2019 February/March Rostrum by Speech & Debate

A PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL SPEECH & DEBATE ASSOCIATION

‘‘

VOLUME 93 ISSUE 3 FEB./MAR. 2019

COMPETITIVE DEBATE PROVIDED ME WITH THE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS THAT I RELY ON EVERY DAY AS AN ATTORNEY.” — Andre P. Hylton, Class of 1992

ALSO INSIDE • 2019 NATIONALS PREVIEW • DISTRICT LEADERSHIP: A CALL TO SERVE (AND VOTE!) • HOSTING EFFICIENT, INCLUSIVE TOURNAMENTS

CELEBRATE WITH US ON MARCH 1!

N AT I O N AL

SPEECH AND DEBATE EDUCATION DAY

CELEBRATING EDUCATORS. INSPIRING STUDENTS. TRANSFORMING TOMORROW.

SHOP THE NSDA www.speechanddebate.org /store

F O AV R AI P L N RE AB O O LE W RD ! ER

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P R E -O R D E R DU RING ONLINE REGISTR ATION OR VISIT

www.speechanddebate.org /store * Pick up shirts in Dallas starting Sunday, June 16. Limited quantities available during the National Tournament. Pre-ordering is recommended to ensure we have your size!

UUTT NNaa tt ii o n a ll II nnssttiittuuttee o n a U T N a t i o n ianl F I nosr teint u es siticc o i n F r e n s i n F o r e n s i c ss

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National Institute National NationalInstitute Institute in Forensics in inForensics Forensics Weinvite inviteyou you join next summer for the We to to join us us next summer for the 26th26th We invite you to join us nextinsummer for the 26th Annual UT National Institute in Forensics. Annual UT National Institute Forensics. Annual UT National Institute The UTNIF continues to be oneone of in the largest The UTNIF continues to be ofForensics. the largest The UTNIF continues to be one of the largest and most accomplished summer forensic and most accomplished summer forensic and most accomplished summer forensic programs the country. Just a few reasons whywhy programsin in the country. Just a few reasons programs in thecoming Justyear few reasons why our students keep back after year: our students keepcountry. coming backa year after year: our students keep coming back year after year: incomparable education, superior resources, incomparable education, superior resources, incomparable education, superior resources, unmatched faculty, reasonable rates, tremendous unmatched faculty, reasonable rates, tremendous unmatched faculty, reasonable rates, tremendous alumni, and best of all—summer in Austin, Texas! alumni, and best of all—summer in Austin, Texas! alumni, and best of all—summer in Austin, Texas!

www.utspeech.net www.utspeech.net www.utspeech.net www.utdebatecamp.com www.utdebatecamp.com www.utdebatecamp.com

Success is a product of excellent and immensely talented students, incredibly hard working coaches, supportive

parents schools, amounts of time that include investment in hard summer opportunities. is that Success isand a is product ofand excellent andand immensely talented students, incredibly coaches, Success a product ofexceptional excellent immensely talented students, incredibly hardworking working coaches,It supportive supportive understanding that makes UTNIF one amounts of the largest comprehensive institutes in the country year after year, and parents andand schools, andand exceptional of of time that include investment ininsummer opportunities. It is why that parents schools, exceptional amounts time that include investment summer opportunities. weunderstanding have assembled some of the brightest minds in the nation institutes for our program. Itcountry is alsoyear that after educational makes UTNIF offorensic the largest comprehensive institutes thecountry year after year, year, and why understanding thatthat makes UTNIF oneone of the largest comprehensive ininthe why that has some enabled of our summer programs tothe succeed atfor every level, from high school and well into we have assembled some of the brightest forensic minds nationfor ourprogram. program. isalso also that educational educational wephilosophy have assembled of alumni the brightest forensic minds in in the nation our ItItis that collegiate forensic competition. philosophy that enabled alumni of our summer programs succeedatatevery everylevel, level,from fromhigh high school school and well into philosophy that hashas enabled alumni of our summer programs totosucceed into collegiate forensic competition. collegiate forensic competition.

Passion… Elegance… Excellence Passion…Elegance… Elegance…Excellence Excellence Passion… Projected 2019 program dates: Projected2019 2019program programdates: dates: Projected

Note: For planning purposes only. All dates subject to continuing contract agreements and subject to change.

