2023 April/May Rostrum

My mindset has shifted to quickly think on my feet and not be afraid to speak up when I am in doubt. Speech and debate has made me realize how I want to conduct myself in the world.”

— Haylei Redhouse (‘25), Navajo Preparatory School, New Mexico

FINDING PURPOSE

How coaches, students, and alumni use speech and debate to find purpose and drive impact

Thank you to all of the students and coaches who joined us this past summer for the 29th Annual UT National Institute in Forensics. The UTNIF continues to be one of the largest and most accomplished summer forensic programs in the country. Just a few reasons why our students keep coming back year after year: incomparable education, superior resources, unmatched faculty, reasonable rates, tremendous alumni, and the background of the University of Texas at Austin.

www.utspeech.net

www.utdebatecamp.com

Public Forum: June 20-July 3

Lincoln-Douglas Debate: June 20-July 3

Policy Debate: June 21-July 8

Sophomore Select: June 21-July 8

Individual Events: June 21-July 4

Individual Events Extended Session: June 21-July 7

As I prepare to give the Director’s Charge at the National Tournament later this summer, I am inspired by the many stories featured within these pages that showcase students, coaches, and alumni who are pursuing their passion and driving impact through the purpose they have found in speech and debate.

In our cover story, we learn more about Navajo Preparatory School in New Mexico and how coach John Russell has led the team by championing his students’ competitive accomplishments as well as their bravery, humility, and grit shown in other ways (page 42). On page 52, we invite several speech and debate alumni to share how the activity contributed to their ability to find their purpose later in life and what aspects of their speech and debate training they actively use today.

Matthew Zhang, the student founder of Omega Speech and Debate, speaks with us on page 64 about providing greater access to the activity while expanding service initiatives in his New Jersey community and beyond. Deborah Garoui, coach at Brownfield High School in Texas, shares her journey of overcoming personal adversity and how a shift in perspective helped her pitch speech and debate as a place for those with something to say, a desire to make change, and a unique point of view (page 60). And in our newest segment, Faces in the Crowd, we highlight individuals whose everyday actions embody the NSDA’s core value of equity and inclusion and help make speech and debate a more inclusive activity (page 36).

Finally, I can’t help but reflect on my friend and colleague, Lisa Vossekuil. Lisa is someone who genuinely cares about people and gives her heart and soul to those interactions. I encourage you to read the staff profile on page 48 to learn more about this extraordinary person who has shared her superpowers of customer service and care with literally tens of thousands of people over the past 20 years. Thank you, Lisa, for always being you and caring so much about this organization and the people in it.

ELECTED MEMBERS

Pam Cady Wycoff

President

Minnesota

Dr. Tommie Lindsey, Jr.

Vice President

California

Byron R. Arthur

Louisiana

David Huston

Texas

Adam J. Jacobi

Wisconsin

Jennifer M. Jerome

Nebraska

Renee C. Motter

Colorado

James W. Rye III

Alabama

APPOINTED MEMBERS

J. Scott Wunn Executive Director

Rostrum A PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL SPEECH & DEBATE ASSOCIATION

6600 Westown Parkway, Suite 270, West Des Moines, IA 50266 | Phone (920) 748-6206

J. Scott Wunn, Publisher

Amy Seidelman, Editor

Vicki Joss, Managing Editor

Annie Reisener, Associate Editor

Emily Bratton, Graphic Design Assistant

Newsstand Price

$9.99 per issue

Member Subscription Price

$24.99 for one year (5 issues)

Non-Member Subscription Price

$34.99 for one year (5 issues)

Rostrum (ISSN 1073-5526), Copyright © 2023 by the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA), is published five times per year (Sept., Nov., Feb., Apr., and Aug.) by the NSDA, 6600 Westown Parkway, Suite 270, West Des Moines, IA 50266. Business and Editorial Offices: NSDA, 6600 Westown Parkway, Suite 270, West Des Moines, IA 50266. Accounting and Circulation Offices: 6600 Westown Parkway, Suite 270, West Des Moines, IA 50266. Call (920) 748-6206 to subscribe. Periodicals postage is paid at Des Moines, IA 50318, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Rostrum, c/o NSDA, 6600 Westown Parkway, Suite 270, West Des Moines, IA 50266. Rostrum provides a forum for the speech and debate community. The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and not necessarily the opinions of the NSDA, its officers, or its members. The National Speech & Debate Association does not guarantee advertised products and services unless sold directly by the NSDA.

Dr. Alan H. Coverstone

District of Columbia

Dr. Mike Edmonds

Colorado

Sara Gibson

District of Columbia

Anoop Mishra

Alabama

Holly Williams

Arizona

To learn more about the Board, visit www.speechanddebate.org/ meet-the-team. You may also contact the Board by emailing board@speechanddebate.org

OUR MISSION Rostrum shares best practices, resources, and opportunities that connect, support, and inspire a diverse community of educators committed to empowering students through speech and debate.

The American Legion’s National Oratorical Contest

The first place finisher of The American Legion’s National Oratorical Contest is awarded a $25,000 scholarship, second place $22,500, and third place $20,000. As part of the National Speech & Debate Association’s ongoing alliance with The American Legion, those top three finishers may also earn the right to compete in Original Oratory or United States Extemporaneous Speaking at the National Speech & Debate Tournament!

when

Member students and one chapter advisor per school are eligible to vote!

Topic Release Information

Public Forum Topic Release Dates

The PF Wording Committee creates a topic area with two resolutions for each topic cycle. All potential topics for the year are released in June. One week prior to the topic being released for that topic cycle, member students and one chapter adviser per active school will vote on which of the two topics they prefer. The topic that receives the most votes will be the topic for that cycle. The goal of this process is to increase transparency about topic selection and introduce new possibilities for coaches who teach debate in the classroom.

Aug. 1 - Aug. 7 Voting for the 2023 September/October PF Topic Occurs

August 8 2023 September/October PF Topic Announced

October 1 November/December PF Topic Announced

December 1 January PF Topic Announced

January 1 February PF Topic Announced

February 1 March PF Topic Announced

March 1 April PF Topic Announced

May 1 National Tournament PF Topic Announced

June 24 List of Potential PF Topic Areas Announced for 2024-2025

Lincoln-Douglas Topic Release Dates

The LD Wording Committee assigns a set of three topics to each bi-monthly topic cycle. All potential topics for the year are released in June. One week prior to the topic being released for that topic cycle, member students and one chapter adviser per active school will vote on which of the three topics they prefer. The topic that receives the most votes will be the topic for that cycle. The goal of this process is to increase transparency about topic selection and introduce new possibilities for coaches who teach debate in the classroom.

Aug. 1 - Aug. 7 Voting for the 2023 September/October LD Topic Occurs

August 8 2023 September/October LD Topic Announced

October 1 November/December LD Topic Announced

December 1 January/February LD Topic Announced

February 1 March/April LD Topic Announced

May 1 National Tournament LD Topic Announced

June 24 List of Potential LD Topics Announced for 2024-2025

2024–2025 Policy Debate Topic Voting

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) handles selection of the annual topic. Each state organization, the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA), the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL), and the National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA) all have voting privileges.

• Topic synopsis released at www.speechanddebate.org/topics in September

• Preliminary voting on five topics occurs online in September and October

• Final voting on two topics occurs online in November and December

• Topic for 2024-2025 released by the NFHS in January 2024

From Your Board President

After many years as an educator and coach, I am and will always be a true believer in the value of speech and debate. I believe it is the greatest educational experience we can offer students. Whether students practice these skills within the classroom setting or refine their skills at tournaments, their ability to inform, persuade, entertain and/or inspire listeners will positively impact their own lives and the lives of others.

If you are reading this message, I would venture to believe that you are also a true believer. However, there are times when even believers need to be reminded of the importance of what we do and why we do it. Perhaps your school is facing budget cuts and you are advocating to save your class or program. Maybe you are trying to offer a shy student a way to build self-confidence or a disengaged student a place to belong at school. Let them know what the following alumni believers from Apple Valley High School in Minnesota shared when they were asked to reflect on the impact of speech and debate on their lives.

When I was on the speech team, in my right hand I held a short story. Speech taught me how to make that story compelling, engaging, and informative. Over two decades later, that is what I do today! Little did I know it then, but that was the beginning of my career as a broadcast journalist. Speech helped provide the blueprint and influenced my life and career. Right now, my right hand holds a news microphone, and my story reaches 1.5 million homes each night.”

I attended a top university and after graduation began my career as a financial analyst. Today I am a CEO. I have had incredible luck, timing, and a few good mentors along the way who opened doors for me to advance quickly. But when I look back, I often think about the impact that my time in debate had on my career. Although I didn’t know it at the time, I learned more in debate than I did in any class in high school or college. Being able to form an argument, critique an analysis, write succinctly and thoughtfully, argue, and present and defend ideas—these skills are a big reason why I’m where I am today. I’m lucky to have attended a high school where the commitment and passion for a first-class speech and debate program was on par with or exceeded that of the athletic program.”

After high school, I attended Northwestern University. After undergrad, I went to Cornell for med school, did five years of general surgery training at the University of Pennsylvania followed by a vascular surgery fellowship at Stanford. Today, I am Chief of Vascular Surgery in the state’s largest cardiovascular program. The point: I have been fortunate to be at amazing places, surrounded by amazing people from across the country. This started with my time in speech and debate. It is at the core of who and what I am. In this diverse world of demands to perform and communicate, I do not have the luxury to fall short in my technical abilities in the operating room, my effectiveness in communicating to patients or administrators, or my empathy when informing patients their loved ones are gone. Speech and debate was 100% inspirational and foundational in my development.”

Speech and debate taught me that integrity involves more than simply following the rules, it involves a way of life. It taught me to be confident, not just in terms of how we speak, but who we are as people. It taught me not to take short cuts. Hard work and perseverance yield amazing results. It taught me that it is okay to have emotions and to share your joy as well as your disappointments. It taught me to share our gifts and knowledge with others, and to do so with grace and compassion. It taught me how to live life.”

What we do speaks volumes. Believe. To be continued...

Pam Cady Wycoff NSDA Board President

If you would like to connect with Pam, please email pam.wycoff@speechanddebate.org .

WE ARE S PEECH & DEBATE

PURPOSE. PASSION. PRIDE. THESE ARE PERSONAL VALUES, BUT THEY ARE ALSO VALUES THAT THE NSDA PROMOTES. I LOVE SHARING AND TEACHING THESE VALUES WITH MY STUDENTS AND SEEING THEM DO THE SAME IN HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND IN THEIR CAREERS. www.speechanddebate.org

KRISTINE IGAWA

NEWS + NOTES

Help Select Your District Committee

Our district leader election is underway! District leaders play a crucial role in our organization and the facilitation of local speech and debate. All active coaches are eligible to serve on their District Committee. To vote, one advisor per active high school school may log in to www.speechanddebate.org/ account and select "NSDA Voting" from the left side menu. Voting concludes Friday, April 28, 2023.

Build a Student Leadership Program

Our new NSDA Learn course How to Build a Student Leadership Program guides you through starting a student leadership program at your school. Offering a leadership program will ultimately give you more flexibility as a coach. By shifting some of the day-to-day coaching responsibilities to students, you can gain back valuable time for team administration, working with individual students, or focusing on long-term team goals. Lay the groundwork this spring for a leadership program next year! Get started at www.speechanddebate.org/learn.

Recognize Middle School Coaches and Administrators

Middle school speech and debate builds confidence and a sense of belonging at a critical age. We're seeking to celebrate the coaches and administrators who make it possible through their leadership, advocacy, and encouragement. Sound like someone you know? Recognize their work by completing a short nomination by May 1, 2023!

• Middle School Coach of the Year Award » www.speechanddebate.org/coach-recognition

• Middle School Administrator of the Year Award » www.speechanddebate.org/school-recognition

Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Month and Pride Month

Commemorate Asian American and Pacific Islander Month during the month of May and Pride Month in June with our literature collections and special poster series featuring speech and debate coaches and alumni! Find these resources and more at www.speechanddebate.org/ equity.

Read Recent Board Minutes

The minutes from the Board of Directors’ March Competition Rules meeting are available at www.speechanddebate.org/ minutes-archive

Encourage USA Debate Team Applicants

Each year, we select top debaters in the country to represent the United States in international competition. Applications for the 2023-2024 USA Debate team will open May 1, 2023. Invite interested students to get started or learn more about the stages of the application process at www.speechanddebate.org/ usa-debate

Q uestions? We’re here to help! Email info@speechanddebate.org or call (920) 748-6206 .

SEEKING YOUR INPUT THE NEXT 100 YEARS

In 2023, the NSDA will facilitate two strategic input opportunities for members and broader speech and debate communities.

The first is a membership survey, which we have conducted several times since introducing it in 2015. This year’s version, available to coaches at member schools, will again assess reasons for joining, the value and effectiveness of membership benefits, and areas of focus for the future. Please consider taking time to complete that survey when it is promoted in April.

The second opportunity involves a strategic realignment process the NSDA is embarking on leading up to our 100th anniversary in 2025. We approach this process with the goal of creating a framework for our future work that is centered in equity, diversity, and inclusion, and will define the unique role of the NSDA in service to the speech and debate field while putting the mission of meeting the fields’ needs at its core.

Because of the work we do at the NSDA, we expect to see the number of schools providing inclusive and accessible speech and debate programs that provide meaningful participation opportunities to students increasing and enduring every year. The NSDA supports school-based opportunities as the best way to provide an avenue for all students to participate.

written by Amy Seidelman, Assistant Executive Director at the NSDA

We believe we are best poised to do that by leveraging our capabilities in the following areas:

• broad and inclusive advocacy,

• equitable and inclusive demonstration,

• equitable and inclusive professionalization,

• welcoming on-ramps, and

• resource generation.

By the organization’s 100th anniversary in 2025, we aim to implement a new equity-centered framework to guide our contributions to the schoolbased speech and debate field and its various communities, including potential changes to our current membership model and National Tournament qualification process.

Later in 2023, we plan to conduct an inclusive process for dialogue with a diverse array of individuals in and outside the current organization, including coaches, students, alumni, local leaders, potential funders in civic engagement, civil dialogue, and youth empowerment, school system leaders, other speech and debate organizations, and coach caucus leaders, to discover community needs, barriers to participation, and our role in the development and maintenance of inclusive and accessible programs.

To stay informed of our strategic realignment efforts and/or sign up to participate, please visit www.speechanddebate.org/next-100-years.

Major in Social Issue Advocacy

Advocacy does not end at graduation.

In fact, you can major in it at Truman State University.

