COMMUNITY
Alumni Outreach IN FOCUS
by David Weston
D
ebate becomes a home for many high school students. That home is not determined by wins and losses, but rather by the community built over the course of time. Alumni are an important part of that community. It is important for current students to see that debate extends beyond the walls of the school. Even after students graduate, they continue to reflect on their debate experiences. Creating interactions with alumni lets our current students know they are becoming a part of something bigger. It also shows our alumni that we still value them. Social media is a fantastic tool for generating alumni interest. Facebook groups for alumni allow coaches to post updates about the team, pictures of students, and generate buzz for a program. Once a few people join, they can invite other alums they know and the word spreads. It also provides a platform to ask for alumni to return as judges. Since programs constantly need critics, reaching out to all of your alums at once can increase the chance for them to give back. Additionally, Twitter is an easy way to promote your program to alumni. Tweeting pictures, updates, and getting your school to repost them showcases the program to the community. With the current President creating a surge of interest in tweets, we might as well make use of this platform as a way to connect with former debaters. Nothing beats an in-person experience. My former debate coach, Father Raymond Hahn, gathered
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alumni interest long before social media. He would host an annual alumni gathering during winter break where graduates young and old could get together in one place, enjoy some food, and share debate stories. Since former debaters came home to visit family or were on college break, a lot of alums were able to attend. Some university programs have done similar events over homecoming weekend.
“Creating interactions with alumni lets our current students know they are becoming a part of something bigger... This year, I asked my alums to send me a pennant of their university to show where debate has taken them.” Alums return to the university, meet the current debaters, check out new technology, and then head to the weekend’s football game together. I would imagine that this type of event could be adapted for high schools as well. Some schools maintain relations with alums, but don’t target your former debaters. Communications directors, outreach coordinators, or alumni relations personnel can
be valuable in assisting with any endeavor. Tapping into those resources can help build your alumni base. In some instances, schools maintain alumni magazines that are mailed out to former students. These communications administrators can include blurbs about the debate program, calls to reach out to exdebaters, or provide you with sections inviting alums to consider their debate experience. Do not hesitate to reach out to these individuals at your school! They are often ready, willing, and able to help you because it is in their interest as much as it is yours. Finally, for new coaches, it can be very difficult to break into the alumni ranks. You might not have contact information, preexisting relationships, or the time/energy to build an alumni base. It is never too late to start! I make a conscious effort to talk to my current students about what it means to be a part of the debate community. We talk about how our program needs them to give back, how they can influence the next class of debaters, and why younger students need to see them even after they’ve donned the cap and gown. Planting the seed with current students early builds a momentum that will eventually pay off. This year, I asked my alums to send me a pennant of their university to show where debate has taken them. Those pennants are going up on a wall in our classroom. While it is a simple gesture, it is a visible representation that brings a part of that alum back into our debate classroom. In a sense, it is bringing a part of them back home. David Weston is a co-head debate coach at New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois, where students participate in Congressional, Lincoln-Douglas, Policy, and Public Forum Debate. He teaches in the Media, Speech, and Theatre Department and serves as a freshman adviser. David is an executive board member of the National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA) and president of the Illinois Debate Coaches Association.