Note: For planning purposes only. All dates subject to continuing contract agreements and subject to change. Note: For planning purposes only. All dates subject to continuing contract agreements and subject to change. CX first session: June 25-July 13 CXCX second session: 17-August first session: July June 25-July413 CX first session: June 25-July 13(extension Speech Events: June 27-July 12 through July 16) CX second session: July 17-August 4 PFsecond first session: June 30-July 12 4 CX session: July 17-August Speech Events: June 27-July 12 (extension through July 16) 19-July 3112 (extension through July 16) PF second session: July Speech Events: June 27-July PF first session: June 30-July 12 July 19-August 2 LD:first session: PF June 30-July 31 PF second session: July 19-July12 CXsecond Novice:session: July July 19-July 19-July27 31 PF

LD: LD:CX Novice: CX Novice:

UTNIF Dept. of Communication Studies UTNIF 1 University Station UTNIF Dept. of A1105 Communication Studies Mail Code 1of University Station Studies Dept. Communication Austin, Texas 78712-1105 Mail Code A1105 1 University Station Texas 78712-1105 Mail Austin, Code A1105

Austin, Texas 78712-1105

July 19-August 2 July 19-August 2 July 19-July 27 July 19-July 27

Phone: 512-471-5518

Fax: 512-232-1481 Phone: 512-471-5518

Phone: Fax: 512-471-5518 512-232-1481 Fax: 512-232-1481

From the Editor

Board of Directors

I hope your 2019 is off to a phenomenal start! In this issue, we highlight the incredible achievements of members of our community and how their communication skills have helped them long after their last round of competition. In celebration of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, we catch up with several debaters who represented major milestones in our organization’s history. Kristin Langwell and Rachel D’Onofrio, the first all-female Policy Debate national champions, reflect on their time in the activity and the role models who helped them along the way on page 58. Andre Hylton, a member of one of the first successful Black Policy Debate teams, discusses challenges he and his debate partner Nathan Holmes overcame and how the activity has shaped his successes. Read the story and check out our collection of resources for Black History Month beginning on page 40. Hall of Fame coach Gay Brasher shares what she’s learned in 52 years of teaching and coaching speech and debate in this installment of “Words from the Hall.” To ensure she remained inspired and fresh in the classroom, Gay introduced speech education to a local elementary school. She shares how that experience reinvigorated her as an educator along with resources to help you conduct elementary workshops of your own on page 54. One of our biggest days of the year is quickly approaching! On March 1, I invite you to join thousands of coaches, students, and alumni across the country as we celebrate National Speech and Debate Education Day. Take a look at what we have planned on page 32 and visit www.SpeechAndDebateDay.org to access resources for promoting the day. Finally, we announce some exciting news in this issue. Prepare to throw your hat into the ring or cast your ballot in the upcoming district leadership election—all active coaches are eligible to serve on their District Committee! See page 14 for details. Plus, we connect the dots among the programming and resources you’ve seen so far this year with the priorities in our five year Strategic Plan. See our plan in action on page 12. Sincerely,

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 Timothy E. Sheaff Iowa

APPOINTED MEMBERS J. Scott Wunn Executive Director

Rostrum

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A PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL SPEECH & DEBATE ASSOCIATION

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Rostrum (ISSN 1073-5526), Copyright © 2019 by the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA), is published five times per year (Sept., Nov., Feb., Apr., and Aug.) by the NSDA, 401 Railroad Pl., West Des Moines, IA 50265-4730. Business and Editorial Offices: NSDA, 401 Railroad Pl., West Des Moines, IA, 50265-4730. Accounting and Circulation Offices: NSDA, 401 Railroad Pl., West Des Moines, IA 50265-4730. 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, 401 Railroad Pl., West Des Moines, IA 50265-4730. 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.

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

Wendy Orthman Tennessee Tom Rollins Virginia Monica Silverstein New York

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

The American Legion’s National Oratorical Contest

LOOKING FOR COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS?  LOOK NO FURTHER. The first place finisher of The American Legion’s National Oratorical Contest is awarded an $18,000 scholarship, second-place $16,000, and third-place $14,000. 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 Extemp at the National Speech & Debate Tournament!



Want to get involved? Follow these simple steps! • Visit www.legion.org/oratorical to learn more. • Click on “State Contests” to contact The American Legion Department Headquarters located in your state to learn when the first contest in your area will be. • Also click on “Assigned Topics” to learn the extemporaneous topic areas.

Carlissa Frederich of Kentucky placed first at the 2018 American Legion National Oratorical Contest

• Prepare your original oration on some aspect of the Constitution with emphasis on the duties and obligations of a citizen to our government.

