Many would term dedication as the blood, sweat and tears out in the long, baking sun. And while these students may appear conspicuous at CHS, an underground movement stuns outsiders with its constant dedication.

The speech and debate team at Carlsbad rose from its place as an extracurricular footnote to an expressive lifestyle. Its practice room houses various members every day at lunch and after school, depending on their event.

“Every day is a different event; practice is a big thing and it keeps us on our game,” junior Ashwin Rao said.

The most recent exhibition of this dedication occurred at the Jan. 11-12 competition at Arizona State when the team fought a spreading stomach bug on the suffocating bus ride to a competition. After the sickness hit some so hard they had to forfeit, a third place finish was more than desirable.

“For the most part, we did what we could and we got third, so it went well,” junior Nik Sharma said.

Until State qualifications in March, the team will participate  in league competitions, but the team will not stop training.

“In order to compete, we have to practice constantly, but in order to win, we have to practice hard all the time,” Sharma said.

To go on hiatus would ruin debaters’ strength and endanger each of their chances on reaching the ultimate goal of state finals.

Though some may accuse speech and debate members of padding college application, mistaking dedication for a quick fix to a college acceptance as an intelligent extracurricular, students compete with the same motivation as any other sport–for the love of the game.

Similar to any other athlete, the speech and debate team lets its passion do the talking.

“I learned to love competing for what it was was rather than what it could do for me,” Rao said.