lot more naturally, and thatalso has to come with inserting
different stories.
So, whether that be your own orsome other people's, stories
that really connect with you andresonate with you as a person,
I mean if they resonate withother people.
And if they resonate with you,then obviously they're going to
resonate with other people,depending on what you want to
(14:15):
talk about.
So something that you reallyconnect to, and not to say that
just because something seemstraumatic or because it's oh my
gosh, this is so shocking, soobviously it has to do well,
like that's usually the thingthat people think about oh, this
is just so shocking that it'sobviously going to do well.
It's obviously going to do well.
(14:40):
That's not always the case,because that isn't what is the
most authentic about your piece,right, you're just doing it
because you think it'll do well,not because it actually hits a
part of your heart.
You know, not just kind oftrauma dumping, but really
caring about those stories andbeing authentic.
And this also goes with a lot ofplatform too, but also interp.
(15:01):
Yeah, I think it goes for anyand all speech kids, but on my
team we talk about the three H'shead, heart and humor.
As long as you have those threein your speeches and you're
really clocking them down, thenI think that would be like if
you find something that reallyhits you in your personality,
that you care about, like that'sheart, right, and then head,
(15:22):
something that you really careabout.
That's that part.
And then humor, just thingsthat you actually find funny.
So it comes with like addingjokes and things that'll really
engage your audience but alsokeeps you engaged, because you
don't want to be bored as aspeaker, especially because
you're going to be speaking somany times during a tournament.
You don't want to just be like,oh, that joke, that thing, I
(15:46):
have to say I mean my coach saidit was good, so I guess it's
fine, but I don't really like it.
So like you have to really takethat into account, because if
that's not you, then it's notyou Right.
So then that also goes with notonly knowing yourself but also
knowing your audience.
Because, yes, you may want totalk about all these different
things that really that reallygets you and like, get your
(16:08):
humor, but also you have to knowyour audience and knows what'll
know what'll get them.
Yes, insert your personality,but also there has to be a level
of professionalism to it.
You don't want to go all outand then have a judge be like,
okay, let me take a step back.
What's going on here?
This is not really what I wantto hear, this is not my speech.
(16:32):
So just really knowing what typeof people that you're speaking
to and especially in Wyoming youhave to kind of watch out to
what you're speaking to.
But do not limit yourself andbe like, oh, because this judge
might be homophobic or somethinglike that, I shouldn't talk
about this, even though I reallycare about it.
I'm not saying don't talk aboutit, but really just know what
(16:54):
is good for you to talk about.
Like you might all of a suddenget this really young judge that
really understands you and getsyour piece, but you also might
get someone that's a little bitdifferent and doesn't exactly
match your views, but alsorealize that that is maybe who
you want to be speaking to andcater your speech to that
audience.
So then you can now get upthose ranks and really show
(17:16):
people what you want to talkabout.
But moving forward from that,that's for content and before
competition, when you're writingdown all your speeches and
you're integrating thatpersonality, and now this is for
a delivery.
So you've got everythingwritten down, you know what you
want to say, you got it allmemorized and you're in
competition.
You're ready to go up and let'ssay that someone has an amazing
(17:40):
speech, an amazing topic, allthese jokes that are so hard
hitting and all this stuff thatsomeone really wants to listen
to, but their delivery is flat.
So by delivery it's like bodylanguage and tone of voice and
things like that.
Sometimes, I think especiallyfor speech, well, even sometimes
debate to honestly, everythingis performance.
(18:03):
You have to honestly, reallykeep that up, because you may
have gone through four roundsthroughout the day, or even
three rounds.
However, however many rounds,you're feeling kind of tired and
you're like, oh, I don't wantto do the speech anymore.
Many rounds and you're feelingkind of tired and you're like,
oh, I don't want to do thespeech anymore.
So you go into your next round.
You're like, okay, I'm justgonna just do whatever because
I'm tired.
You have to really watch whatyou, how you speak and how you
(18:25):
present yourself and your bodylanguage and everything that
happens in that room, because,honestly, that is how that is.
Those are the things thatreally help the competitors in
that room.
So that is, those are thethings that really help the
competitors in that room, likepresenting yourself in a way
that's like okay, I'm tired, Idon't really I don't, I really
want to go to bed, but I'm goingto deliver this speech the best
that I can.
(18:46):
So it also means changing yourtone of voice.
You don't want to talk in a waythat isn't you right.
You don't want to just be like,oh well, this and then right.
So like really changing yourtone of voice and like varying
how you actually sound.
Like what I try to do in myspeeches is that I'm not a
(19:07):
person that just talks likemonotone, but I mean, that's
just me.
So I try to take that into myspeeches when I'm talking
normally to people, but justelevate it a little bit, because
that's what keeps your audienceengaged, right.