Watch examples of past winning orations online at www.legion.org/oratorical/videos.

In this Issue : VOLUME 93 : ISSUE 3 : FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

From the Cover

Inside

From the Editor

2018-2019 Topics

Governance and Leadership

Advocacy Letter: Elizabeth Bornia

From Your Board President

News + Notes

Board of Directors Minutes

9 12

Have You Noticed? Our Strategic Plan in Action

Membership Minute

District Leadership: A Call to Serve (and Vote!)

Black History Month: Celebrating Blackness in Debate by Aiden Kwen

Community 30

Attend the 2019 National Speech & Debate Conference

Hosting Efficient, Inclusive Tournaments

EnGENDERing Change in Our Community

National Speech and Debate Education Day: This Year Will Be Bigger Than Ever!

by Jessica Liu and Noelle Lambert, edited by Ashley Murphy

From New York to Croatia: Tips for Understanding World Schools Debate by Emily Grantham and Leila Saklou

Words from the Hall by Gay Brasher

Edco Team Spotlight by Amy Zucchi

National Tournament 20

From Your Local Hosts

Dallas Nationals FAQs

Overview of High School Tournament Logistics

Overview of Middle School Tournament Logistics Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ speechanddebate Share with us on Instagram @speechanddebate Follow us on Twitter @speechanddebate

Recognition 58

Alumni Angles: Kristin Langwell and Rachel Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Onofrio

Student Spotlight: Uzoma Ngwu

by Eleanor Hildebrandt

by Greyson Koinzan

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

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

2019 COOLIDGE CUP The Coolidge Foundation is setting out to find the top debaters in America! The Coolidge Cup National Debate Tournament begins in the fall of 2018 with qualifying tournaments held across the country. Top placers earn a free trip to compete in the Coolidge Cup Championship Tournament taking place in early July 2019 in historic Plymouth Notch, Vermont. More than $10,000 in scholarships and prizes will be awarded to the winners of the 2019 Coolidge Cup. See the link below for a list of qualifying tournaments.

LEARN MORE

coolidgefoundation.org/2019-coolidge-cup

2018–2019

Topics

Current topics, voting links, and resources available at:

www.speechanddebate.org/topics Member students and one chapter advisor per school are eligible to vote!

2019-2020 Policy Debate Topic ARMS SALES — Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce Direct Commercial Sales and/or Foreign Military Sales of arms from the United States. In the movie Iron Man, upon his triumphant return to the United States, arms dealer Tony Stark reflects upon the world his products helped shape: “I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero-accountability...I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I had more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries.” Just as Tony Stark faced his day of reckoning, the United States is on the verge of facing a similar fate. President Trump is actively increasing the number of arms contracts offered and authorized by the United States. One must ask whether arms sales make us safer and strengthen our economy, or create blowback which increases terrorism or fuels conflicts in a variety of regions across the globe. Direct Commercial Sales affirmatives would limit the number or type of sales by American companies to foreign militaries. These affirmatives could prohibit the sale of drone technology, reduce small arms sold to nations like Saudi Arabia which are used to perpetrate human rights abuses, or strengthen export controls to prevent future resale of our technology. Foreign Military Sales affirmatives would reduce sales by the Departments of State or Defense to foreign militaries. These affirmatives could prohibit sales of F-35s to Israel which are used for bombing raids, prevent Japanese acquisition of Tomahawk missiles which would provoke China or North Korea, or prevent sales to Qatar which may give U.S. munitions to terrorist organizations. Affirmatives addressing either type of sales could net advantages such as: terrorism, proliferation, human rights credibility, hegemony, and increasing stability in the world’s most volatile regions. Negative teams will have access to alliance-based disadvantages highlighting the need for arms sales to create commonly equipped militaries, defending arms sales as a credible deterrent to prevent conflicts, acknowledging the economic impact of reducing the role of one of the largest economic sectors, or arguing countries like Russia or China would fill in and negate solvency. The only constant element of President Trump’s foreign policy is to increase arms sold by the United States, which makes the literature base broad and accessible. We have not embraced the opportunity to debate arms sales since 1983, and the time to rekindle this debate is now. (Topic synopsis courtesy of the National Federation of State High School Associations)

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MARCH 2019

Public Forum Debate

Resolved: The United States should promote the development of market rate housing in urban neighborhoods.