BA/BS in Social Issue Advocacy

Truman adds value to your experience in speech and debate by positioning you for a career practicing what you love. The Social Issue Advocacy major is an interdisciplinary major that brings together research from the fields of Communication, Economics, History, Justice Systems, Philosophy & Religion, and Sociology. Majors study the theories and methods that illuminate existing inequalities and suggest possible solutions to social problems. Sharpen your focus with a minor you are passionate about, for example, Women’s & Gender Studies, African & African American Diaspora Studies, Environmental Studies, Disability Studies, or others. Students, with guidance from their academic advisor, design a pathway comprising courses, including courses in theory, research methodology, history, institutions, and principles of advocacy.

When it comes time for college, refine your skills at an institution known for its quality, affordability, and a strong reputation for producing highly successful graduates.

@modernbrainacademy

RESOLVED

Since 2016, the NSDA has worked to pass a U.S. Senate resolution designating the first Friday in March as National Speech and Debate Education Day (NSDE Day). On February 14, 2023, a record-breaking 17 senators sponsored Senate Resolution 61, declaring Friday, March 3, 2023, as NSDE Day! Iowa and Utah also passed state resolutions to celebrate the day, and Arkansas declared March National Speech and Debate Education Month!

BY THE NUMBERS

• 17 senators sponsored the NSDE Day U.S. Senate resolution.

• 217 NSDE Day toolkits were mailed or downloaded.

• 243 news outlets covered NSDE Day.

• More than 350 of you tagged us in your NSDE Day celebrations on social media.

• 10,000 non-followers were reached through our social media promotion, which means almost 10,000 folks who don’t traditionally interact with speech and debate did so on NSDE Day!

TWITTER

compiled

POLL

When have you used your skills from speech and debate in the “real world?”

The most common answer was “ every day .”

by Angela McMillan, Director of Marketing at the NSDA, Jessica Kincannon, Content Specialist at the NSDA, and Alyssa Rivera, Marketing Communication Specialist at

the NSDA

National Speech and Debate Education Day creates an impactful, concentrated effort to increase awareness and knowledge about the benefits of speech and debate.

Dear School Administrator,

As an alum of [insert name of high school/middle school], I recognize there are many opportunities and courses that are offered to students which help prepare them for their futures after high school. However, none come to mind that are as influential on a student’s success as a strong speech and debate program. Multiple studies and testimonials have shown speech and debate activities keep students more engaged and increase their overall performance in the classroom Having experienced the impact of speech and debate first-hand, [insert how participating in speech and debate influenced your schooling, friendships, skills, career, etc.].

By its nature, speech and debate promotes curiosity and advocacy through the power of words to question assumptions, examine issues, and introduce solutions.

This is why it is vitally important for campus administrators, like yourself, to continue to support speech and debate in our schools. Studies have shown that students who participate in competitive speech and debate activities are more likely to have higher academic achievement and an overall better educational experience. Through the process of developing an argument, crafting a speech, or interpreting a piece of literature, students become better thinkers, writers, and communicators.

Speech and debate also creates a unique sense of team and community that allows students to “bridge the gap” with those who may come from different backgrounds or have different experiences. I see speech and debate as being a “great equalizer” as it provides students of all backgrounds with the opportunity to use their voice and stand up for what they believe.

Speech and debate instills the confidence necessary for young people to thrive in life and become advocates of what is fair, what is right, and what is just in their communities.

Yours Truly, [First & Last Name]

CONTINUING ADVOCACY FOR SPEECH AND DEBATE EDUCATION

We envision a world in which every school provides and supports a speech and debate program. To that end, we continue our advocacy efforts year round and ask for your help.

SPEECH AND DEBATE EDUCATION DAY

I SUPPORT SPEECH & DEBATE!

Throughout my time with this activity, I have tried, failed, gotten up, grown, and learned. It has taught me lessons and instilled unforgettable skills. To my sixth grade self who was shedding tears during her first speech and debate round, thank you. Because without giving speech and debate a try, my life would look very different.”

— Emily Wang (’25), Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Eastvale, California

Competing in speech instilled in me an intense work ethic and taught me more than I ever learned in a classroom. There are many skills I learned from this high school and college activity that I still use today in the professional space. Cheers to forensics (not the science)!”

MAKING THE CASE

— Joe Walberg, Teacher/Coach, St. James Academy, Lenexa, Kansas

— Margaret Durkin (’10), Executive Director at TechNet, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES:

NSDA LAST-CHANCE QUALIFIER

• April 21 – Deadline to register

• April 27-29 – Happening online

MIDDLE SCHOOL NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

• May 15 – Deadline to register

• June 13-16 – Happening in-person

HIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

• May 15 – Deadline to register

• June 1 – Deadline to register alternates

• June 10 – Deadline for final scripts

• June 11-16 – Happening in-person

HIGH SCHOOL SUPPLEMENTAL EVENTS

• May 15 – Deadline for coaches to pre-register students

• June 13 – Coaches must re-register students in supps to confirm their participation

• June 14-16 – Happening in-person

THE WILLIAM WOODS TATE, JR. MEMORIAL FUND

“ROAD TO NATIONALS” TRAVEL GRANTS

• May 3 – Application closes

• April 15 – First round of grants announced

• May 12 – Second round of grants announced

NATS23 MERCH

• May 15 – Deadline to pre-order shirts through Tabroom.com for pickup at the National Tournament

• May 24 – Deadline to order online via the NSDA Store and receive in the mail pre-tournament

NATIONAL TOURNAMENT UPDATES

Our annual National Tournament will be held June 11-16, 2023, in Phoenix/Mesa, Arizona. Tournament info is now available on our website, including hotel details, tentative schedules, judge requirements, logistics, and more. We even have day-by-day breakdowns for high school and middle school to get a feel for the flow of the event! Visit www.speechanddebate.org/nationals and use the tabs to navigate around. Read on for several highlights about qualification and events.

Last-Chance Qualifier Continues

The Last-Chance Qualifier will be held April 27-29, 2023. Eligibility requirements will remain the same: schools must have attended their district tournament to participate, but students do not need to have attended the district tournament. Only students who did not qualify in a main event may enter. In addition to the established number of qualifiers per event at the Last-Chance Qualifier, a limited number of topperforming students from schools with no other National Tournament qualifiers will also advance to Nationals.

Middle School

The Middle School National Tournament returns in person this year! Registration will be in Phoenix/Mesa in the evening on Tuesday, June 13, and competition will run Wednesday through Friday.

Nationals as a Member Benefit

To expand access and deliver value, every member high school will have the opportunity to enter up to two non-qualifying students in supplemental events at the 2023 National Tournament. This year, there is no requirement that those schools or students attended the district tournament.

High School Competition Options

Students will be able to re-register in up to two total supplemental speech events (one per pattern) at the 2023 Nationals as opposed to three. Online divisions of supplemental events will not be offered this year.

Check out a recording of our Nats23 Info Session with NSDA staff and the Arizona Host Committee.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejnxu0Y0bYc

Speech and debate is a transformative activity—one where students can unleash their potential, give words to their lived experiences, and help shape the minds of their fellow competitors.

The National Tournament provides our students the ultimate platform to showcase their skills and give the world a glimpse into the future leaders of our diverse and multicultural world. A critical step in advancing this vision is supporting the presence of judges who reflect the diversity of our student population and our world.

Selecting judges to meet this end for the semifinal and final rounds is one of the most challenging parts of the National Tournament. We ask every judge used at Nationals to fill out a demographics questionnaire that includes questions about age, role, ethnicity, gender, whether they identify as LGBTQ+, and whether they identify as a person with a disability. The form is required but judges may select or type “Prefer not to say” for each item. The form collects the judge’s experience in each competitive category. Hall of Fame status and number of Diamond Awards earned are also considered in judge placement to help indicate coaching experience. Every judge can self-nominate to judge semifinals or final rounds, and district chairs can nominate judges from their district. We rely on nominations as a self-reported measure of who is qualified, willing, and available to judge late elimination rounds.

Last year, the Board of Directors worked with a group of diverse individuals and coach representatives to create goals related to the experience and representation of our late elimination round judge panels.

JUDGE PANELING GOALS AT THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

by Kevon Haughton, Lauren Burdt, and Dr. Paul Porter

Our 2022 National Tournament goals for each main event final round panel were:

Gender balance

• 100% of panels met this goal

Minimum two to three judges who identify as LGBTQ+

• 73% of panels met this goal

Minimum four persons of color, including two Black individuals and one Black woman

• 80% of panels met this goal

One judge who identifies as a person with a disability

• 87% of panels met this goal

50% of the panel’s judges have earned one or more Diamond Awards

• 93% of panels met this goal

One to two judges are either in the Hall of Fame or have earned five or more Diamond Awards

• 60% of panels met this goal

All judges, except VIP judges, have at least two years of experience coaching, judging, and/or competing in the category in question

• 100% of panels met this goal

Additionally, the following goals were set for our supplemental event final round panels and main event semifinal round panels in 2022:

Gender balance

• 88% of supplemental finals panels met this goal

• 89% of semifinal panels met this goal

At least one judge who identifies as LGBTQ+

• 100% of supplemental finals panels met this goal

• 79% of semifinal panels met this goal

At least two persons of color

• 50% of supplemental finals panels met this goal

• 54% of semifinal panels met this goal

At least one of the panel’s judges have earned one or more Diamond Awards

• 100% of supplemental finals panels met this goal

• 88% of semifinal panels met this goal

All judges, except VIP judges, have at least two years of experience coaching, judging, and/or competing in the category in question

• 100% of supplemental finals panels met this goal

• 71% of semifinal panels met this goal

Note: This data is imperfect, especially in semifinals, because we did not have a 100% completion rate of the demographics questionnaire, and some judges who completed the form preferred not to answer certain questions.

Help our efforts by encouraging judges to self-nominate for late elimination rounds!

Judges who are registered for the National Tournament can select “National Speech and Debate Tournament” in Tabroom.com under the “Judging” header, then select “Judge Forms” to complete the nomination.

The organization continues to work to deconstruct barriers to representative judging. We are proud of our growth in this area, but realize that there is much work to be done. Our students must understand the inevitable reality that they will engage in diverse spaces, and participation at the National Tournament should be a space for such engagement to happen. We seek to afford all students the opportunity to see images of themselves in national elimination rounds and affirm that they could one day be elimination round judges. We will work to do better because our students deserve it!

In our efforts to increase the diversity of elimination round judging, the NSDA is proud to introduce a Judge Pool Diversity Initiative for the 2023 National Tournament.

We have allotted funding to help incentivize judges who add to the representational diversity of our pool to judge at the National Tournament. This money will help cover travel, lodging, meals, and compensation for approved applicants. These funds will be reserved for judges who are not traveling to the tournament to cover the judging obligation of a school. Check out upcoming newsletters for more details!

We hope this commitment is one step forward in illustrating the NSDA’s commitment to raising the profile of participants who identify as historically underrepresented. Providing aid and opportunities to welcome more diverse voices is top of mind for the organization, and we hope it is a vehicle to encourage participation by schools with diverse students and coaches from diverse backgrounds.

Kevon Haughton serves as Tournament Services Coordinator at the NSDA. Lauren Burdt is the Director of Competition and Events at the NSDA. Dr. Paul Porter is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the NSDA.

NSDA coaches have access to free online courses designed to enhance their coaching skills. Our courses are self-paced and available on-demand on NSDA Learn. Courses include overviews for coaching specific events, strategies for building safe, welcoming, and diverse teams, trainings on complex argumentation like kritks or philosophy, and much more! Upon completion of a course, you’ll receive a custom certificate reflecting the hours logged to be used for professional development tracking or teaching recertification, if applicable. This is a great way to expand your knowledge, learn from community members, and set and reach new goals!

Courses Include:

Intro to Coaching

• Dramatic and Humorous Interp

• Congress

• Informative Speaking and Original Oratory

Engaging and Mentoring

• Black/African American Students

• Students with Disabilities

• LGBTQ+ Students

Team Management

• Program Oral Interp

• Philosophy in Debate

• Framework

• Kritiks

Take things a step further and demonstrate your speech and debate expertise through our professional accreditation program! When you complete the self-paced online courses, you earn a new addition to your coaching resume. Learn more or start your endorsement at www.speechanddebate.org/ professional-development.

How Does Accreditation Benefit Me?

It demonstrates professionalism and expertise to your administration.

It is a mark of your commitment to speech and debate.

The courses likely count toward any of your professional development needs for speech and debate teaching certifications.

What Are the Steps?

Become an NSDA member. Take the free Intro to NSDA Coaching course. Complete the courses to secure the NFHS Level 1 Speech and Debate Credential. You can choose your own adventure to select the content most interesting to you!

Submit the form to our office to share your certificates for the NSDA and NFHS courses and pay the $25 fee. Show off your new accreditation and check out Level 2!

• How to Build a Student Leadership Program

• Building Supportive Cultures to Prevent Bullying and Harassment

• Advocating for a Class

www.speechanddebate.org/learn

NSDA Professional Accreditation

your expertise and commitment to speech and debate.

MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN DEBATE & COMMUNICATION

NOW ENROLLING FOR FALL 2023

The only terminal degree designed exclusively for debate coaches

-Bring your coaching to the next level

You’ll take classes in coaching, team administration, and research

-Learn from coaches across the country

We employ coaches in all formats to teach individual classes in their area of expertise

-Classes are fully online

Earn your degree without leaving your team

-Designed around your coaching schedule

Take as many or as few classes a semester as fit your schedule

-Advance your career

Many schools offer stipends for faculty who earn advanced degrees

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT MONTICELLO

Liven up your classes with the START HERE SERIES

BODY ............................................................................... 30 minutes

Discuss the concepts and explanations of claim, data, warrant, and impact.

• Claim: What’s the statement or key phrase to summarize what you are about to argue?

• Data: What proof are you using to back-up your claim?

• Warrant: Why does the data provided fulfill the claim?

• Impact: If this claim is true, what is the impact?

Ask them how their understanding of these concepts is different after reading Chapter 3 of the Public Forum Textbook.

FREE with NSDA Membership!

COMPONENTS OF AN ARGUMENT

In these excerpts from our Start Here series, explore engaging ways to introduce the parts of an argument to high school or middle school students.

HIGH SCHOOL

Essential Question + Objectives: What are the elements of an argument?

What is a good argument?

1. Students will be able to define claim, data, warrant, and impact.

2. Students will be able to distinguish between claim, data, warrant, and impact.

3. Students will be able to construct arguments that include all four parts.

INSIGHT: The saying goes you must first learn how to walk before you can run. Well, in debate, you must first learn how to argue before you can debate. This lesson will break down the parts of an argument so your students can form complete refutations. Claim, warrant, data, and impact are the building blocks of an argument. Every speech in debate is made up of these four things. Understanding each component to an argument is integral to debating. If your statement is missing one of these elements, then you don’t have a complete argument, and thus, no ground to stand on.