So you just got to make surethat you're watching how you're
speaking to other people and, um, watching your body language
too, like if you look confident,if you, like, are speaking your
(19:29):
jokes and you're like, oh,that's not that funny.
So you speak it as if it's notthat funny.
That isn't really going to help.
So, just acting like you wrotethe speech, you like your speech
, you're funny, you're going todeliver it like it's funny, this
is yours, no one else's.
And even if you're like, oh,what if they don't like it?
(19:50):
Okay, as long as you like it,that's all that matters.
Honestly, that's really allthat matters.
But that also goes with notlooking like you don't want to
be there, right, because you'rehere for a reason.
You want to be here to speakabout what you're most
passionate about and just reallydelivering yourself as you
(20:10):
would, talking to a normalperson, because, at the end of
the day, that's what you'redoing having a genuine and
honest conversation or telling astory about something that you
really care about.
So, um, yeah, just watchingthose delivery habits.
So that is what I have forduring competition and that is
(20:32):
this last part.
Okay, bear with me.
Okay, so this is for after thecompetition, when you're going
through all the ballots andstuff.
Um, I know we were talking aboutinserting your personality and
into the speech, but aftercompetition, I realized that a
lot of my peers and fellowcompetitors and other people
they'll look at their ballotsand be really discouraged about
(20:55):
what judges have to say to themand be like, okay, well, I don't
.
The judge said that they didn'tlike this part, but that was
more of me into my speech.
So does that mean I have tochange it?
Or like, does this stuff haveto happen?
Or even if coaches give you sometype of advice that you're not
really taking, you don't knowthat you don't have to take
(21:16):
their advice.
Like, if you really don't thinkthat that is something that's
true to you and true to yourself, true to your personality, then
don't take it.
Like you don't always have totake things so seriously.
You don't have to be soovercritical, you don't have to
be so overly critical ofyourself, because at the end of
(21:37):
the day, you're just here toimprove yourself and speak about
what you want to talk about.
So just be aware of that goodand bad advice and really stay
true to yourself.
Be your most authentic self.
So that's what I have for thosethree points on personality.
Lyle Wiley (21:54):
I think that's some really good advice.
I think that I've talked with abunch of people about platform
and how you know it's kind ofdangerous to insert yourself
into stuff because then you'reinvested in a way that that's
the nature of our activity isthat it's competitive, and so
you get ranked and you get itand you get feedback, and that
(22:15):
feedback might be like meant tobe helpful but can be, can be
read in some ways that are youknow, that can kind of make you
feel as though the parts of thespeech that bring up is that
it's important for coaches andjudges to also be aware that,
(22:36):
especially in platform speechesbut I think in all pieces, like
people put parts of themselvesand things, and so the way we
respond to performance and towritten speeches and everything
is pretty it's important to becareful because it becomes
pretty personal, because peoplehave put a lot of themselves
into this.
But then also for competitors,important to know when to
(23:00):
compromise.
And feedback can always behelpful but it doesn't mean you
always take it, it doesn'talways mean that you use it that
you use it Like.
I like your point too about, youknow, thinking about your
audience, and maybe this is notthe audience that's going to be
most receptive to what it is youhave to say, but maybe that the
audience need to hear it themost and maybe that's the whole
(23:22):
point.
So that's, that's some goodstuff.
Some good stuff in there.
Yeah, I like it, thank you.
Have you had moments where youfelt sort of personally attacked
by comments and suggestionsbecause of the personal stuff in
your speeches?
Zcherina Villegas (23:37):
Oh yes, especially when I was doing so
my first year that I did oratorybecause I wrote about skin
bleaching and colorism,specifically within the Asian
community, and I got this oneballot from a judge who was like
, oh well, this isn't real, thisisn't true, because everyone's
(23:58):
trying to look tan like you.
We're already in a point wherethis doesn't exist anymore and I
was just like dang, why did youhave to say that to me?
I mean, I thought it washilarious because I was like
this girl doesn't know what theheck she's talking about.
But sometimes that's just whatyou have to do.
Just realize that.
Okay, I'm not taking that atall, but that's all right
(24:21):
Because you know, I still likewhat I'm talking about, because
I was really scared about whatpeople would say, especially
living in a really white placelike Wyoming, and I didn't want
people to have such negativefeedback, but they needed to
hear it.
Lyle Wiley (24:43):
So they heard it, yeah, and that's a pretty good
example of something that it'sgood that you didn't change,
that you kept because, it wasyours and it was important to
the speech, but also kind of youknow you're informing people
about things that they don'tknow about and maybe they don't
accept right away, so but Idon't know.
That's like kind of thebeautiful thing about what
(25:04):
speech is is we get to advocatefor and inform people about
things that are important.