MARCH/APRIL 2019

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Resolved: The illegal use of drugs ought to be treated as a matter of public health, not of criminal justice.

2018–2019

Policy Debate

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce its restrictions on legal immigration to the United States.

2018–2019

Big Questions Debate

Resolved: Humans are primarily driven by self-interest.

Send us your suggestions for PF topic areas and LD resolutions! Access the online submission forms by visiting our website: www.speechanddebate.org/topics

Dear Administrator, What is the most important skill required to be successful in life? In my opinion, it is the ability to communicate effectively with others. Regardless of the goals a student may have, in order to succeed, they must be able to competently share their thoughts and ideas with the world. Whether they are explaining car repairs to a customer, giving an interview after the Super Bowl, or campaigning to be president, it is our duty as educators to prepare them to thrive in the real world. Students (and adults) are quickly losing the ability to communicate in face-to-face conversations. In today’s society, where we find ourselves seeking human connections in our phones and computers, speech and debate programs are even more important. Speech and debate teaches students how to organize their thoughts, speak with confidence, and how to listen and process opposing viewpoints in a civil manner. Having personally experienced both perspectives, as a student and a coach, I can confidently say there are few activities that provide students with the opportunity to develop these critical life skills. Through speech and debate, we have the ability to create the next generation of communicators and leaders by empowering them to share their ideas in ways that effectively bring about positive change and progress. In order to achieve that goal, we need to reach students as early as we can academically. Speech and debate programs should be made a priority for every student, elementary through high school. If we are able to introduce them to the ideas and concepts early, we can instill a passion for communication and use that to better prepare a foundation for their development. While public speaking is appreciated as an art form, we need to present it as a necessity, not an option. At a time when communication in our social, professional, and even political lives has become such an important topic‚ educators have a responsibility to further train and educate in the matter—and the National Speech & Debate Association is a vital partner in that. In the end, these programs are just as important to a school and its community as the football team or marching band. After the last touchdown has been made and the final notes are played, it will be the students who are able to inspire and motivate others with their words who will experience the greatest success in life. It’s time we do our part to reach them earlier, plant the seeds, and help them grow into the communicators we will need for the future. Regards,

Elizabeth Bornia Elizabeth Bornia 2015 Inaugural NSDA Middle School Coach of the Year Founder, Communication Arts Academy, Florida

Find this and other letters of advocacy on our website:

www.speechanddebate.org/resources ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 7

GOVERNANCE

From Your Board President On behalf of the Board, I want to thank all of you who responded to the call for feedback about the Public Forum Debate Committee’s initial recommendations, as well as those who contacted the Board about additional topics, concerns, and ideas. Your active involvement is an asset to our organization. To keep you “in the know,” check out the December Board Meeting Minutes (page 9) for a detailed look at the business conducted. For this conversation, I chose to focus on a single December agenda item. It is New Business: 1. Strategic Plan 1st Quarter Report. My guess is that right now, you might be thinking, “strategic planning—that’s the ‘hot topic’?!” So, before you flip to a new page, give me a moment to explain why it is such a significant choice. Certainly, strategic planning is not a new concept. It’s a process many organizations use to chart their course, but to do it effectively takes many steps. It requires the development of a clear mission and vision for the organization, establishing values and priorities, identifying how to best achieve those priorities, implementing the tactics, and measuring the outcomes. (Are you still reading? We’re getting close!) Although our organization was founded in 1925, formal steps to create a comprehensive strategic plan did not begin until 2006. I believe the Board members around the table in 2006 would agree the result of that strategic planning retreat was a turning point for our organization. As a Board member who was there and has witnessed the evolution of our strategic planning process,

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I consider the Board, Executive Director, Assistant Executive Director, and staff’s dedication to strategic planning to be one of if not the most important steps we have undertaken as an organization. Strategic planning has led us to have serious discussions among the Board and with the membership about who we are as an organization and what we want and need to accomplish. • It has allowed us to create and then revise in 2017-2018 our mission, vision, and values. • It has provided tangible results ranging from a constitutional change to promote access (e.g., one school, one vote) to a heightened commitment to advocacy and community engagement (e.g., the 2015 Membership Survey, National Speech and Debate Education Day, and the Leadership/ National Conferences). • It led us to expand our Board to include the non-profit organizational expertise of our appointed Board members and to reaffirm our membership centered focus. Strategic planning has solidified our purpose and guided our work. Each step has led us to this turning point in our organization. If strategic planning, by nature, isn’t a “hot topic,” it should be. As your governing Board, we owe it to you to highlight it as an organizational priority. That’s why we are so very proud that in December, we reviewed and approved the very