HOOK 10 minutes

Watch the Chipotle scarecrow commercial (https://tinyurl.com/ bdzhk4ms) as a class. Ask the students, what did the commercial make them feel? What is Chipotle trying to make you think from this advertisement?

PART 1: After watching the Chipotle scarecrow commercial, work with the students as a large group to determine how each of the elements fit the argument. (Note: Under the overall argument, you will likely have multiple of each.) Here are some examples you can guide your students through:

Argument: Eat Chipotle

• Claim: Better treatment of animals

• Data: Sad cows, shots in chickens to make them larger, assembly line vs. no mistreatment when main character makes his own food

• Warrant: Having sad animals is bad, so better treatment of animals is good, and since no mistreatment by Chipotle, eat at Chipotle

• Impact: Better treatment of animals = fewer chemicals in food which is healthy

• Claim: Fresh ingredients are better

• Data: Mistreatment and chemicals

• Warrant: Having chemicals in food is bad, so fresh ingredients are healthy, so eat at Chipotle because they use fresh ingredients

• Impact: Fresher ingredients = more health and nutrients so important

PART 2: Have students watch the 5 Most Memorable Political Ads of 2016 (https://tinyurl.com/3bt7mjvc) and then determine how each of the elements fit the argument. Break the students into groups of five and assign each group one of the political ads. In groups, have them practice creating the argument from the beginning. Have students write down the overarching argument. Then, work with them to create the claim, data, warrant, and impact.

CLOSURE 5 minutes

Write a value statement on the board of your choosing and have the students take a minute to write one complete argument either for or against. Example: The drinking age should be lowered to 18.

HOMEWORK: Students read Chapter 7 of the Public Forum Textbook and answer the following questions: What are observations and why do they matter? What makes a good contention?

ASSESSMENT: Collect the written arguments from the closure as an exit slip. Did the student write a complete argument with claim, data, warrant, and impact?

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Essential Question + Objectives: How do I construct an effective argument?

1. Students will be able to identify and categorize the various parts of an argument.

INSIGHT: Before students start writing cases on their own, they need to first be able to identify parts of an effective argument. Practicing with short spar debates lets them gain experience with little pressure or prework. All performers improve with practice. This may prove to be a challenging assignment at first, which is why group work is encouraged, but this assignment could be recreated with any debate resolution that you find suitable for your classroom. For ideas, you can find a list of current and former topics on the NSDA website, www.speechanddebate.org/topics. This day’s lesson could be completed on their own paper or in Google Classroom, and the worksheets could be used with each new topic students research to further develop the skill.

HOOK 5-10 minutes

Before you begin today’s task, ask for students to independently make a preliminary decision on today’s debate—Resolved: Students should be required to wear school uniforms. Then, ask students to write down three reasons why they affirm or negate (on their own paper or electronically, if resources allow).

BODY 30-40 minutes

Prior to starting today’s lesson, project slide 8 of the Lesson 1 slideshow with definitions of the four parts of an argument. Distribute the worksheets (included). If it is suitable for your classroom space, allow students to work in small groups. Provide a detailed website address to the article about school uniforms on ProCon.org, which is available at https://school-uniforms.procon.org.

Allow adequate time (approximately 20 minutes) for students to read the article and the full list of pro/con arguments. There’s an additional

link to background information on the topic, which you can also assign students to read, if time allows: https://school-uniforms. procon.org/history-of-school-uniforms.

Each group will then work together to identify parts of an argument by analyzing claims provided by the website as they complete the worksheet. They will use the evidence in the article to identify the components of the arguments: claim, data, warrants, and impacts. Allow groups to choose if they will work with pro arguments or con arguments, and instruct them to complete the columns on the worksheet for at least five out of the 13 claims, provided in the article.

Once students have had adequate time to complete the boxes, ask for volunteers to present their findings as a mini-spar debate. Conduct the coin flip, just as they learned how to yesterday. The winner of the flip can choose to be the first or second speaking team, OR they can choose to be affirmative or negative. Let groups take turns giving reasons why the rest of the class should support or negate their claims. After each side presents their “case,” allow a two-minute questioning period.

Although these case presentations are much shorter than what they will read in an actual debate round, this can help them become accustomed to the rhythm of questioning and answering. The first speaking team always asks the first question; second speaking team then answers and immediately asks a question of their own. The questioning and answering will exchange back and forth until time runs out. Let groups take turns, following the same order of speeches as the first two groups, giving reasons why the rest of the class should support or negate their claims.

HOMEWORK: Assign students to read Chapter 3 of the Public Forum Textbook (pages 13-20).

CLOSURE 5 minutes

Ask students to reflect on today’s assignment and quietly decide if they changed their mind now that they have had time to research the topic. Using the same paper that they wrote on at the beginning of class, write a brief paragraph/reflection, stating if they changed their mind, and which arguments they read had the biggest impact on their decision.

STORYTELLING STARTER KIT

excerpted from a resource developed by Douglas Chaiken for the NSDA

Storytelling is an interpretation event with a focus on child-like content and a simple and complete plot. The majority of pieces are taken from children’s picture books, folk tales, and even adaptations of classic fables. The performances usually mimic characteristics of Humorous Interpretation as competitors employ the use of “pops,” voices, “tech,” fun faces/postures, and blocking into their performances to create the character and scenes. Storytelling is the only NSDA Interp event that has an optional use of a chair. Performances are five minutes long with a 30-second grace period.

ELEMENTS FOR SUCCESS

PIECE SELECTION

Perhaps the most challenging part of any interpretation event is choosing the literature. There are three things to look for in a Storytelling piece, depending or your skills and talents.

Storyline » Storytelling should have a piece with a simple storyline. Take The Three Little Pigs , for example, which represents a rather simple storyline: the wolf moves from pig one, to two, and finally three. Selections—including stories, anecdotes, tall tales, myths, legends, etc.—tend to have an obvious problem and a search for a solution, finished off with a lesson learned by the protagonist. The

storyline shouldn’t sway too far from the “problem, solution, moral” style, since content and narrative are extremely important in Storytelling and the subsequent judging of the event. That being said, finding a piece with unique and unprecedented attributes, though risky, can be very rewarding; whether you follow the story of a donut, or take the route of a villain, a more exciting piece can make you stand out in a positive light.

Characters » Characters can make or break a Storytelling performance. If you are good at voices and characterization (postures, faces, etc.), play into that and pick a piece with more characters; many performers even give their narrator a voice and posture.

Just remember, even though Storytelling is shorter than most interpretation events, creating complete, complex characters is extremely important. If you’re coming from Duo, Humorous, or Dramatic Interpretation, use those skills of character development to give characters depth. Many protagonists have to change personalities or ideologies to learn the moral of the story. Try to embody the change—it will make the characters come to life even more!

Humor » One of the best things you can do for yourself is to pick literature with opportunities for humor. Whether there are numerous jokes, lots of fun lines in voices, chances to block out physical humor, or a case of situational irony, search for something you can use creatively to entertain your audience as you move through a story.

CHAIR USAGE

The chair cannot be used as a prop. The NSDA rules state: “If a chair is used, students may choose the original position of the chair. Use of the chair is not considered a prop as long as:

1) Once the performance begins, all legs of the chair remain stationary on the ground and do

not move from their original position, and

2) Competitors do not kneel or stand on the chair.” Use of the chair is optional, and contestants should consider whether it will enhance their performance. In highly competitive rounds, chair use may end up being the single most dividing factor between top and bottom of the room.

Finding ways to creatively incorporate the chair into your scene within the rules beyond just sitting in it can be an important aspect of the Storytelling event and one that separates Storytelling from Humorous Interpretation. For example, you can pop between your characters while using the chair or while standing, but when doing so, make each pop precise and fast. This will help make your performance flow well and can add a change of pace. However, overuse can do more harm than underuse, so when unsure, limit your chair usage. A reasonable number of chair uses is three to seven. Any more and it might be distracting; any less and it is barely incorporated. Ways to use it range from simple, like sitting down or leaning (but not kneeling) on the chair, to more complex, like incorporating it into your blocking by stepping over it.

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FREE DEI Resources for Tournaments

Join

Calendar of Cultural Observations

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Use this calendar to respectfully plan your classroom and team activities.

Inclusive Tournament Checklist

www.speechanddebate.org/ inclusive-tournament-checklist/ Use this checklist as a starting point to measure your tournament’s inclusion efforts or plan for the future!

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www.speechanddebate.org/ gender-neutral-restroom-best-practices/ Create a more meaningful, inclusive space for attendees with Caucus Recommended Gender

Neutral Restroom Best Practices.

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Neutral Restroom Sign.

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Correct pronoun usage is a crucial step for making the speech and debate community safer and more inclusive.

Tournament Invitation Templates

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Belonging and Inclusion Station

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Coaches’ Caucuses

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Coaches’ caucuses are a great opportunity to network and join in important discussion and dialogue.

EVIDENCE RULES IN DEBATE

by Deano Pape

“When’s the next round going to be posted?”

“It was supposed to be like an hour ago!”

“Why are we so far behind?”

“I heard that a coach named Deano has been filing evidence protests after every round.”

“No way! No wonder we are so far behind! Doesn’t he know there are rules guiding handling of evidence in-round?”

“Yeah, he seems to think the tab staff need to be involved in every decision being made. And it confuses the hired judges! They just want to hear good debates, you know?”

“Yeah, Deano is a jerk. They should kick him out of the building so we can debate the next round!”

Anyone who has participated in a debate tournament may have overheard or been part of a conversation that closely resembles this one. Yet often it can feel like close debates come down to one or two pieces of quality evidence.

The rules can be daunting and debaters have to make quick decisions about what to do, both during and after the round, to ensure that everything goes well and that the debate is fairly considered by the judge. As a long-time tournament official who has had to make some tough calls on evidence challenges, I have often found myself saying, “I wish everyone had read the rules

on this so we didn’t get to this point” (Pape, 2023).

This article is about extending and clarifying the evidence rules of debate. Even if we are experienced with debate coaching and judging, we can all use a refresher on the rules, and we might want to share this article with newer coaches and judges to spark a discussion about the NSDA evidence rules and how to fairly and efficiently adjudicate our next rounds.

The evidence rules begin on page 29 of the current High School Unified Manual Keep in mind, reading this article is NOT a substitute for reading the complete set of evidence rules.

Evidence Availability

Let’s begin with one of the central rules of debate: all evidence presented in the round must be made available to the opponents and/or judges, when requested, and in a timely fashion. This does NOT mean that teams are required to provide complete cases PRIOR to the start of the round. Once presented DURING the round, such information DOES need to be provided. There is a difference between debate norms (practices and behaviors that often take place in or outside of debates) and rules (requirements for the debate or you may lose or be subject to disqualification). Teams may run disclosure theory arguments in rounds if they wish, but the NSDA rules themselves are very clear— you are NOT required to provide cases or evidence BEFORE the start of the round, either on websites in advance of the tournament or in person. Judges can evaluate disclosure arguments to determine the outcome of a round, but a team cannot be disqualified from competition per NSDA rules for failing to disclose in advance.

Once presented in the round, opponents may

request evidence during the round, and judges may request evidence they can review post-round. This includes original evidence, not just the card (see the Unified Manual for specifics), such as the complete website, or if from a book, photocopies of the page with the evidence as well as at least one page prior and one page after the quoted or cited section presented in the round. Complete cases can also be requested. Keep in mind that, for in-person tournaments, students may wish to provide paper copies of their cases and evidence and then request them to be returned at the conclusion of the round. By rule, students are not required to send their cases or evidence electronically (unless it’s an online-only tournament, of course, which means that electronic distribution must be used for opponent and judge access). For those who are concerned about giving out their personal email addresses for electronic distribution, services such as Tabroom.com now offer the ability to send documents to participants in the round without sharing their emails.

The word “timely” is important to a debate tournament. Students should have their cards, cases, and original evidence ready to be called upon at

any time. Asking to hold the start of your prep time to seek out source material for your opponent when it was a source you cited in the round may be seen by the judge as abusive. It is unethical to withhold evidence for review. “Yeah, I’ll find it, it’s somewhere in my files” is not an appropriate response as it can significantly delay a round and ultimately adds more prep time.

Judges should not expect to review every piece of evidence at the end of the round—judges must be selective about the evidence weighed in the round and render a decision as quickly as possible so as to not delay the entire tournament. In some debate formats, it is quite rare for judges to call for cards, so please recognize that it is not required for judges to look at evidence if you implore them to do so as a debater.

Judge Discretion

There is often confusion as to what should be weighed/ considered by judge discretion compared to judge requirement. Let’s review some of the key elements that are handled by judge discretion. This list is not exhaustive but can serve as a general guide.

A debater questions the oral source citation of the opponent: When debaters read evidence, they are required to provide the author’s last name and the year of publication. If duplicating the same source, only the author’s name is needed subsequent times. It is up to the judge to determine what to do with evidence lacking proper oral citations.

A debater questions the written source citation of the opponent: When debaters present evidence, they are required to provide a full written citation, to the extent provided by the original source. Requirements include: full name of primary author and/or editor, publication date, source, title of article, date accessed for digital evidence, full URL, author qualifications, and page numbers. It is up to the judge to determine what to do with evidence lacking proper written citations.

A debater questions paraphrased evidence: If a debater summarizes what an authoritative source says about a topic, they are required to have the original source of the information available, if questioned by the opponent and/or judge. If a debater summarizes a specific idea or concept,

the debater is expected to have a source of information regarding that specific idea or concept. If a debater summarizes a general theory, no original source is required. EXAMPLE: social contract theory v. Locke’s social contract. It is up to the judge to make a determination of the need for an original source.

A debater claims the opponent doesn’t make it clear when they are delivering a piece of evidence orally: Debaters can use phrases such as “quote/unquote” or “mark the card” to make it clear when they are quoting an author. It is up to the judge to determine whether or not the distinction between a debater’s own analysis and a direct quotation is a violation and how it affects the round.

A debater claims that the opponent did not indicate in the written text what was read or not read: Debaters must clearly indicate what was read in the debate. It is up to the judge to determine whether or not the marking is clear.

A debater questions the use of private communication: Private, personal communication between an author and a debater is inadmissible

as evidence. It is up to the judge to determine whether or not a violation has occurred and how it affects the round.

Additional Checks and Balances

The round does not have to come down to formal protests or challenges that stop the round. It is completely acceptable for a team to contest the quality or authority of a piece of evidence, for example, by making great arguments or presenting counter-evidence that is argued to be superior to that presented by the opponents.