I do want to hear from you alsolike examples of times or
stories that you've overcomelike spooky obstacles or scary
times in speech that helped youkind of learn.
I think some of the stuff we'retalking about I mean all of
what we talk about a lot oftimes is about like overcoming
(25:25):
difficult things and improvingand dealing with hard stuff.
But do you have any likeinteresting stories about scary
times that, like you've overcomefrom speech and debate?
Zcherina Villegas (25:36):
Oh, so many.
Lyle Wiley (25:38):
Yeah.
Zcherina Villegas (25:40):
I have two in mind, okay.
So the first one that I have iswhen I first joined speech and
debate.
That was scary in itself.
I mean I was looking at allthese people scary in itself.
I mean I was looking at allthese people.
I just walked into this room atmy school and all these people,
they were like congregating anddoing these weird things and
like I was like, okay, yeah, I'mnot doing this, this is way too
(26:03):
scary for me.
And then all of a sudden, Istarted doing it and I got to my
first competition and it was so, so scary.
I was scared and I was like Ifeel weird, like I'm not used to
this.
But sometimes you realize thatyou just have to, like take
risks.
Sometimes that's like just thebest way to overcome it and like
not to just because you'refreaking out and like don't want
(26:25):
to try, it doesn't mean that isa bad thing for you.
Sometimes that's what you need.
You know.
Just facing your fears, that'slike the best way to overcome
them.
And it's like I was so scaredto try something new.
And that is honestly what ledme down the path that I went
down in speech and debate, likeovercoming that pressure to not
(26:51):
be weird and not want to dosomething that I'm not used to,
because at first I was reallyscared and I didn't want to.
I was kind of eyeing this eventcalled Oratory I don't know if
you've heard of it but I waslike, oh, that sounds something
like I might want to do myfreshman year.
But then I was like, but Idon't know anyone, and what if I
have no one in the event thatI'm in and I don't make any
(27:13):
friends and I'm sad and allalone and I don't want to be
here anymore.
So I was like, ok, I'll just dosomething that one of my
friends is doing.
And so I did it.
And I was like, yeah, I don'tthink this is for me.
So then I tried, tried oratorythe next year, and that was took
that risk.
I mean, who knows if I wasgoing to be good at it or not,
(27:40):
but at the end of the day, thatis what helped me love speech
and debate.
Like I love that event and Ilove platform.
It's just always been my thing,you know, and I wish I took
more risks, honestly, in mycareer.
I mean I wish that I could havecompeted in more events and not
let that fear of tryingsomething new, trying something
scary, overcome me.
Like I've always wanted to tryand dabble in some more interp
events I thought.
I always think that those arethe coolest events.
(28:01):
I love watching them and, um, Ijust think that performance is
so cool.
But you know, just try toexplore.
I mean, you're in high school.
There's no better place to trynew things.
So, but that was that was likemy first like moments of scary
in speech and debate.
But I I figured, as you goalong the line, things kind of
(28:25):
get scarier, things get a littlereal and and, um, this is from
this year actually.
Um, I had, uh, like you thinkthat after four years of
competition, you're like, ok, Ishould be good by now.
Right, I'm not scared ofanything.
But even as a four yearcompetitor, or no matter how old
(28:45):
you are, how long you've beencompeting in speech and debate,
you still get those really scarymoments where you're like, oh
my God, what's going to happen?
So I think it was in May,sometime in the spring, I was
competing in two speechcompetitions at the same time on
the same day, like twocompletely different ones.
(29:06):
So I was in last chancequalifier and this was virtual
and I had to do everything overZoom.
But I was also in a scholarshiplike speaking competition, and
that one was in person and thatwas doing that itself was so
scary.
And then so I was competing.
I would compete in person in aroom at one point and then run
(29:30):
back to another room and gocompete and do my speech in
another room and by the end ofthe day the building that I was
using was like, oh, we can'thave you here anymore.
And the last chance competitionwas still going on and I was
like, oh shoot, what the heck amI going to do?
So I was so scared and I waslike, oh, my gosh, it's over for
(29:52):
me, no-transcript.
(30:14):
I was like, okay, where's thenearest Walmart?
Because none of the librariesor anything was open either.
So I so I went to Walmart and Iran to the family bathroom and
I was like, hey, we're ready tocompete.
And it was.
I mean, that's an extremesituation, but it was.
(30:35):
I swear that was the most scarything that has happened all
year.
But sometimes you gotta facethat fear and just do what you
gotta do.
You never know like.
I didn't, definitely did notexpect to be doing some
competition in a Walmart familybathroom, but, but, but I mean,
(30:55):
life excites you every day.