first comprehensive Quarterly Strategic Plan Report. Quarterly strategic reporting will now be the norm. Additionally, to promote awareness and informed engagement, a graphic summary of our 20182023 Strategic Plan, highlighting our Strategic Priorities, is now publicly available (page 13). After all, although the Board works on your behalf, this plan is ultimately your plan. Five Strategic Priorities of the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan will direct our course. As believers in the power of speech and debate to transform lives, we want to Grow Our Community. That includes reaching more students and supporting more schools. As a membership-based organization, we must Engage Our Members. That includes earning your loyalty and driving inclusive participation. Finally, we have a fiduciary responsibility to Ensure We Endure. This requires that, economically, we strive for stability. Each of these priorities includes targeted strategies designed to achieve positive results on behalf of our current and future members. So, take a look. (If you stuck with me to the end of this conversation, now would be a great time to flip to another page, especially page 13.) We hope you like what you see! I also hope this “hot topic” sheds some more light on YOUR Board at work. Until next time!

Pam Cady Wycoff NSDA Board President pam.wycoff@speechanddebate.org

GOVERNANCE

Leadership Board of Directors Minutes

he NSDA Board of Directors held its December Virtual Meeting on December 5, 2018. In attendance were President Pam Cady Wycoff, Vice President Dr. Tommie Lindsey, Jr., Byron Arthur, David Huston, Adam J. Jacobi, Jennifer Jerome, Renee Motter, Tom Rollins, Robert Runcie, Timothy Sheaff, and Monica Silverstein. President Wycoff called the meeting to order.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA Moved by Wycoff, seconded by Rollins: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Amend the order of the agenda.â&#x20AC;? Passed: 11-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter, Rollins, Runcie, Sheaff, Silverstein)

PAST MINUTES Record of prior minutes approved by acclamation. Passed: 11-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter, Rollins, Runcie, Sheaff, Silverstein)

COMMITTEE/FOCUS GROUP REPORTING Committee Reports: All Governance, Finance, Development, and Rules Revision and Evaluation Committees provided minutes from the meetings that occurred since the Fall Board Meeting. Members were then given the opportunity to submit questions/concerns/ suggestions regarding the business conducted by these standing committees to the Board President and chairs of individual committees. Any issues and or clarifications were then addressed during the meeting. Board Demographics and Talent Report: In an effort to improve its practices and procedures in non-profit

December 5, 2018

governance, the Board identified two priority items to complete by December. These included collecting information regarding the demographics of Board members and their talents. This information was gathered to inform inclusion efforts and standing committee appointments. 2018 Caucus Reports and 2018-2019 Inclusion Priorities: Board members were provided the caucus reports from the sessions at the 2018 National Tournament for additional examination and discussion. Organizational and logistical suggestions for future event plans were offered. In addition, Board members were given an opportunity to react to the 2018-2019 inclusion priorities as established by the NSDA staff in conjunction with caucus recommendations and inclusion research results. 2018 Conference Report and 2019 Conference Update: Board members were provided a report from the 2018 conference and an update on 2019. This overview provided the basis for feedback regarding 2019 hotel accommodations, proposal submissions, public relations efforts, the partnership with Colorado College, and the current plans for a successful conference in 2019. Future Planning Proposal for National and Leadership Conferences: Prior to the past two years of the National Conference, a Leadership Conference was regularly held every two years. This past year, a leadership track was included as part of the National Conference to capture some of the benefits of leadership oriented discussions. As the Board determines the best course of action to ensure ample opportunity for collaboration and deliberation with NSDA regional and national leaders, the Board has asked the Executive Director to execute a focus group to further explore and provide feedback on the best ways to meet these goals. Exploration into a potential rotation between the National Conference and Leadership Conference will be part of the discussion.

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Administrator of the Year Focus Group–Marketing and Advocacy: The Board agreed with the recommendation of the Governance Committee to create a focus group of past Administrator of the Year recipients for consultation about effective marketing and advocacy strategies. The ideas generated from this focus group could be utilized to initiate programs in schools, increase support for schools with current programs, and secure retention of current programs. Membership Correspondence: In accordance with the Board’s goal of increased membership engagement, letters submitted to the Board were included in the meeting materials to inform the Board of ideas, requests, and concerns of members. Reactions to the correspondence were discussed and proposed actions were reviewed. Board members were also given the opportunity to propose future discussion/agenda items based on this correspondence.