It is also possible to argue that an opponent was unethical in their treatment of the evidence without formal protest— the team can argue that the evidence, perhaps unintentionally, was distorted or abused for the following reasons and that the judge(s) should take this into serious consideration as they make their decisions in the round.

The paraphrase rule is a check against opponent abuses of leaving out important evidence, but students should consider whether evidence really

needs to be presented if the information is generally accepted. Is the United States a democracy? A republic? Both? Is it relevant or vital to the debate you are having, or is reference to the United States as a democracy (instead of a democratic republic) a deal-breaker in the round? Do you need a formal evidence challenge to make that determination, or is the strategy a “gotcha” moment to try to earn an easy victory because the opponent didn’t have that original source?

There are some cases where the judge(s) must make a call on an issue, and that issue determines the result of the round regardless as to what else takes place. While rare, we need to examine these situations and what judges should do in these contexts.

A “straw argument” is an argumentative claim introduced by an author for the purpose of refuting, discrediting, or characterizing it. If an author is setting out to disprove a point, they may outline or establish that point before going into their refutation and conclusion. If a debater presents the idea as the conclusion of the author, they are violating the rules. A straw argument violation occurs when a debater does not verbally indicate they are citing a straw argument or citing that the evidence they are presenting is not the conclusion of the author. Therefore, debaters can use straw arguments IF LABELED AS A STRAW ARGUMENT for purposes of acknowledging the author’s accurate position. However, if not labeled as a straw argument, judges should vote against

the debater who uses the straw argument and award zero speaker points. Note this on the ballot.

Formal Protests

If a debater makes a FORMAL allegation DURING the round, the following general procedures should be followed:

1) The team/individual alleging the violation must clearly indicate a formal protest of distortion, non-existent evidence, or clipping.

2) The judge(s) should STOP THE ROUND at the time of a FORMAL PROTEST IN-ROUND to examine the evidence from both teams/individuals and render a decision as to whether or not a violation occurred.

3) If the alleged violation is legitimate (refer to sidebar for specific definitions and explanations), the judge(s) should vote against the debater who violated the rules. If the alleged violation is not legitimate, the judge should vote against the team/individual who alleged the violation. Note this on the ballot.

Remember, debaters may contest evidence during the round without stopping the debate or filing protests after the debate. Part of

strong debate practice is to address any perceived issues with evidence during the debate by making strong arguments against evidence provided.

If a judge or debater discovers an evidence violation after the round has concluded, a protest may be filed with tournament officials in tab. Tab must be notified immediately upon discovery and the protest must be filed within 20 minutes of the conclusion of the round. See the full procedures as outlined in the Unified Manual

Conclusion

While this article does not present all elements found in the Unified Manual, we hope it serves as a valuable guide. Sometimes tournaments do run behind schedule, and there are times when legitimate concerns must be addressed after the round by tournament officials. It is important to remember that all evidence challenges are adjudicated live, and the interpretation of those rules are the purview of the tournament directors of those events. With clearer knowledge of the rules and procedures, let’s work together to make our tournaments run as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Evidence Violations

Distortion: The judge(s) should review the evidence in question. When reviewing the evidence, the judge(s) would determine it was distorted if it contains added and/or deleted word(s) that significantly alter the conclusion of the author. A failure to bracket added words also would be considered distortion. If a debater distorts evidence, they should lose the round. Report this to tab, as disqualification may be warranted.

Non-existent evidence: If a debater is unable to provide the original source or copy of the relevant pages when requested by the opponent or judge, the evidence is considered non-existent. If the original source does not provide the evidence cited, it is considered nonexistent. If the evidence is paraphrased but lacks an original source to verify, it is considered non-existent. If the debater has the original source but declines to provide it to their opponent, upon request, it’s considered non-existent. If a debater is found to have non-existent evidence, they should lose the round. Report this to tab, as disqualification may be warranted.

Clipping: Clipping occurs when the debater claims to have read the complete text of highlighted and/or underlined evidence, when in fact they skip or omit parts of the evidence. The judge(s) should vote against the debater who clips and award zero speaker points. Note this on the ballot.

Deano Pape is a competition and events Support Specialist with the NSDA. You can reach him with any questions or comments at deano.pape@speechanddebate.org

RULES VS. NORMS IN PUBLIC ADDRESS AND EXTEMP EVENTS

by Deano Pape

entertaining, for example, as that is a secondary purpose, but certainly could be ranked lower in the round if entertainment became the primary focus of the student’s speech.

The key to understanding the NSDA rules for Informative Speaking and Original Oratory is to understand the differences in purpose. As the current Unified Manual explains on page 44, “the general purpose is to persuade” for Original Oratory and “the general purpose of the speech is for the audience to gain understanding and/ or knowledge of a topic” for Informative Speaking.

Other purposes for each speech are secondary. This means that much of what makes for effective persuasive and informative speeches is left up to the judge. A speech would not be disqualified for being

Some coaches may believe that it is nearly impossible for informative speeches not to be persuasive, and one could make the argument that a student’s inherent choices with regard to what is put in or left out of an informative speech are persuasive in nature.

Remember, the general purpose of Informative Speaking is to gain understanding and/or knowledge. Thus, a student who makes one of their major points “pros and cons” of a topic may believe the best way to inform the audience is to provide varying perspectives, even if each pro or con offered is convincing in isolation. A student could offer implications of the topic

that may have an enormous potential societal impact; this impact may convince the judge to become involved in the topic, in particular if it matches their own self-interests. That does not mean that the speech is better than another at helping the audience gain understanding and/ or knowledge. Convincing is a secondary aspect of Informative Speaking. The judge should evaluate criteria such as the quality of evidence provided, whether that information is properly sourced, and how the student contextualizes and explains.

As the focus of Informative Speaking is to help the audience gain understanding and/or knowledge, visual aids are often used, although they are completely optional. The key is how the visual aid is used. Is it purely for show? Or does the aid help the audience to understand a complex process? Coaches should review the specific rules for visual aids on page 44 of the current Unified Manual. Two key takeaways from this section—first, no electronic aids are permitted, whether powered by electricity, battery, or other sources of power. Second, visual aids that are worn are considered a costume or property. It is

possible that students who violate these specific rules may be disqualified, although the tournament director may choose to have the student remove the objects from their clothing or take out batteries to conform to the rules.

Speakers in both Informative Speaking and Original Oratory are not permitted to have notes. As noted on page 44 of the current Unified Manual, speeches must be composed by the students. Presentations authored by coaches, parents, generative artificial intelligence sites, or other students are not permitted. Both events restrict students to quoting directly no more than 150 words, and those quotations should be appropriately identified. Speeches are factual, and any nonfactual information must be identified. Full manuscripts, including citations, must be provided for NSDA district and national tournaments.

Coaches and judges are reminded that these speeches are authored by students to have their voices heard. In Original Oratory, in particular, students may incorporate their own perspectives and life experiences. Judges should listen carefully and take into consideration their unique stories. Since

the general purpose of Oratory is persuasion, that means that students are often practicing advocacy on something that is important to society, their families, or themselves. Personal narratives are used persuasively in everyday argumentation and persuasion and should be considered in Original Oratory as well.

by topics (e.g., round 1 is social issues, round 2 is economics). They may be picked out one question at a time, or they may arrive in groups of threes.

Students may participate in either United States

Extemporaneous Speaking (USX) or International Extemporaneous Speaking (IX) at their district qualifying tournaments. While doubleentry in both Extemp events is permitted at some qualifiers, students may only participate in one at Nationals should they double-qualify. Some tournaments combine these into Mixed Extemporaneous Speaking, where questions might be varied every round (you could get any question at any time) or they can be differentiated

However the topics are drawn, students prepare for a half-hour and speak for seven minutes with a 30-second grace period. The rules for Extemp events start on page 50 of the current Unified Manual. Contestants will find that there are very few rules to violate in Extemp compared to understanding the norms, which are common practices or behaviors identified at local, regional, or national tournaments. For example, there are no rules about walking in a triangle based upon major points of your speech’s organizational pattern, even though you might think so if you have observed extempers in action!

Among the limited number of formal rules, students are not able to use notes while speaking (although they may take notes and practice with them during draw). Contestants may use electronic devices, paper, or topical indices at Nationals in the draw room. However, they may not bring outlines or complete speeches. Notes may not be made on documents, although students may use highlighters of one color. Laptops must be fully charged at the start of the competition day as they may not plug in their

computers or portable electronic devices while in the draw room. If a laptop shuts down during prep, the tournament must go on! If online access is interrupted partway through prep, the speech must be delivered! Tournaments cannot be delayed due to technology failure.

The NSDA rules state that contestants must construct speeches that are original to the student. Using complete speeches or portions of speeches created by coaches, parents, online sources, or other students is prohibited. Students must create their own speeches, use credible research, and cite their sources. While the use of generative artificial intelligence sites may be used during the research portion of prep, students must not use the technology to create sections of speeches or full presentations.

Students may not use the internet or electronic devices to connect with and communicate directly with others during prep time. Laptops and other devices are subject to inspection and review by tournament officials.

So if these are the major rules, what are examples of norms? Since they are so commonly practiced, norms can feel as if they are rules. After all, if only one student doesn’t do or say something in a section of the event, a judge might be inclined to think something is wrong.

Many of the things we do in Extemp are normative and have nothing to do with the rules—starting off the speech with a humorous story or catchy analogy; a statement justifying the choice of the question among the three options provided; using puns in preview statements or transitional material; walking only on major points of the speech; citing a predetermined number of sources; or comparing world leaders to Marvel Universe characters.

Much like Thanos snapping his fingers to change the very universe as we know it, we might want some of these norms to go away, but they are not rules. It is vitally important to know the difference so we are not disqualifying or ranking students lower than they’d otherwise earn when they break the norms and try new things.

Deano Pape is a competition and events Support Specialist with the NSDA. You can reach him with any questions or comments at deano.pape@speechanddebate.org

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FACES IN THE CROWD

is a new feature designed to highlight individuals whose everyday actions embody the NSDA’s core value of equity and help make speech and debate a more inclusive activity. Through their actions, attitudes, and leadership, these individuals offer acts of kindness and gentle reminders that the speech and debate community is a kind and caring environment. All of the individuals highlighted in this piece were nominated by their students, teammates, and coaches for being shining examples of everyday equity and inclusive acts that make speech and debate great. (Editor’s note: Some nominations have been edited for space/clarity.) Join us in celebrating these faces in the crowd! — compiled by Dr. Paul Porter

DANIELLE STANLEY

Glen Oak High School, Ohio

Nominated by multiple students and coaches

Even though we are not from the same school or category, Danielle has continually been a friendly face to me and all in our district. She has been outgoing and kind, promoting inclusion for everyone around her. Personally, she has started conversations with me and reached out to encourage me. She works hard to make everyone feel at home, pushing them to perform their best. By raising everyone’s spirits, she has created an equitable space where all can grow and feel welcomed. —

Allison Snyder

Cheyenne Central High School, Wyoming

Nominated by Isabelle Conwell

When she was given a leadership role, she used it to create the absolute ideal environment to thrive in speech and debate. She never hesitates to give you a hug after a bad round. She never hesitates to cheer you on when you make it to finals. She never hesitates to help resolve conflict between team members. She never hesitates to help you stand up to any bully, on the team or off. Lillian Leman never hesitates to do anything in her power to make the Cheyenne Central speech and debate team a family, and I have never felt more accepted in a group or by a person.

MARCO DOMINGUEZ

Desert Vista High School, Arizona

Nominated by Nicole

Sandoval

Marco is the first coach I’ve had who is Hispanic, and the only Hispanic English teacher at my school. Having a coach who represents your culture is so important. I have never seen a coach more understanding of everyone’s backgrounds in speech and debate. He places students’ cultural and emotional importance over their competitive success, which ultimately leads them to be more successful as competitors.

CAMERON MUNN Keller High School, Texas

www.speechanddebate.org/faces-in-the-crowd

Nominated by Deborah Garoui

Cameron has been speaking out for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ students, as well as librarians in his school district, due to school board attempts to ban literature that addresses gender fluidity. Cameron has spoken at numerous events as well as school board meetings. He has met with local and national press, and through continued attacks from adults in the community to stay quiet, he charges on with vocal fortitude. Although Cameron is no longer my student, I follow his progress and admire his fight!

LILLIAN LEMAN

CAITLIN WILLIAMS

Everglades High School, Florida

Nominated by Joele Denis

www.speechanddebate.org/faces-in-the-crowd

ISABEL MAVRIDESCALDERÓN

Horace Mann High School, New York

Nominated by Joele Denis

Caitlin and Isabel have been essential in maintaining a social space for students in speech and debate during the pandemic.

Caitlin created the Instagram account @CUWC, which stands for “Catching Up With the Competitors.” This account has hosted countless

livestreams interviewing NSDA national finalists and semifinalists (among others), hosted performance showcases, and sometimes, just played games and provided laughter for students during the pandemic.

Isabel is a staunch advocate for humans with disabilities and has been featured on multiple national media outlets. She is the creator of @DiversityInForensics, which created an online support system for many students.

Countless students approach other students from across the country already knowing each other, just because of these social media accounts. They have a love and respect for each other that couldn’t have been possible were it not for Caitlin and Isabel. So many competed against each other for two years or so, and are just now seeing each other “in person” for the first time. But relationships have been fostered... by students like Caitlin and Isabel.

KADEN JONES

University School, Ohio

Nominated by multiple students and coaches

Kaden is very committed to equity. Kaden has been an active participant in the Black/ African American affinity group of our multicultural organization at school, speaking from the stage about issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and about unsung heroes in the Black/African

American community during Black History Month. He is a natural leader in the classroom as well as on the track and onstage. He is openminded, conscientious, and caring.

What I appreciate most about Kaden is how he brings other people’s perspectives to the table every time he discusses a profound subject. He is so thoughtful and truly cares about what people have to say. He also writes film scripts to shed light on minority groups and the plight of diverse teenagers.

— Owen Bauer

Dr. Paul Porter is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the NSDA.

NEVERTHELESS, KEEP PERSISTING

Trust and Empathy in DEI Efforts

Football is the most popular sport in the United States, and arguably, an important thread in the fabric of our country. Just as the country has evolved and become more diverse and inclusive, so has the sport. As of two years ago, most athletes in the NFL identify as non-white. 1 Head coaching positions, however, remain largely dominated by white men; only four of the league’s 32 teams are led by non-white coaches. 2

This paradox is mirrored in many ways in extracurricular activities in the U.S., such as speech and debate. It is not unusual for a school’s sports teams to be quite diverse while the students in activities such as speech and debate may not be as diverse. Just like professional football, the activity has noticeably changed in many ways and evolved over time. More diverse students and coaches are finding their way into speech and debate. But listening to the lived experience of those students in the activity tells us that the road to get “here,” is not necessarily as smooth as simply receiving an invite or being recruited.

by Eli Woody

Maya Broomfield was a student at Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Colorado. She competed in speech and debate for a year, after she was a student in my freshman English class. Maya is a young Black woman and will graduate in May from a historically Black college/ university (HBCU), Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), with a degree in Mass Communication.

