Gilmour Academy - Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular Activities

Gilmour offers many extracurricular activities in the fields of art and music, forensics, journalism, service, and sports. The school's Speech and Debate Team is ranked in the top one percent of the National Forensics League and has won the Northern Ohio District Championship in the Ohio High School Speech League for 20 consecutive years. Gilmour orators have represented Northeast Ohio six out of the last seven years at the state level at the Sons of the American Revolution Oratorical Contest, and three students have finished in the top three positions nationally. Gilmour's Four Person Policy Debate Team won the State Championship in 2001 and 2003, and took second in Ohio in 2007. Speech and Debate alumni have had much success at the college level and beyond, including winning the National Debate Championship in Washington D.C. in 2009. Gilmour's Academic Challenge Team has competed in the finals on WEWS NewsChannel 5 for two out of the last three years and were champions in 2007. The Academy's Drama Club was invited twice to perform at the American High School Theater Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has earned a Superior Rating for 13 consecutive years from the Ohio Theater Alliance. Gilmour now Boasts a Pep Band that plays at all Gilmour football games and Gilmour Boys basketball games. The program started in the Fall of 2006 and now has a full line of Yamaha Snare and Bass drums. The program is advised by musical director David Kilkenny who has been at Gilmour since Fall of 2005. The Pep Band is offered to all students 7th grade to 12th grade. "It's a fun time and it adds a great dynamic to the football games and basketball games at GA," says one Gilmour Student, "It's something that hasn't been done at the Academy in years." In 2006 a Teenage Republicans club was started at Gilmour, known informally as "TARS".