GOVERNANCE Moved by Huston, seconded by Jerome: “Approve the revised 2018-2019 Executive Director Evaluation standards and the Executive Director Evaluation timeline as recommended by the Governance Committee.” Passed: 10-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Rollins, Runcie, Sheaff, Silverstein) As part of its Governance responsibilities, the Board affirmed the Executive Director’s evaluation targets for 2018-2019 and the recommended timeline for the mid-year and annual evaluation. The new timeline better provides alignment with our strategic plan quarterly reports. Moved by Huston, seconded by Rollins: “Approve the Board Self-Evaluation priority focus areas and move forward with selecting strategies to achieve those goals as recommended by the Governance Committee.” Passed: 11-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter, Rollins, Runcie, Sheaff, Silverstein) Through its self-evaluation process, the Board selected key priorities for improvement in 2018-2019. These areas included meetings, public image and advocacy, strategy, finance, and program oversight. The Board President will collect specific strategies from each Board member designed to improve overall Board performance in the five areas highlighted. The results will be reviewed by the Governance Committee in January, and the Board will then be provided a list of strategies that will be utilized to further improve governance performance as a non-profit Board.

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Moved by Huston, second by Lindsey: “Approve the Appointed Board Member Timeline proposal as recommended by the Governance Committee.” Passed: 11-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter, Rollins, Runcie, Sheaff, Silverstein) The Board has further clarified the process for determining and acquiring the appointed members of the Board of Directors. Each seat is for a two-year term and each member may, if re-appointed, serve a second two-year term. This includes a timeline for rotation of the current seats and the potential to add an appointed seat to the Board, as needed. Moved by Jacobi, seconded by Jerome: “Adjourn into executive session to review nominations and approve a new appointed Board member.” Passed: 11-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter, Rollins, Runcie, Sheaff, Silverstein) Moved by Huston, seconded by Arthur: “Adjourn into general session.” Passed: 11-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter, Rollins, Runcie, Sheaff, Silverstein) Wendy Orthman has been appointed to complete the remainder of a currently vacant two-year seat on the NSDA Board of Directors. She brings to the Board 20+ years of public relations, marketing, and social media experience. Currently, she is the Senior Manager of Product Lifecycle Communications and Organic Social Media for Nissan North America based in Franklin, Tennessee. Her passion for debate and speech began at Chesterton High School in Indiana, where she earned her membership in the NSDA. Wendy’s first term will begin with the March 4, 2019, meeting and end on July 31, 2020. The Board and staff are extremely excited to welcome Wendy to the Board. Moved by Jerome, seconded by Rollins: “Accept the Legends Hall of Fame proposal as recommended by the Governance Committee.” Passed: 11-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter, Rollins, Runcie, Sheaff, Silverstein) The Board has approved a plan for a committee of sitting Hall of Fame members to select one individual annually as a “legends” choice for induction into the NSDA Hall of Fame. This individual will join four others who are annually selected by the vote of three-diamond and sitting Hall of Fame coaches. The purpose of this additional selection is to assure that worthy coaches, whose active careers have been completed for several years, as well as those individuals who contributed to the NSDA in ways other than coaching,

will be honored along with recently retired or currently active coaches. This proposal will go into effect for the 2019 induction class.

STRATEGIC UPDATE Moved by Rollins, seconded by Runcie: “Accept summary of strategic goals graphic for publication.” Passed: 11-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter Rollins, Runcie, Sheaff, Silverstein) On page 13, the Board is proud to publish a graphic that outlines the key goals of the NSDA 2018-2023 Strategic Plan. This information is designed to promote awareness and informed engagement within the membership and broader community. Moved by Rollins, seconded by Jerome: “Accept the Assistant Executive Director’s first quarter strategic plan report.” Passed: 11-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter, Rollins, Runcie, Sheaff, Silverstein) Another step of Board governance work is to do quarterly assessments of the progress of the strategic plan. The Assistant Executive Director and Director of Operations, Amy Seidelman, provided the Board with a comprehensive quarterly report detailing progress on the 2018-2019 strategic priorities. The Assistant Executive Director also fielded questions and recorded suggestions from the Board.

