Mrs. Brasher's "Mrs. Brasher"

By Gwen Carroll Nov. 9, 2023

Well-known for her passion for speech and debate, Gay Brasher, Visual Performing Arts Department, is a much-beloved figure of the school’s Speech & Debate team.

Brasher had her start in speech and debate in high school when she gave a speech at an academic decathlon, but her affinity for public speaking started long before. Brasher loved to speak throughout her childhood—and for this, she was both punished for speaking too much in school and asked to appear as a student representative for her high school. Brasher committed to University of Louisiana at Lafayette: A small college known for the strength of its debate team.

“Small colleges are more personalized. It was also my opportunity to get to know some excellent professors, such as Roy Murphy,” Brasher said.

Murphy, who Brasher affectionately refers to as “Prof,” quickly became Brasher’s and many of her classmates’ favorite professor. She recalled a gathering between her college classmates, in which every single graduate spoke fondly of his memory.

“He was the best professor I have ever had. He created such a welcoming atmosphere and always took time out of his day to explain material to us and help us go over our performances,” Brasher said.

She now follows in his footsteps as the school’s Speech & Debate coach, spending her mornings organizing community events and her afternoons honing the team’s skills to perfection. Brasher laments the fact that she no longer holds the title of “teacher,” but with her newfound free time, she is now able to engage in a wider variety of speech and debate related activities.

“I love seeing my students grow to love Speech & Debate. Whether they walk in confident or extremely shy, I can see them change over the years—anything from the way they carry themselves to how they declare their love of Speech & Debate. Public speaking is the number one fear in the U.S., yet so many of even the most anxious students come to call it fun—that is no small achievement,” Brasher said.

As a coach, Brasher still gets to watch over her students and foster their improvement. Although she is no longer head coach, she rests easy knowing that the Speech & Debate team is left in the capable hands of other coaches, listing Priya Garcia, English Department, and Stacy Fernandez, Special Education Department, as examples.

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About the contributor

Gwen Carroll

page editor

Gwen Carroll is a junior and the Page Editor for Community News and Feature School. She enjoys playing rhythm games in her free time. Her favorite subject is English and is interested in psychology and law.