To say Maya was in the racial minority at Lakewood would be an almost laughable understatement. Black students at the school account for just 2.1% of the school population. 3 “In high school, I attended a school that had less than 10 Black students, and there were a lot of micro-aggressions and racial biases,” Maya explains.

For students like Maya, existing in spaces that do not include people who look like you is challenging. Inclusion of diverse participants must

be intentional, whether it is a school as a whole or a specific activity. And the authority figures in charge of those spaces must lead by listening and with empathy. In order for these students to feel comfortable joining and diversifying spaces like speech and debate, they must feel understood.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to inclusion. Diverse students often experience social obstacles and pains like the micro-aggressions and racial biases Maya mentioned. Those experiences weigh on the shoulders of students in an especially heavy manner when the students are not connecting with other students who have shared similar experiences.

Speech and debate coaches will not solve racism, for example, and students don’t expect them to—but listening to students and expressing support for them is critical. Without that intentional work, many diverse students will remain reluctant to stepping on the path to participating in speech and debate.

“In high school,” Maya says, “surprisingly, debate wasn’t favored at all. Those in charge didn’t see debate as important.” This attitude served as a barrier, Maya expresses. “The administration made it hard to register for speech and debate class. I wish there was more encouragement from teachers

Maya Broomfield is an NSDA alum from Lakewood High School in Colorado. Maya is a senior at Prairie View A&M University and is expected to graduate in May with a Mass Communication degree.

Speech and debate teaches lifelong skills and habits that can help shape a student, far beyond classroom walls. I wouldn’t [otherwise] have the confidence or knowledge to stand up and talk about anything in front of a large group of people.”

— Maya Broomfield

and administration to participate. I wanted to be in [the activity] but didn’t have the resources or support.”

Maya had the benefit of building a rapport and trust with me, her freshman English teacher, before joining speech and debate the following year. This period of time was pivotal in Maya learning about my approach as an authority figure in a largely white school. While not all speech and debate coaches are full-time teachers in the school where they coach, it is important for teachers and/or coaches to patiently build rapport and relationships with students. If we show them who we are, they will show us who they are.

We know that this activity creates a platform like no other, especially for students of diverse backgrounds whose voices are frequently muted. And eventually, once Maya joined speech and debate, the same was true for her. “There were times [in competition] where I was the only Black person, which, I admit, inspired my pieces. I spoke openly about diversity and inclusion.”

Nevertheless, Maya persisted. She built relationships with other Black students on the team and with other students from diverse backgrounds at other schools in the area. Maya’s time in speech and debate propelled her to greatness after high school. She was

briefly a part of speech and debate in college at PVAMU and attributes much of her success in college to her participation in the activity in high school.

While many speech and debate students set a goal to compete at the National Tournament from the start of their competitive careers, most—like Maya— don’t reach the National Tournament but still benefit tremendously from the activity.

As Maya explains, “Winning or going to Nationals is a good thing and should be celebrated, [but] that’s not all speech and debate is about. Speech and debate teaches lifelong skills and habits that can help shape a student, far beyond classroom walls. A lot of what I learned in high school speech and debate has helped me in almost all aspects of my college and young adult years. I wouldn’t have the confidence or knowledge to stand up and talk about anything in front of a large group of people. I wouldn’t know how to gather information effectively.”

For Maya specifically, speech and debate sparked an interest that opened up a pathway to a career. “I plan to continue on in a career in journalism. Speech and debate did a lot for helping shape my ability to write on and report on current issues.”

Once again, though, Maya will be in a space dominated by people who do not share her social identities. About 80% of journalists are white and more than 60% are male. 4 But this reality doesn’t dim the bright hopes Maya has for her future; she is part of a change occurring one phenomenal Black woman at a time.

“Speech and debate has helped make me the person I am. As a minority in my school environment, I had no confidence and didn’t like to talk in front of large audiences,” Maya recalls.

“Speech and debate gave me the ability to communicate my emotions and thoughts in a productive way.”

Participating in this activity won’t eliminate the micro-aggressions and racial biases Maya described. And she will, like other Black people in the U.S., continue to carry the weight of the resulting lived experiences of being Black in America. Students like Maya persist through these obstacles and blaze a path for themselves because of their time in speech and debate. Nevertheless, please persist.

NSDA Learn: Engaging and Mentoring Black/African American Students

Check out our free online course to learn more about intentionally recruiting Black/African American students, coaches, and judges, creating solid parent-coach connections, building an anti-racist team, advocating for students, building equitable relationships, and recognizing race while coaching.

www.speechanddebate.org/learn

End Notes

1 “Players in the NFL in 2022, by Ethnicity.” Published by Christina Gough of Statista, March 27, 2023.

2 “ Why Most Head Coaches are White—Behind the NFL’s Abysmal Record on Diversity.” The Conversation, January 21, 2022. ”Where Are All the Black NFL Coaches?” Published by James Brown of USA Today, February 5, 2023.

3 Overview of Lakewood High School. U.S. News.

4 “Newsroom Employees are Less Diverse than U.S. Workers Overall.” Published by Elizabeth Grieco, Pew Research Center, November 2, 2018.

Eli Woody is a former two-diamond coach and serves as Membership and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Coordinator at the NSDA.

The International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) is the only competition that gives high school students around the world the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy

This international contest is open to all schools –public and private – for free High school teams compete for awards and scholarships The top eight teams earn an all-expenses-paid trip to the IPPF Finals in New York City, where the IPPF World Champion wins a $10,000 grand prize!

During the 2022-23 competition, more than 220 teams submitted qualifying round essays. On behalf of the Brewer Foundation and New York University, we are pleased to recognize the final eight teams in this year's competition!

Congratulations! Top Eight

To learn more about the 2023-24 competition, visit www.ippfdebate.com today!

NAVAJO PREP TEAM PROFILE |

Tell us a little about Navajo Preparatory School.

Diné (Navajo) history, culture, and language in particular.

Navajo Prep coach John Russell was a fiercely devoted Congress kid for all four years of his high school career. On doing speech and debate, he says, “Thanks to my experiences back then, I am more comfortable and coherent in front of crowds (including my students!), I have keener powers of analysis and rhetoric, I understand and engage with the world around me more consistently and actively, and I’m a quicker and more creative thinker.”

John sensed early on his career as an educator that it would be fun to coach speech and debate someday, but at first the pressures of teaching and parenting kept him from jumping in. After taking a job at his old high school in Maine, where the speech and debate team had gone defunct, a couple students learned of his debate past and began to encourage him to revive the team.

“While both of these young men went on to be excellent debaters, winning that particular argument was certainly no challenge,” John remembers. “Coaching speech and debate has been my favorite part of my job ever since, and I have Sam O'Donnell and Ben Cox-Faxon to thank for it!” By the time John’s family moved from Maine to New Mexico, he was hooked and eagerly started the team at Navajo Prep on day one.

There are so many cool things to share about Navajo Prep! The history of this institution stretches back to the 1800s, which is quite unusual for a school in this part of the country. Tragically, much of that time belongs to the forced assimilation boarding school era of our nation’s history, but in the early 1990s, the Navajo Nation purchased the school and reinvented it as an institution devoted to empowering the Indigenous youth of the Four Corners region and to preserving and promoting

About 10 years ago, the school embraced the International Baccalaureate program. Today, we have around 270 students, about 95% of whom are Diné and over two-thirds of whom come in each weekend from all across the United States' largest reservation (bigger than West Virginia) to be here. The overwhelming majority of our students go on to college, where they consistently outperform the college success metrics of their peers, Indigenous or otherwise, across New Mexico and the nation.

Based on an interview with coach John Russell (also known as P-Russ, short for Parliamentarian Russell), English teacher and speech and debate coach at Navajo Preparatory School in Farmington, New Mexico — compiled by Amy Seidelman

Amy Seidelman is the Assistant Executive Director at the NSDA.

How do the students on the Navajo Prep team use their speech and debate skills to pursue other passions of theirs?

Navajo Prep students are a passionate group. For most of our kids, if they can dream it, they can achieve it (if you’ll excuse the cliché). Still, many of those who have been active in speech and debate have found themselves better prepared for all sorts of other pursuits. For some, the benefits have been closer to home—understanding and engaging more competently in parliamentary procedure as it’s used at Student Senate and Board of Trustee meetings, or perhaps just feeling more comfortable speaking up

and presenting in class. For others, these benefits have extended farther afield.

For example, one of my colleagues recently fielded a large number of students to a variety of science fairs around the Southwest. The whole group did admirably, but the Gavelin’ Eagles (as we call ourselves) did best! On March 3, four of them swept the top four spots at the New Mexico Junior Academy of Science Competition, and sophomore Haylei Redhouse was top three in Physics at the very competitive Arizona Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in February. And wouldn’t you know it? These students got particular praise for the quality of their oral presentations!

What are some things you and your students are focused on learning or developing as you establish your team at Navajo Prep?

In this first year, the primary goal has just been showing up! Our campus is three hours away from most tournaments (sometimes farther), and many of our students do not even live here in town. This has resulted in some painfully early wake-up times over the course of the season. Fortunately, as we’ve acquired funding from the school (always a tricky process for a brand new activity), and thanks to some very generous grants from the New Mexico Speech and Debate Educators Foundation and especially the NSDA’s Keith West

My mindset has shifted to quickly think on my feet and not be afraid to speak up when I am in doubt. Last week when I was at the Navajo Prep Board of Trustees meeting, my speech and debate skills kicked in. I was unsure if I was allowed to speak, but I felt that it was important, so I raised my hand and the Board members graciously gave me time to speak. I gave my stance on the situation and presented valid evidence for why they should agree. Speech and debate has made me realize how I want to conduct myself in the world. It is evident that there are not many Native Americans in many of my high school activities. From this, I've reflected on how I want to act in these public events as a respectful leader, a compassionate person, a competitive opponent, and a proud Navajo woman.” — Haylei Redhouse ('25)

Grant, we have been able to afford lodging more consistently.

Now that things are a bit more stable, we are starting to focus on technique and strategy with Lincoln-Douglas Debate and the Interps in particular, as there seems to be a lot of interest and potential in those events. This has been a learning experience for me, too—my last team back in Maine (shout out to Yarmouth High School Speech and Debate) competed almost exclusively in Congressional Debate, which is less prominent here in New Mexico. I’m embarrassed to admit that, as recently as November, I didn’t even know what criterion and value meant!

Sophomores Haylei Redhouse and Hailey Thomas show off their medals, the team's very first, in front of the New Mexico State Capitol back in September.

How does your team celebrate its progress, besides points or trophies?

Celebrating team achievements is a real passion of mine! As a Congress kid back in the day, I was always sad to see how much focus athletic successes got and the degree to which the amazing things we accomplished got pushed to the side. As a coach, I strive to do whatever I can to inform as wide an audience as possible of the tremendous things our students do.

On the most basic level, I always provide a timely rundown of how each tournament went for the whole school to appreciate. I shout out students who rank and medal, of course, but I also emphasize students who exhibited bravery, humility, and/or grit in other ways—by trying a brand new event for the first time, for example, or perhaps by overcoming a challenging situation with a competitor or a judge.

Like most speech and debate kids, the Gavelin’ Eagles do love their points, certificates, and stickers. We frame and proudly display their certificates in the hallway outside my classroom so that everyone at school can see which students have

committed themselves to this rigorous, rewarding endeavor.

I love to find ways to celebrate speech and debate in the real world, too. With my last team, we hosted watch parties for the 2020 presidential debates so we could evaluate the skills of Biden, Trump, Harris, and Pence. This year, we are going to do a watch party for Girl Talk. Our team happens to be pretty female-dominated, so I was particularly excited to hear about this movie’s release. Finally, I ended each previous season with a banquet! We celebrated achievements from the year, dispensed special awards, “knighted” new team captains with a comically oversized gavel, and just generally had a great time reflecting on everything we’d accomplished. I can’t wait for Navajo Prep’s first banquet at the end of this year!

IN THEIR WORDS

Messages from Navajo Prep students to the NSDA community

• “See you at Nationals!”

• “I’ve had a really fun experience.”

• “Speech and debate helps with English class!”

• “Please provide more opportunities for novice competitors, more novice divisions.”

• “Get more coaches in more schools so that every student has a chance to participate.”

• “Keep letting us use computers in events! Offer more accessible events...”

What is your team most excited about for next year?

• “Better topics! Not being total noobs anymore! Going in with experience! Trying new events!”

• “Excited to improve and understand speech and debate more!”

• “More points! They’re gonna be scared of me!”

The Gavelin' Eagles take a breather after their first full tournament at East Mountain High School in Sandia Park.

THINK YOURSELF for esS ay contest

HS juniors and seniors can win a scholarship with just a 600-800 word essay. No GPA or test score requirements. $8,000 in prizes for college or trade school.

Write about a time you could have taken o ense at what someone said about you or an important issue, but decided not to. Why did you decide that, and what did you learn from the experience?

Write about a time someone changed your mind about an idea or belief you strongly held. How did this change happen and what did you learn from the process? Is there anything you’ll do di erently from now on?

Some say teens and even young adults in college should be shielded from controversial books, ideas, or speakers. Do you agree? Why or why not? If yes, who would you let decide what you could be exposed to?

Write about a time you didn’t speak up — or almost didn’t — for fear your idea or viewpoint might be unpopular. Was this the right decision and would you do the same thing again?

How has social media impacted your willingness to be authentic, share your true thoughts, learn about other people’s ideas, and/or engage seriously with them? Please give us one or more examples.

Entries are due April 30 and winners will be announced in August. See rules and eligibility and get writing at bit.ly/TFYScholarship.

NATIONAL SPEECH & DEBATE ASSOCIATION

TROPHY SHOP

Order tournament trophies, school awards, plaques, medals, and more from the National Speech & Debate Association’s Trophy Shop!

Order tournament trophies, school awards, plaques, medals, and more from the National Speech & Debate Association’s Trophy Shop!

We have thousands to choose from, or you can create customized awards for your event! As a member, you have access to wholesale prices and early invoicing.

We have thousands to choose from, or you can create customized awards for your event! As a member, you have access to wholesale prices and early invoicing.

We have thousands of awards to choose from—or you can create customized awards for your event! As an NSDA member, you have access to wholesale prices and early invoicing.