TECH SUPPORT Moved by Sheaff, seconded by Rollins: “As recommended by the Finance Committee, investigate options to establish an economically sustainable model to maintain and develop Tabroom.com as a membership service, to begin in 2018-2019, including data research and focus groups.” Passed: 11-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter, Rollins, Runcie, Sheaff, Silverstein) Given the membership’s and community’s reliance on this service, the scope of demand, and the ongoing need to maintain, service, and update the technology, a plan to make this technology economically sustainable needs to be investigated. This process initially involves finalizing

the legal ownership rights of the technology, conducting data research, and securing focus group feedback. This information will then be evaluated to determine viable steps toward sustainability. With the governance agenda completed, the appointed Board members were excused from the remainder of the meeting. The elected Board members remained to discuss Competition Rules Committee issues.

COMPETITION RULES Moved by Huston, seconded by Motter: “Continue deliberation of the Public Forum Committee, with addition of members to diversify representation, and provide recommendations by the May Board Meeting.” Passed: 8-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter, Sheaff) At the request of the Board’s Competition Rules (CR) Committee of elected members, the Public Forum Ad Hoc Committee, with the addition of members to provide more diversity of thought and representation, will consider all feedback received from the community on their original recommendations and provide the Board with a revised set of thoughts and recommendations for consideration by the Board’s May Meeting. Moved by Jacobi, seconded by Jerome: “Create a Congressional Debate Ad Hoc Committee as recommended by the Rules Revision and Evaluation (RRE) Committee.” Passed: 8-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter, Sheaff) The Board’s CR Committee has agreed to establish an ad hoc committee to discuss the current state of the NSDA rules and guidelines for Congressional Debate and recommend any changes and/or clarifications that might better align the event with best practices and the ultimate goals of the activity. Moved by Arthur, seconded by Jerome: “Adjourn.” Passed: 8-0 (Wycoff, Lindsey, Arthur, Huston, Jacobi, Jerome, Motter, Sheaff)

QUESTIONS? CONCERNS? IDEAS? We want to hear from you! Send your feedback to board@speechanddebate.org.

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 11

GOVERNANCE

Have You Noticed?

Supporting More Schools To grow our community, we’ve: • Surveyed some state speech and debate associations to identify opportunities for partnership. • Conducted focus group with district leaders in six states to get grassroots input on challenges facing member and potential member schools. • Initiated a new school campaign reaching speech and debate teachers across the nation to share the benefits of membership.

This article outlines some examples of our strategic plan in action.

s and Account

Member Role

Driving Inclusive Participation To drive inclusive participation, we have: • Conducted what’s called a Grieger evaluation of our inclusion efforts, which led to a focus on inclusion in our training and leadership for this school year. • Shared our inclusion commitments in the November/December Rostrum, including plans for a Courageous

Permissions

team: speech and debate roles on an NSDA account dashboards the three main can see on their description of provides a brief what each group Plus, we share This document and students. advisors, coaches, and permissions. role based on their

Highlights:

THE ROAD TO

Honor

Carlos Cortes

Premier Distincti

–

COACH ROST ER

Remember, the top 3 active, paid strength, as indicated coaches with an email address by the blue highlightin attached to their g below. account contribute

NAME Fatima Farooqi Gemma Gupta

DEGREE

ACTIVE

Merit

+0 +3

Superior Distincti

Inari Irving

Special Distincti

Jorge Jiménez

Three Diamon

NORTH HIGH SCHOO L – TOTAL STRENG TH

For a full table

of degree values,

please visit page

13 of the High

STRENG TH CONTRI BUTION

Excellence

Hyun-Ae Han

School Unified

+ 10 = 32 Manual.

NATIO N

FORENSIC L AL

Degree of Honor

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KEEP MOVING UP DEGREES!

1925

NATIO N

GO TO YOUR FIRST TOURNAMENT ATTEND YOUR FIRST TEAM MEETING

FORENSIC L AL

BECOME AN NSDA MEMBER, REACHING THE DEGREE OF MERIT AND PURCHASING YOUR PIN!

Degree of Merit

1925

Every student’s journey may be a little different, but whatever path you take, you should be proud of being a member of the National Forensic League Honor Society!

