2022 Board Election
Renee Motter
Adam Jacobi
Air Academy High School Colorado
Wisconsin High School Forensic Association Wisconsin
Now, more than ever, I believe YOU matter; what YOU do matters; YOUR voice matters; the voices of your STUDENTS matter. Our world is changing. New words like global pandemic, virtual tournaments, and online instruction have become part of life. In the wake of so many wrongs, the beginnings of new attitudes and activism are bringing changes so desperately needed. Amid all of this, what we do STILL matters because this activity teaches us all to channel our voices to make a difference in our world, and our world needs those voices. I am so proud to be part of a community that works tirelessly to preserve, protect, and propel voices to the next level, even in these unprecedented times. I’m so honored to do my part to support and amplify our community’s diverse voices. During my term on the board, I’ve continued to work on curriculum and presentations for students and coaches as co-chair of the NSDA teacher/coach standards committee. Additionally, I’ve sat on the PF committee and the judge committee, as well as serving on board sub-committees as co-chair of the Rules Revision and Evaluation and as a member of Internal Affairs. I’m proud that in my years on the board, we brainstormed, questioned, and debated what is best for the activity, its students and coaches. We’ve begun revising rules to allow for voices that are more inclusive of all populations as well as opening publication standards to ensure inclusion of diverse voices. During the pandemic, I’m proud that our board worked to give staff the resources and support to first establish the precedence for online tournaments and then to host the largest online tournament in the nation. While we have done a lot in my four years on the board, there is more to do, more that I’d like to be a part of, more that needs to change so the voices of our community are better cultivated and amplified. As a coach, I see you; I am you. I’ve seen (and done) what you have done for your students these last years, the lengths to which you’ve gone to keep them engaged and give them a voice because you know our world needs their voices. Because I believe I can do more as a board member to help amplify the voices of our students and coaches, I ask for your vote in this election.
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ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022
I respectfully ask for your support of my reelection to the NSDA Board. Starting as an urban public middle school participant in 1989 and through my 25-year career as a speech and debate educator, this activity inspires me through how it builds confidence and capacity for success. I have coached the spectrum of speech and debate events; age levels, from middle through university; and schools, both urban and rural, public and private, and in the U.S. and internationally. As a coach, my priority is to understand the needs of Generation Z students, and challenges they face in our current society. The last few years have been incredibly challenging. Even before the pandemic, we speech and debate educators discussed how we felt isolated, where colleague teachers and administrators in our schools never quite understood what we do. Yet, over the past two years we connected with each other, we supported our activity with new technology, and we inspired our students to find different approaches to performing virtually. As we look ahead, we must focus on rebuilding momentum, recruitment, and capacity for in-person contests, while determining what ongoing role virtual contests play in fostering access. During my first term on the Board, the most profound experience I had was learning from Glenn Singleton’s Courageous Conversations: Beyond Diversity workshop, where various stakeholders engaged in discussions of how to make speech and debate a place where more students – and the adults who support them – could feel they belong. I carry this lens to my analysis of every decision we approach. As a white male, I understand how important it is to seek perspectives of those whose lived experiences differ from mine. As a queer-identifying person, I understand speech and debate has been a haven for LGBTQ+ people to communicate authentically. Supporting this safe space saves lives. My advocacy on the Board has focused on consistency and transparency, including a more deliberative rules change process; stronger positioning of speech and debate’s benefits with external audiences; and decisions rooted in pedagogical objectives underlying our events, and increased middle school outreach. I believe the following priorities are critical for NSDA: (1) centering equity, justice, accessibility, and belonging; (2) fostering a community of integrity and respect; (3) ensuring transparency in decision-making; (4) bringing access to more programs and geographic areas; (5) promoting mental health and wellness; and (6) advocating research-based pedagogical benefits. Learn more: www.adamjacobi.com.