Learn more at www.speechanddebate.org/trophyshop

Learn more at www.speechanddebate.org/trophyshop

We create more than 30,000 awards for speech and debate programs every year—imagine what we can do for YOUR team or tournament!”

— Chad Wagner and the Trophy Shop team

www.speechanddebate.org/

LISA VOSSEKUIL

A FULL-TIME CHAMPION OF SPEECH AND DEBATE

by Amy Seidelman

Lisa joined the National Forensic League as a part-time employee on March 13, 2003, and less than two weeks later was asked to go full-time. When I ask her why, she says, “I think they could tell I did good work.” I smile knowingly. It only took Lisa 11 days to prove herself.

20 Years at the NSDA

Back in the early aughts at the Ripon, Wisconsin, headquarters of what was still the NFL, Lisa entered district points manually into a computer database. She also sat across from the person who answered the phones, absorbing everything. It wasn’t a distraction from her data entry work; it was a learning opportunity.

If you want to explore how the NFL, which a decade into Lisa’s employment became the NSDA, has changed over the years, Lisa’s career path sheds some light. After entering district points by hand until tabulation

technology was able to accomplish that, as well as typing school information directly onto index cards referred to as “history cards” at the office, Lisa became a backup on phones. She started to use what she had overheard and, if she didn’t know the answer, she found it.

The employee responsible for mailings left at one point, and Lisa took that over. She recalls how calligraphers brought membership certificates in on Mondays and Thursdays, and she worked accordingly to run reports, print labels, and arrange things so everything would go out

Lisa Vossekuil Celebrates

together, but shipped seals out as soon as possible. After spending some time handwriting amounts on membership invoices, Lisa was the first to suggest a mail merge, an idea that was eventually accepted. In 2007, she became the point person for Pi Kappa Delta (PKD), the college speech and debate honor society that the NFL managed, entering their memberships by hand, issuing their honoraries, processing tournament entries, and handling the financial transactions. This required an extreme

level of organization, as everything was tracked on paper.

Around that same time, Lisa also became a primary customer service representative for the organization. It’s that role, answering phone calls and emails, for which most current coaches know Lisa. That, registration at Nationals, and dealing with tournament drops, adds, and alternates by hand all put Lisa in close contact with coaches. Eventually, to continue to provide effective service and

handle tournament transactions, Lisa needed to learn to use Tabroom.com. At first, she found it overwhelming. But over time, Lisa became an internal resource and goto for using the platform.

“It was cool learning it. It was a challenge... a different challenge than the manual work. It’s still amazing to me that judges can enter results directly into the system, they get tabulated, and the points translate to the NSDA system.”

As soon as Executive Director Scott Wunn started to discuss the possibility of moving the organization’s headquarters to the Des Moines area in Iowa, he began asking Lisa if she and her husband, Darrell, would make the move. Darrell, especially, supported Lisa’s employment here and encouraged any chance she had for growth. Lisa can still picture the U-Haul pulling away from their Ripon house. They were excited to find a place to call home in the small town of Winterset, Iowa. At the time, Lisa was taking refresher courses for her role as a volunteer

EMS technician and was going back to Ripon on weekends. Darrell spent his first Thanksgiving in Iowa without Lisa but was invited to share it with the Wunns at their home.

Sometimes, longevity translates to inertia—a fear of the new, or a call for “the way it was.” You won’t hear that from Lisa. She has embraced, even championed, each automation, each efficiency, even when it meant a change for her work or position. If it is good for students and coaches, it's good for the organization, and that is what Lisa cares about.

Always ready to apply herself to something new, Lisa expressed interest in transitioning to a role with the NSDA Store when the opportunity opened up.

So, in late 2020, NSDA Store customers became the beneficiaries of Lisa’s dedication to service.

Lisa enjoys that she

Lisa and her husband Darrell, along with their dog Chloe, drive a truck full of merchandise and other tournament supplies to Nationals each summer.

Lisa assisting Dr. Rich Edwards and Jackie Oakes with supplemental re-registration in 2010.

continues to manage the membership mailings— and the office.

When I ask Lisa what she thinks about students who do speech and debate, she paints a picture. She imagines sitting at a kitchen table, over dinner, with one of those kids—what it would be like to engage with someone that young at such a high level, over complex and thorny topics, and the amazement she feels picturing that dinner conversation.

The first event Lisa ever saw was Student Congress. She recalls a similar amazement then. “You can’t fake it,” Lisa says. “At least, not for long. You have to know your stuff. The knowledge is incredible."

Over the last 20 years, Lisa has become staunch in her opinion that all students should have a speech and debate experience.

Since the NSDA began tracking customer service cases (a little over five years ago for phone

calls and eight years for emails), Lisa has handled more than 13,000 calls and answered nearly 46,000 emails. Obviously, given her years of service, that only begins to cover her actual numbers.

Since Lisa has spoken to so many coaches, I also ask for her observations about that group of members. She relates back to her customer service work. Lisa remembers how frustrated many coaches would be at the beginning of a phone call, but how grateful most were at the end. That gave her the strongest feeling of accomplishment: to ensure a stressed, overworked coach had an issue resolved by a human being who cared.

Lisa’s favorite thing about the National Tournament is seeing all the faces she has worked with throughout the year. That moment when she encounters someone she’s had 15 or 20 conversations or email exchanges with, but has never met, is kind of magical for her.

w

Lisa is grateful that the NSDA today has a warmer image (editor’s note: thanks in part to her service) than it historically enjoyed. She also has a wish for the organization’s next 100 years: continued support from donors to grow the activity and help more students do it. She is grateful that the organization has developed more sustainable funding sources over time. “One day, I’ll go away, but the organization won’t,” Lisa said. “I don’t feel like that’s always been the case.” The security that generous donors provide for the future of the activity inspires Lisa and Darrell, who have given to their local school district’s speech and debate team. “We always say if we won the lottery, we would use the winnings to support speech and debate,” she shares.

If it isn’t clear by now, there is already a lucky win in this story, and it happened 20 years ago when Lisa Vossekuil committed full-time to speech and debate.

Amy Seidelman is the Assistant Executive Director at the NSDA.

You can’t fake it. At least, not for long. You have to know your stuff. The knowledge is incredible.” — Lisa Vossekuil, expressing her awe of speech and debate students

Lisa has handled more than 13,000 calls and answered nearly 46,000 emails since the NSDA began tracking customer service cases.

Debate really spurred my interest in politics and civic participation and helped directly inform my choice to work in public policy and government relations long-term.”

PURSUE YOUR PASSION

In what events did you participate?

life.

compiled by Amy Seidelman and Amber Gracia

JIA MEEKS is a Policy Advisor and Attorney at Law at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck in Colorado. Prior to attending law school and joining the firm, Jia worked in a variety of legislative, campaign, and government relations roles, including as a staffer at the Colorado State Capitol and as the legislative liaison for the University of Colorado Boulder. In law school, Jia successfully competed in several trial advocacy competitions and received multiple scholastic excellence awards while also clerking at the firm.

I mostly participated in Public Forum Debate, although I also dabbled in Policy and Lincoln-Douglas. However, I gravitated toward PF because of the constant rotation of current events topics, the use of evidence, and a format that more closely mirrored what you might see in the “real world” such as a debate between candidates for elected office. Those components of debate really spurred my interest in politics and civic participation and helped directly inform my choice to work in public policy and government relations long-term.

What aspects of your speech and debate training do you still actively use today?

While I rely on the hard skills I learned in speech and debate almost daily— including synthesizing

data and information with advocacy, public speaking, research, and more—I think the confidence I gained from speech and debate is what has helped me the most as I’ve advanced professionally. Knowing that, if I put in the time and preparation, I can make a strong case to important decision-makers at any level—or even persuade them to agree with my position on a certain topic— has truly been invaluable.

What advice do you have for current NSDA students?

I think people who participate in speech and debate are generally wellequipped to leverage those skills in a variety of settings, whether it be a job interview,

JIA MEEKS

school or work assignment, or otherwise. However, as you use those skills in the “real world,” I would remind folks that you have to know your audience. Speech and debate can be somewhat of a sterile environment where you are speaking or advocating to impartial judges (at least theoretically). As you apply those skills in a non-speech and debate setting, you have to be intentional about trying to meet people where they are and acknowledging that they are bringing different perspectives/lived experiences to the table. If you are thoughtful about that aspect, it will help you utilize your speech and debate skills much more effectively.

We invited several speech and debate alumni to share how the activity contributed to their ability to find their purpose later in

In what events did you participate?

I primarily participated in Duo Interpretation, Prose, Original Oratory, and Policy Debate. As a high school student, these speech and debate experiences informed my critical thinking and analytical skills, while also orienting me to consider whose perspectives and stories were being privileged or uplifted. These experiences reinforced my determination to challenge power and resist systems of oppression in my personal and professional life.

What aspects of your speech and debate training do you still actively use today?

Today, I am a professor at the University of California Irvine, and I engage in community-based participatory research with Indigenous populations— primarily with communities belonging to Micronesia in

Oceania. This work is rooted in a principle of reciprocity, where mutual creation and exchange allows us to share knowledge and reclaim power. To do this work in a good way, I often return to the lessons from debate training such as engaging critical perspectives, conducting culturally relevant research, and listening to stories and theories that build on community strengths and resources.

The mentors and network of support that I had in speech and debate also encouraged me to pursue higher education—a place where Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) remain largely absent from education policy considerations, campus services, and degree attainment. I hope that speech and debate training will continue to support NHPIs and all Indigenous populations who are underrepresented in postsecondary education.

TIARA NA’PUTI

What advice do you have for current NSDA students?

Start with the principle of reciprocity, an ongoing process to make things right and do things in a good way. This involves listening to the stories from your communities and from your ancestors, being responsible for learning about the places and peoples where you live and travel. These things are a powerful complement to whatever skills you may acquire from speech and debate. Reciprocity is a necessary step to resist systemic oppression and to ensure we all have a thriving future.

TIARA NA’PUTI, PH.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Global & International Studies at the University of California Irvine. She competed in both speech and debate events in high school in Peculiar, Missouri. She graduated magna cum laude from Emporia State University. While attending university, she competed in Policy Debate and also participated in Spanish language debates at the Universidad Pública de Navarra (Pamplona, Spain). She graduated with a Ph.D. in Communication from The University of Texas at Austin.

www.speechanddebate.org/ notable-alumni

I often return to the lessons from debate training such as engaging critical perspectives, conducting culturally relevant research, and listening to stories and theories that build on community strengths and resources.”

The better debaters learn to listen carefully, and with maturity, this ability deepens. If you work on this skill, your advocacy will benefit immeasurably.”

In what events did you participate?

Finding debate in high school set a trajectory for my life. Though I started competing in Expository Speaking and Impromptu, it was debate that stirred my passion. It’s now called Policy Debate, but it was the sole format at that time. The research, the creation of cases, the development of skill in oral presentation and persuasion, the joy of competition, and the camaraderie of students with similar interests across the state was thrilling.

What aspects of your speech and debate training do you still actively use today?

The research and writing methods I learned from debate powered my academic performance through high school, college, and law school and into my career as a capital defense lawyer.

I often tell students that it was debate more than any of my other classes in high school or college which was instrumental to my success as a trial lawyer. Law school supplies a method, and some breadth of knowledge, but not necessarily the tools for persuasion. For that reason, I always had an advantage in trials for having debated.

The better debaters learn to listen carefully, and with maturity, this ability deepens. If you work on this skill, your advocacy will benefit immeasurably.

Now, as a Superior Court Judge, my role is to evaluate arguments and reconcile them in a way that does justice. Having thought about argumentation throughout my life, this comes as second nature. While work is integral to life, our lives are more than our work, and in our interactions with everyone we meet,

MARK E. WINDHAM

the ability to listen deeply and really hear others, and to communicate to them what we really want, makes all of life better.

What advice do you have for current NSDA students?

I encourage you to follow your passion for speech and debate, not only for the way it enhances any student’s academic experience, and not only for those who want to advocate professionally, but for anyone and everyone to develop the deeply human art of communication, which more than any other skill, can guide you to a satisfying and meaningful life.

WINDHAM competed at the 1976 NFL (now NSDA) Nationals in debate at the U.S. Air Force Academy, representing Van Nuys High School, from the West Los Angeles District. He went on to debate for UC Berkeley, then attended UC Law San Francisco. After 23 years as a Deputy Public Defender, he became a Judge of the Superior Court of California. He recently presided over the Robert Durst murder trial.

JUDGE MARK E.

Amy Seidelman is the Assistant Executive Director at the NSDA. Amber Gracia serves as Alumni Engagement Specialist at the NSDA.

Alumni membership is for anyone who has graduated from high school (2023 seniors, this includes you!) and participated in speech and debate in middle school, high school, or college.

PAUL RUDD ACTOR Shawnee Mission West High School CLASS OF 1987

CHADWICK BOSEMAN ACTOR T. L. Hanna High School CLASS OF 1995

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON SUPREME COURT JUSTICE Miami Palmetto Senior High School CLASS OF 1988

PRIYA KRISHNA CHEF AND FOOD WRITER Greenhill School CLASS OF 2009

DAVID BEGNAUD JOURNALIST Teurlings Catholic High School CLASS OF 2001

STEPHEN COLBERT COMEDIAN The Porter-Gaud School CLASS OF 1982

CITRON ONLINE

N on-Geographically Bound District Fulfills a Need

compiled by Lauren McCool

Traditionally, when a school decides to become an NSDA member, it is placed in an NSDA district based on its geographic location. But, as online speech and debate became a new norm, new opportunities became available.

Since 2020, two new districts have been created that have no geographical basis. The first, the Online Schools District, serves schools that only meet online. The second, Citron Online, was created in the fall of 2022 and meets a different need.

Citron Online serves schools with students who cannot compete on Fridays and Saturdays. At this time, participating schools have chosen to join this district for religious reasons, but it is open to schools with other structural reasons preventing competition on those days. We interviewed the members of the Citron Online District Committee to tell us more about their ongoing journey with speech and debate.

What led you to request a new district be created?

Alex Libkind (chair): We have been competing for the past seven years under the rules of the NSDA but were always precluded from qualifying for Nationals due to the district tournament being held on the Sabbath. We did not want to change the way our local qualifiers worked, but wanted to still have the opportunity to advance to Nationals. When COVID-19 hit, we moved all our tournaments to Zoom and brought in similar Jewish Orthodox High Schools from all over the country. Setting up a district with no

geographical bounds [that could meet the needs of students who are] Shabbat observant was a natural evolution of us forming Citron Online.

What makes speech and debate meaningful to your students? Why do they participate in this activity?