Lyle Wiley (30:59):
Never a dull moment, and, uh, I don't, I mean I
that's probably one of the greatthings that you've taken from
speech.
Debate is just the ability toadapt to all kinds of really
ridiculous scenarios.
Zcherina Villegas (31:14):
Yeah.
Lyle Wiley (31:14):
But yeah, never a dull moment, never a dull moment
.
Are you going to miss all that,though?
Right?
Zcherina Villegas (31:28):
I mean I think that, like I said earlier,
I indulge in the thrill.
I think that the thrill andkind of the scares that I've
gotten through speech and debatehave been more of the like
exciting times in my high schoolcareer and I'm really grateful
for them cool.
Lyle Wiley (31:44):
That's that's cool, yeah, well, uh, we'll revisit
like whether or not this is allworth it in the long run at the
end, but uh but what's what'snext for you, sharina?
Like what?
What's your?
What are your plans outside ofschool now?
Like where are you headed?
Zcherina Villegas (31:58):
all right.
So I'm going to be going tocollege and going to be at the
university of wyoming um, rightnow I'm on the english major
track but I'm hopefully umwanting to add another major and
so I want to double major inEnglish and anthropology and
because I just really I reallylike studying culture and people
(32:20):
and like literature and textsand society I don't know
something that speech and debatehas definitely sparked for me
and even going to doing moreresearch.
I think research has definitelybeen a thing that I've just
always loved and always loveddoing, even just on my own time,
just looking up things and belike, oh, whoa, what's this?
(32:42):
So I think I'd want to be aprofessor when I get older.
I don't know that could change,but I like speaking.
I mean, I like talking to otherpeople and research, love
research, and I'd like to keepstudying those things and just
continue, continue learning andexpanding my knowledge on the
(33:04):
current world that we live inand, yeah, just just go along as
everything comes.
Lyle Wiley (33:09):
It's exciting, Like I'm sure you'll get it figured
out as you as you go, and thatsounds like fun.
I'd like to close out ourinterview with a question.
I've been asking folks aboutwhether or not speech rather die
than speak in front of thepublic, and yet we in the speech
(33:36):
debate community do this on theregular.
So the question is why is itworth it?
Why is it worth all of thatfear and terror?
Zcherina Villegas (33:46):
Well, the thing that got me and got me
really hooked into speech debateis, I don't know, I felt like I
was really lost as a littlefreshman and I was really scared
and I didn't know what to do.
But the community and speechand debate really helped me like
want to keep doing it, and notonly that, I not only found a
community of my own to help meas a person, but I also found
(34:10):
that I was really growing intomyself as a person.
I had always really beeninterested in current events and
things that were happening, butspeech and debate really fueled
that fire and helped me growinto my own person and form my
own opinions and actually knowwhat the heck is going on and it
honestly it really helps yougrow as a person.
(34:30):
Like.
There's so many people that I'veseen that come in and out of
this activity a completelydifferent person and like, like
in their final form I mean notyet, but reaching their final
form of evolution, like somekind of Pokemon or something,
and it's like really cool to seelike even just my sister, um, I
kind of coerced them intojoining speech and debate with
(34:54):
me, but just seeing them growand not being able to talk to
people like the first coupleweeks of high school to all of a
sudden performing a speech tosome random strangers and really
performing it with so much lifein their eyes and really caring
about what they're talkingabout is some of my favorite
things.
So really being able to growinto your own self in my own
skin and feel comfortable andalso just like the life skills
(35:17):
like being able to adapt to somerandom things that happen Like
who would have thought that Iwould be performing in a Walmart
family bathroom?
Or speaking in a room full ofstrangers randomly, or going to
like places like Iowa for funvoluntarily and being able to do
all these weird things Likeit's speech and debate really
(35:40):
helps you overcome challengesthat and build some resilience.
So and I think that no matterwhat fear and anything that may
come your way, ultimately speechand debate is what's worth it.
Lyle Wiley (35:54):
Yeah, thank you for that, sharina, that's lovely.
Thank you so much for being onthe podcast and I'm sure I'll
have you back again soon, right?
Zcherina Villegas (36:03):
Yes, yes Okay .
Lyle Wiley (36:05):
Good.
Thank you so much to Sharinafor stopping by and offering
wisdom here at Camp One Clap.
It's always great to have herhere and I hope to have her back
in the future.
What's going on in theClapocalypse?
Tomorrow, solomon Hendersonwill be back at camp to talk
about overcoming fears andbusting ghosts.
Remember to check out thesocial media challenges on our
socials and we'll see youtomorrow.
Campers, it was interestingworking with the ghost while
(36:28):
planning the podcast.
He mapped out all of his ideasusing ghosted notes.
Yeah, his process was verytransparent For Camp One Clap.
This is Camp Director Wileysigning off.
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