Victoria Allen: Our students are eager to research the issues that are important to them and issues that they may want to pursue professionally. This is a forum where they can pursue their interests, sharpen their arguments, and develop their public speaking skills.

Lauren McCool is the Manager of District and Tournament Services at the NSDA.

Several Citron Online member schools compete at local tournaments.

Kyla Crowther: Preparing for and participating in organized speech and debate helps hone valuable skills, including critical thinking, research, synthesis, argumentation, logic, and persuasion. Students have a natural desire to express their opinions and respond to those of their peers—speech and debate offers them the appropriate forum in which to do so (not that they don’t still partake in the grand teen tradition of yelling in the hallways).

Simcha Frishman: Speech and debate is an integral outlet for many students. Learning and practicing the skills needed for these activities, such as research, writing, critical thinking, and critical listening, helps guide them in so many ways as they journey through high school, college, and beyond. They enjoy being a part of a team—a family— helping each other along the way to truly become the better version of themselves.

Alex Libkind: Prior to our district, the

Yeshiva High Schools would only compete among themselves in tournaments that were not based on any national standards. By introducing Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, and even Extemp Debate, students got to experience all the skills necessary to compete in these recognized events. They also have had the opportunity to try speech events such as Impromptu and Original Oratory that were never offered to Yeshiva High School students. Finally, our students have really excelled in Model Congress using the structure provided by the NSDA.

Thomas Messersmith: Debate is extremely important to our students. They love grappling with complex issues that are facing them today and honing their skills in logical reasoning. Many of our students aspire to be members of the religious community and, perhaps, become rabbis. As debate is an important point of the Jewish faith, this will help them immensely with their goals.

A variety of programs from across the country haved joined the Citron Online District since 2022, including (top to bottom): Rambam Mesivta, NY • North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, NY • Hebrew Academy Five Towns Rock, NY • Katz Yeshiva High School - Boca Raton, FL.

Since your district generally participates online, what are some of the ways you build community among your team/ district’s members?

Alex Libkind: Students wrote a bill for Model Congress to set up a committee to study the procedures of our online tournaments. This prompted us to start a student-led committee with subcommittees for speech, debate, and Model Congress. This got the students working together to improve the weekday tournaments. We actually opened this committee beyond just our district to the public schools that are regular participants in our weekday tournaments.

Victoria Allen: Online tournaments expand the community in a certain way in that we have students from other states participating. Further, more students are able to participate because they don’t face transportation obstacles. Our in-person tournament this past week was very special for the students—for many, it was their first in-person tournament. It was great

for them to meet students from the other 16 schools that were participating.

What have you as a coach learned or experienced that makes you a supporter of speech and debate?

Simcha Frishman: Coaching debate is an eye-opening experience as I am able to see my students through a different lens. A student in the classroom may not be the same when it comes to competing. I support any positive outlet that allows students to shine and grow in their confidence.

Victoria Allen: I have been amazed at the capacity of my students to compete on such a high level. It also has been great to work with students who have not taken my class—it makes me feel more connected to the school and to the student body as a whole.

Kyla Crowther: Watching shy, reticent students blossom in this environment is immensely rewarding, as is watching the naturally loud and passionate dissenters learn to organize their thoughts and articulate them with restraint.

Alex Libkind: As a former NFL competitor in both speech and debate, I really appreciated what it meant to compete at this level. I wanted to make sure that my students would be able to have the same experience I had growing up, without compromising their religious beliefs.

What is a goal you have for your students/the students in your district in the years to come?

Alex Libkind: Our goal is to open our online weekday tournament to the entire nation, so

that we can compete against a wide variety of students. At the same time, we want our online district to establish a consistent and marked presence at the National Tournament.

Victoria Allen: I am new to the school and my students are new to Citron, so I hope that our group will grow and become even more competitive. I hope to see students mentoring each other as well as gaining more experience as judges and presiding officers. Most importantly, I hope that we will establish a presence at the National Tournament.

Thomas Messersmith: As a new team, I hope that my students will be able to continue to compete and raise the level of their competition. This district will allow them to do that!

If your school is interested in joining the Citron Online District, please email Lauren McCool at lauren.mccool@speechanddebate.org.

To be eligible, program advisors will be asked to submit a letter from a school administrator providing a structural reason that prevents students from competing on Fridays and Saturdays.

DEBORAH GAROUI A Storyteller’s Journey

by Annie Reisener

As a child, Deborah Garoui’s primary caretaker was a storyteller. Groups of local children would gather on her porch in the evenings and listen to her tell stories.

Deborah grew up in Oklahoma. She was raised by a single mother and was the youngest of eight children, two of whom had special needs. When Deborah was five, her mother fell on hard times and arranged for her to live with a woman named Miss Bea.

“I learned about overcoming adversity when I lived with Miss Bea,” Deborah says. “We lived in extreme poverty. She knew my background and that she’d be the only stability I had. She always made sure I was well-fed and in school. My mother dropped me off without shoes, and I remember I’d walk to school barefoot. Miss Bea saved up and bought me a pair of shoes.”

Deborah also lived with Miss Bea when racial tensions were high. Miss Bea was a Black woman, and as Deborah remembers, she was one of few who owned land in her own name in Oklahoma at that time. That position led to hatred that Deborah remembers throughout her childhood. “I grew up hearing the woman I worshipped called names I could not fathom. One night, her mule was killed and the N-word was painted across his body in bright orange spray paint. I knew what the word meant, but I didn’t understand the full impact of it. People who did not know her threw cans at Miss Bea while we walked to the store, shouting it out the car windows as they passed.”

Miss Bea taught Deborah to oppose any kind of injustice. As a Muslim of Choctaw and Italian descent, Deborah often got looks when she was with Miss Bea. Once, after a woman tried to yank Deborah away from

Miss Bea in the street, Miss Bea said, “Whenever you see things that are wrong in this world, you pick up a stick and you beat it down. Girl, you keep your stick with you.” That lesson, among many others, stuck with her. Though Miss Bea passed away on Deborah’s thirteenth birthday, she has been the biggest influence on Deborah’s life.

When she returned home, Deborah dropped out of school to help her

mother with her autistic brother and began to lose her way. She robbed a convenience store, and although she wasn’t caught, she scared herself. “I felt like I’d ruined my life,” Deborah says.

With the encouragement of her stepdad, she got her GED and enrolled in junior college. Her creative writing professor discovered her talent for storytelling and signed her up for a talent show to do stand-up

Deborah is a one-diamond coach from Brownfield High School in Texas.

comedy. “I didn’t want to do it, but I needed to pay him back the $15 entry fee. I didn’t have any money. Fifteen dollars might as well have been a million. I got third place just rambling and slapped the $15 on the desk, but he had already signed me up for another! Next thing I know, this man is driving me all over southwest Oklahoma to do stand-up. So I’d go do it and then run off stage and throw up.”

Deborah paid her way through college with scholarships for theater and began doing After Dinner Speaking with the speech and debate team. She transferred to a university and got a full ride—all because she could tell stories just like Miss Bea.

BECOMING AN EDUCATOR

Deborah began her career teaching speech and theater. In 2012, she was asked to take over debate at Keller High School in Texas. Deborah was petrified—and she had a full plate already. She was a single mom with two children: a young daughter Noor, and son Noah, a toddler with Down syndrome, autism, and LennoxGastaut syndrome. She had also just survived triple negative breast cancer, with 52 rounds of chemo and four reconstructive surgeries.

Deborah faced the new challenge with her typical tenacity and, with the help of mentors in North Texas, she found her footing. Eventually, the team was traveling to 32 tournaments a year.

A CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE

Over the course of her career, Deborah has sought to build a team that welcomes students from all backgrounds. But she didn’t start out that way.

“I initially bought into the elitist idea that only the best and brightest could possibly succeed at this activity. Then, in my third year of coaching, I met a student who I’ll call Caleb. He had a severe form of autism. At the end of Debate I, Caleb had yet to deliver a speech.” When he enrolled in Advanced Debate, she was opposed, and felt she wouldn’t have the time to dedicate to him. She asked one of the upperclassmen to work with him, and they became friends.

“One day in class they started practicing, and Caleb gave a whole speech! I was shocked,” she remembers. Caleb started going to tournaments and walking out of rounds smiling from ear to ear, in part because the upperclassman who worked with him had told him that debate was all

about having fun. “I had forgotten this!” Deborah says. “I forgot that debate was supposed to be fun.”

She began working with Caleb, and he made friends with many of his teammates. When they threw him a surprise birthday party, Deborah got a call from his mother, who was in tears. “She said that Caleb had never belonged anywhere his whole life, but now he came home every night and talked about how much he loved debate and the team,” Deborah recalls. “I hung up the phone with her and sat and cried. How could I have been so unfeeling toward someone like Caleb when I, myself, have a child with special needs? So often I had tried to throw my son a birthday party and nobody would show up. And yet, I

was showing so little regard to Caleb’s feelings. I made a promise to myself that I would never allow my own snobby idea of what debate was supposed to be to exclude a student ever again.”

Deborah revamped her team and her recruitment strategy. Caleb became an officer who worked with novices. She set out to pitch speech and debate as a place for those with something to say, a desire to make change, and a unique point of view. This helped her to recruit more girls, students of color, and LGBTQ+ students. She also sent teams of students to help coach at the middle school, and when those young students saw leaders

Deborah’s children Noor (left) and Noah (right).

who looked like them, they became inspired to join, too.

“Caleb changed the way I view debate,” Deborah reflects. “He taught me a very important lesson about what winning really looks like and what a team really is. If you don’t look at this space as wins and losses, but as opportunities, then you will realize that what speech and debate does for each individual can be limitless!”

FINDING A BALANCE

About a year ago, Deborah’s perspective shifted again when she learned that Noah’s Lennox-Gault syndrome meant he had a limited life expectancy. “I realized I’d been spending every weekend giving opportunities to other people’s children and not spending the precious time I had with my own. I loved my team, but it was

time I slowed down and put efforts into building memories.” Deborah moved her family to Lubbock, Texas, where she found a teaching job at Brownfield High School.

Brownfield is a Title I, diverse, rural school of roughly 450 students. “I relate to the families because a lot of them struggle just like I did. I thought, ‘Wow, I would love to bring speech and debate to these kids.’” Rather than slowing down, Deborah switched gears. The team had no budget, so in December, Deborah applied for and received an NSDA Pay it Forward grant, which she used to get their team of three started. When the girls (one of whom was Deborah’s daughter Noor) got their first taste of success, they caught the bug. Now Deborah is traveling with her team again; but this time, she has

her family in tow. She makes it a priority to give her team experiences they wouldn’t otherwise have, whether that’s trying new cuisines or staying in a hotel for the first time. Often, she funds these opportunities out of her own pocket.

“I was an adult when I went to a zoo for the first time, and I certainly didn’t know what sushi was!” Deborah says. “I relate to them. Plus, they will go back to school and tell other students how amazing it was to stay in a hotel and eat sushi, and they will want to join debate, too.”

Along the way, Deborah’s been able to spend time with Noah, watch Noor qualify for both State and Nationals in speech, and witness her team grow and thrive because of the opportunities afforded to

them through speech and debate.

Much of Deborah’s story is cyclical: She is a single mother raising a child with special needs, like her mother before her. She is a storyteller, raised by a storyteller, raising a storyteller. Like Miss Bea and her professor, she is caring for and expanding the worlds of young students in rural areas. For Deborah, that all begins in the classroom.

“It starts with a single voice in the middle of a small town somewhere, where it’s safe for every child to use their perspective for the betterment of their surroundings. It’s called speech and debate, and there’s nothing else like it.”

Annie Reisener is the Director of Membership at the NSDA.

Deborah’s former speech and debate team from Keller High School in Texas.

MATTHEW ZHANG

T he student founder of Omega Speech and Debate speaks with us about providing greater access to the activity while expanding service initiatives.

compiled by Sean Lee

How did you first get into debate? What benefits did you gain from the activity that you wanted to share with others?

Growing up, I was always highly passionate about argumentation. I spent much of my free time engaging my friends in silly, informal debates over sports, video games, and pop culture. When I discovered an activity at my middle school where people were rewarded with trophies and prizes for winning debates, I immediately capitalized on the opportunity.

Through debate, I learned how to articulate

my thoughts clearly and persuasively in both writing and speaking. While the most immediate results were seen in more successful performances at tournaments, the benefits extended far beyond debate itself. Stronger communication skills helped me win writing awards, deliver critically acclaimed addresses at important ceremonies, and even ace interviews that would lead to job offers and college acceptances. Furthermore, debate allowed me to explore the world beyond the class bubble in which I grew up, improving my awareness of current events and social issues.

Sean Lee is a senior at Horace Mann School in New York. He currently serves as an intern for the NSDA.

Matthew Zhang, a senior from Livingston High School, founded a public speaking and debate academy for students in grades 5 through 10.

Tell us more about your organization and what it does.

Omega Speech and Debate (OSD) is a public speaking and debate academy for students in grades 5 through 10. I founded it during the summer before my sophomore year of high school. My original goal was to offer a local, high-quality, and accessible debate education program to my town (Livingston, NJ) and its neighboring communities.

Our mission is to improve access to speech and debate education and equip Generation Z with fundamental life skills practiced through the activity—including research, communication, critical thinking, writing, and public speaking. We fulfill our mission by running a variety of in-person programs, including summer camps, semester courses, tournament travel teams, workshops, and one-on-one coaching. We train students in Public Forum Debate as well as multiple speech events, including Original Oratory, Declamation, Dramatic Interpretation, Oral Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, and Duo Interpretation. Our profits are used to fund two service initiatives. First, the OSD Future Champions Fund is a grant

that provides low-income students from historically underrepresented groups with full scholarships to attend OSD programs. Second, Omega Philanthropies is a charitable sub-organization of OSD that addresses the impacts of poverty and wealth inequality through philanthropy. Omega Philanthropies works to improve the livelihoods of impoverished and underprivileged communities by tackling pressing social issues such as food insecurity and educational inequality.

What impact has your organization made so far?

Over the past three years, Omega Speech and Debate has conducted eight programs and trained more than 200 students in speech or debate events. Several OSD students, who entered our program as beginners with no prior speech or debate experience, have now learned and improved enough to win awards at national-circuit tournaments. These students are members of the Omega Travel Team—a select group of students who compete in Public Forum on the national circuit.

Additionally, Omega Philanthropies has created a strong social impact.

Using the profits generated by OSD programs, Omega Philanthropies has completed two service projects. First, we established new soup kitchens in low-income cities across New Jersey. These kitchens have fed over 1,000 individuals in need. Second, we distributed more than 11,000 school supply items to underfunded public school districts in New Jersey, equipping lowincome students with the materials they need for their education.

What do you hope your organization can do into the future as you graduate from high school?

I will continue running OSD for the duration of my college undergraduate

years. I hope that OSD will expand by attracting students from beyond New Jersey. The day-camp nature of our programs limits our potential students to those who live a reasonable driving distance away from Livingston, where we are headquartered. The next step for OSD is to establish a sleepaway-camp option for our summer programs. This would allow students from all across the country to attend our camp.

No matter how much our programs grow and expand, I plan to continue dedicating my profits to Omega Philanthropies. With greater resources, I’d conduct even more impactful service initiatives on a larger scale.

To learn more about OSD, visit www.omegaspeechdebate.org

Omega Philanthropies has distributed more than 11,000 school supply items to underfunded public school districts in New Jersey.

USA DEBATE: F INDING A SENSE OF PURPOSE

compiled by Vinayak Menon and Sophia Li

As the USA Debate team’s competitive season nears an end, it is important to recognize the impact of speech and debate extends far beyond high school. The skills gained and experiences shared during one’s speech and debate journey can define the rest of one’s life journey, whether it be in collegiate studies or future careers. As some of our team members chart their course to colleges, universities, and beyond, they reflect on how speech and debate has helped them to find a sense of purpose, drive impact in other areas of life, or even inspire them to consider certain career paths.

Abbey Xu

(’22)

Applications for the 2023-2024 USA Debate team open May 1, 2023. Encourage interested students to get started or learn more about the stages of the application process at www.speechanddebate.org/usa-debate.

USA Debate alum attending Georgetown University

“Speech and debate strengthened my confidence in myself and my future ambitions. As a current Georgetown student, I’ve found a passion for international politics and consulting. Equipped with public speaking skills and the ability to engage in discourse with others, I find myself better able to navigate these fields.”

Ambika Grover (’23)

USA Debate member from Greenwich High School, Connecticut

Anish Beeram (’23)

USA Debate member from TMI Episcopal, Texas

“Speech and debate helped me to find a voice to speak up for my community. Especially around where I live, there are a lot of underserved communities and disadvantaged students, so it definitely gave me the ability to advocate for them and start projects to increase access to educational opportunities. As I go into future career searches, it really helped me see that humanitarian work is something I’m really interested in and I can see myself continuing.”

“Debate has provided me with tools that have served me everywhere. One of the best things about this activity is that it provides experiences that are universally useful—participating has made me a better writer, researcher, and student. Learning to think critically and articulate with clarity are fundamental in every situation, from writing economic analysis to presenting scientific research. I’m certain that the skills I’ve learned through debate will continue to serve me everywhere I go.”

Cameron

Kettles (’22)

USA Debate alum attending Harvard University

“Debate taught me critical thinking and exposed me to a wide variety of issues, whether those be political, economic, or social. It also helped me uncover a desire to find the truth, which guided me toward new passions. As a college freshman, I find myself running into past debate topics and issues and reapplying my previous knowledge from debate rounds.”

Sophia

Li (’24)

USA Debate member from Greenhill School, Texas

“Speech and debate has been a transformative experience for me, not only in terms of improving my public speaking skills but also in shaping my perspective on the world. Debate showed me that there are two sides to every coin, and every perspective is worth considering and respecting. Through debating and researching various political issues, I’ve developed the necessary skills to actively engage in political advocacy and be part of the solution rather than a spectator of societal problems. Debate has also served as a catalyst for my desire to pursue political science in college. I know that the people and skills I’ve met throughout the years will impact me far beyond high school, and I hope to continue using my voice as a force for good.”

DESTINATION: SINGAPORE

In early February, the USA Debate team competed in the International Debate Weekend (IDW). The tournament consisted of friendly practice debates jointly hosted by Team Singapore and the Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC).

Fortunately, the team was able to participate in-person for the first time in two years. Team members spent most of their time scattered across classrooms at ACJC, preparing a variety of impromptu motions and competing in lively debates against teams across the world, such as Team Malaysia, Team

Thailand, Team Vietnam, and many others.

To make these rounds challenging, IDW staff intentionally provided difficult motions, many where the definitions, model, and framing were not intuitively clear to the debaters. In some rounds, the hour-long preparation time given for impromptu motions was shortened to 45 minutes, forcing the team to think on their feet and efficiently develop argumentation, refutation, and impacts. On the final day of debates, Team USA participated in a demo debate against Team Singapore.

When these debates were complete, both USA Debate and opposing teams received excellent feedback and suggestions from a variety of coaches, assistant coaches, and alumni. Representing diverse backgrounds and debating styles, these mentors helped debaters fine-tune their content, strategy, and style. As the IDW is not a formal competition, debaters do not receive wins or losses, which adds to the educational value of the tournament.

When rounds were finished for the day, team members had the opportunity to travel through the beautiful citystate of Singapore, exploring its gorgeous botanical gardens, tasting the cultural cuisine, and finding their way through the city’s subway system. Accompanied by their friends from Team Singapore, the team was able to gain valuable knowledge about the nation’s history, economy, and political system.

In late March, the USA Debate team competed at the Harvard World Schools Debate Invitational. The team of Ollie Braden, Ambika Grover, Chelsea Hu, Alex Lee, and Vinayak Menon won first place at the tournament after championing the finals with a 6-1 decision. In addition, Chelsea Hu was recognized as the top speaker, Vinayak Menon was second, and Ambika Grover was twelfth. In early April, a team of Ollie Braden, Ambika Grover, Chelsea Hu, Alex Lee, and Sungjoo Yoon will compete in the ninth Oldham Cup, which is an annual tournament organized by the ACJC.

As the season comes to a close, the team is busy preparing for the annual World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC), which will be held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in late July. The tournament marks the first inperson WSDC experience since Thailand 2019. The team is excited to continue training and attending events to get ready for the WSDC!

(left) A major benefit of in-person competition is the opportunity to be immersed in the culture of other nations and broaden one’s perspective. In late January, eleven members of the USA Debate team traveled to Singapore for the International Debate Weekend (IDW).

(below, left to right) USA Debate members Diane Sun (’23), Ollie Braden (’23), Alex Lee (’24), Ambika Grover (’23), Kiera Dixon (’23), Vinayak Menon (’23), Anish Beeram (’23), Eric Li (’23), Roberto Quesada (’23), Sungjoo Yoon (’23), and Sophia Li (’24).

Vinayak Menon (’23) is from Lambert High School in Georgia. Sophia Li (’24) is from Greenhill School in Texas.

I decided to include the NSDA in my estate plans because speech and debate is an activity that teaches everything from argumentation and speaking skills to humility and gracefully losing. This activity made me a different and better person, and I want to make sure that students well into the future are afforded the opportunities I was.”

Aarzu Maknojia NSDA ALUM

The National Speech & Debate Association is grateful to acknowledge the following 1925 Society members for pledging a generous planned gift contribution.

Byron Arthur

Phyllis Flory Barton

Jane Boyd

James Copeland

Don and Ann Crabtree

Rob Dekoven

Dr. Mike Edmonds

A. C. Eley

Vickie and Joe Fellers

Bill and Charlotte Hicks

David and Judy Huston

Jennifer Jerome

Harold Keller

Kandi King

Cherian and Betsy Koshy

Dr. Tommie Lindsey, Jr.

Aarzu Maknojia

Pam and Ray McComas

H. B. Mitchell

Lanny and B. J. Naegelin

Albert Odom, Jr.

J. W. Patterson

Capt. Joseph L. and Jan Pizzo

David Price

Dr. Polly and Bruce Reikowski

Donus and Lovila Roberts

James Rye, III

Steve and Anna Schappaugh

David Seikel

Michael Shapiro

Sandra Silvers

Richard Sodikow

William Woods Tate, Jr.

Scott and Chan Waldrop

Nicole and Darrel Wanzer-Serrano

Cheryl Watkins

J. Scott and Megan Wunn

Joe and Pam Wycoff

David and Tatiana Yastremski

THE SOCIETY 1925

Leaving your legacy with the NSDA can be done in three easy steps:

1. Add a simple paragraph to your will stating the NSDA as a beneficiary. You can revise your gift at any time.

2. Notify Nicole Wanzer-Serrano that the NSDA has been added to your will. nicole@speechanddebate.org

3. Celebrate knowing that you will impact future generations by joining The 1925 Society!

Contact Nicole for more information: nicole@speechanddebate.org

THANK YOU

... for unlocking SUPER POWERS in students!

HALIMA BADRI APPLE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL, MN CLASS OF 2019

By exchanging diverse ideas, we promote meaningful communication and can begin to plant the seeds of reason, empathy, and fairness.”

H elp more students unleash their potential by making your tax deductible gift online! w ww.speechanddebate.org/donate

2023-2024 STUDENT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL NOMINEES

Congratulations to the students nominated for the inaugural Student Leadership Council! The SLC will provide feedback and recommendations throughout the year to ensure we are meeting students’ needs. Each district's nominee and selected international students will submit videos this spring sharing why they want to be part of the SLC. From this group of nominees, a range of students will be selected to serve for the 2023-2024 school year.

LEARN MORE www.speechanddebate.org/student-leadership-council

Awa-Bilan Amarreh Eastview High School, MN

Grey Anderson Palo Verde High School, NV

Nicollette Arabie Buffalo High School, TX

George Balan Miramonte High School, CA

Lauren Beesley Idaho Falls High School, ID

Jaclyn Bossert Southern Lehigh High School, PA

Ellie Brown Lincoln High School, OR

Samuel Chen Boston Latin School, MA

Grace Choi Bloomington High School South, IN

Claire Curran Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, IN

Anushree De Coppell High School, TX

Manav Desai Thales Academy - Apex, NC

Katie Eanes Reagan High School, TX

Amulya Ganta Midland Legacy High School, TX

Gabby Garner Petal High School, MS

Elle Glassford Davidson Academy Online, NV

Solomon Goluboff-Schragger Charlottesville High School, VA

William Patton Hahn Mountain Brook High School, AL

Maxwell Harrison Edmond Santa Fe High School, OK

Dariel Herrera Plymouth High School, IN

Shirlyn Huang Arcadia High School, CA

Jackson Jackson Lansing High School, KS

Charlotte Johns Chardon High School, OH

Aspyn Kaskalla Navajo Preparatory School, NM

Bonnie Keating Dexter High School, MI

Nora Khalilian Grandview High School, CO

Aaimah Khawaja Lakeville North High School, MN

Taite Kirkpatrick Mount Vernon High School, WA

Reagan Koppelman West Fargo Sheyenne High School, ND

Evan Lawton Mauldin High School, SC

Wayne Liang Vancouver Debate Academy, Canada

Meherika Majumdar Saigon South International School, Vietnam

Homa Masood Billings Skyview High School, MT

Alexis McAdams Millennium High School, CA

Numa Mujeeb Notre Dame Academy, OH

Naisha Naik Discovery Canyon High School, CO

Isabella Novera Freehold Township High School, NJ

Trevor Oakley Cape Elizabeth High School, ME

Jasmine Okine Strive Prep-RISE, CO

Nicholas Ostheimer Florida Atlantic University High School, FL

John Otto Springfield Catholic High School, MO

Esther Oyetunji American Heritage High School - Broward, FL

Isabella Palacio Sage Hill School, CA

Sharmada Palakurthi W. B. Ray High School, TX

Bohan Pan Ladue Horton Watkins High School, MO

Sophia Pergola Newsome High School, FL

Kaitlin Pollack Hebrew Academy Five Towns Rock High School, NY

Owen Puhl Poland Seminary High School, OH

Amber Radtke Wrightstown High School, WI

Brooke Ramnath Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, FL

Oisin Reidlinger Fort Atkinson High School, WI

Gabriella Rothberg iPrep Academy North, FL

Jaqsyn Rudd Morgan High School, UT

Kaushik Sathiyandrakumar Ravenwood High School, TN

Solemei Scamaroni The Village School, TX

Ishan Sharma Westwood High School, TX

Nora Shitandi Har-Ber High School, AR

Hanzhang Swen Horace Mann School, NY

Kelly Tanaka Palo Alto High School, CA

Ephrata Tesfaye Marist School, GA

Anish Thota Charlotte Latin School, NC

Gabriel Torres Clear Brook High School, TX

Zach Vasser Spring Hill High School, KS

Hayden Watkins Rowan County Senior High School, KY

Kimberlee Wilson Oologah High School, OK

Breanna Wollman Aberdeen Central, SD

Oliver Wood-Morris Glenwood High School, IL

Faith You Hellgate High School, MT

Jade Young Midlothian High School, TX

The speech and debate team of Buhach Colony High School is a safe environment where our students can speak their truth and enrich the overall culture of our school. Our speech and debate team competes with pride and embodies the spirit of competition. Our team is the top award-winning club on our campus. The students have the opportunity to speak in public with prepared confidence and represent our school throughout the country. To say we are a proud supporter of the team would be an understatement. We our truly honored to support speech and debate at BCHS. Roll Thunder!

Jennifer L. Euker

Jennifer L. Euker, Principal

Buhach Colony High School

Atwater, California

www.speechanddebate.org/advocacy

An online platform from the NSDA

NSDA Campus is an online platform offering team practice space and tournament hosting space at a low cost.

Host tournaments using either Tabroom.com or SpeechWire

OUR PRIORITIES:

• Participant security

• Low-cost option

• Simple, integrated user experience

To date, NSDA Campus has provided more than 100,000 rooms!

PER ROOM, PER DAY

Campus with Observers

Purchase Campus with Observers rooms for divisions where you wish to permit coaches to observe rounds. Coaches may designate observers on their school tournament dashboard on a per-entry basis. Those observers can then enter rooms from the tournament dashboard.

• Due to technical limits on the number of participants in NSDA Campus rooms, Campus with Observers is limited to two observers per entry in Debate events or one observer per entry in IE/Speech events. Campus with Observers cannot work with Congress.

• An event or division using Campus with Observers must do so for the entire tournament—e.g., it cannot be used for elimination rounds only, etc. Campus with Observers rooms are $12 per room per day.

www.speechanddebate.org/nsda-campus VISIT:

www.speechanddebate.org

Newsstand Price: $9.99 per issue

Member Subscription: $24.99 for 5 issues

Non-Member Subscription: $34.99 for 5 issues www.speechanddebate.org

DEBATE CHALLENGED ME TO NOT JUST ACKNOWLEDGE PARTS OF MY GENDER AND SEXUALITY I HAD SUPPRESSED, BUT AFFIRMATIVELY EXPLORE WHAT MY IDENTITY AS A QUEER BLACK WOMAN WAS.

BROOKE KIMBROUGH

University Preparatory Academy, MI

Board Member, Women’s Debate Institute

WE ARE SPEECH & DEBATE