Excellence

Diana Deng

1925

GUE EA

Bethany Baird

STRENG TH CONTRI BUTION

ACTIVE

Merit

Degree of Excellence

Special Distinction

1925

STA RT

FORENSIC L AL

GUE EA

Amir Akbari

Degree of Distinction

1925

FORENSIC L AL

Only one-third of our organization’s budget is covered by membership dues. Much of what we do to support, stabilize, and promote the activity is accomplished through external or alternative funding sources we secure. In the next five years, our goal is to build a solid financial reserve to ensure the organization survives and thrives through any future challenges. This is accomplished in a variety of ways including trimming spending, increasing development activity, and finding ways to maximize our existing resources—like implementing advertising on Tabroom.com to offset some of the maintenance costs of running the system. There’s a lot more to come, but for now, we hope you’ve noticed!

ATTEND YOUR DISTRICT TOURNAMENT

PURCHASE YOUR HONOR CORD FOR GRADUATION

GUE EA

DEGREE

FORENSIC L AL

GUE EA

NAME

GUE EA

STUD ENT ROST ER

1925

FORENSIC L AL

Superior Distinction

ADD THE NATIONAL FORENSIC LEAGUE HONOR SOCIETY TO YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AND RÉSUMÉ!

Striving for Stability

FORENSIC L AL

Outstanding Distinction

APPLY FOR THE ACADEMIC ALL AMERICAN AWARD!

RECORD SERVICE POINTS— UP TO 200 POINTS EVERY YEAR!

REACH PREMIER DISTINCTION Congratulations! With your graduation, you join the ranks of nearly two million speech and debate alumni. Now, it’s time to give back to the community by donating your time, talent, or treasure.

GUE EA

A school’s total strength is equal to the TOP 3 active, degrees. Only members with paid coach degrees an email address make sure your plus ALL the attached to their members provide account can contributeactive, paid student an email address! An email address to a school’s strength, can be entered so by or a coach with permissions when a student when they sign up for an account creating an account For an example or it can be added from the student of strength, please by an advisor roster. see the illustration below. WHY DO DEGREE S AND STRENG Degrees are the 1 basis for TH NS MATTE most of our school PERMISSIO R? Strength also impacts recognition, including : ROLES AND ACCOUNT the number of earning charter & Debate Association entries a school status and club National Speech can take to the awards. district tournamen t. Remember, all active, paid students strength, as represente with an email address attached d by the blue highlightin to their account g below. contribute to total

ATTEND THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT NATIO N

updated 12/17/2018

WH AT IS ST RE NG TH ?

tsen

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

Degree ofPremier Distinction

1925

Erik Engebre

FORENSIC L AL

GUE EA

NATIO N

PREMIER DISTINCTION

NATIO N

ADVISO RS

Dashboard advisor can Voting: Here, one topics  NSDAschool's a speech vote for debate main contact for are cast the advisor Advisors are the Note: Topic votes at a school. One 75% and in elections. and debate program Advisor on the school votes are worth Primary weighted—coach In addition is listed under are worth 25%. your NSDA account. and student votes (see reverse profile page of student all coaches receive Roster: From the to the benefits can only be add  School some actions that tab, advisors can three main side), there are section of this and approve which fall under students, advisor, an by taken students, transfer From the coach categories: pending students. can add a including: of this tab, advisors another paying invoices, and section Creating X p a coach from a a school membershi coach, transfer a coach who was • Renewing Package school, and transfer the Team Resource • Purchasing member. student student/coach tab, advisors can • Purchasing Points: On this and  Enterpending memberships autoposted points confirm NFHS insurance • Purchasing an add points manually. memberships to tab lets • Applying prepaid Purchases: This  Schoolrenew invoice their school, purchase advisors Package, purchase school’s vote for: the Team Resource pre-pay student X Entering the ps, membershi topics NFHS • Debate and purchase coach elections memberships, • Board of Directors elections memberships. • District leadership From this tab, can vote advisor per school  SchoolcanFinances: print invoices Note: only one view, email, or advisors of NSDA history. primary recipient and see payment X Serving as the mail: of grant the school's copy • Receiving Note: Some advisors permissions. Rostrum magazine other coaches and other certificates, seals, behalf the reverse side. • Receiving See details on items on p-related membershi of the school

GUE EA

This is our second year giving advisors the ability to choose when to add students to the roster, instead of automatically adding them when the student reaches 25 points (although that is still possible to set up via “auto billing” on the school profile). Now that members have the hang of this new option, you’ve started adding students sooner! In the first three months of the school year, 40% more high school students and 70% more middle school students were made members compared to last year. We’re also surveying some schools to see why they’re not taking advantage of student membership.

So far, we’ve: • Sped up processing time for certificates and seals. • Revamped and automated our Welcome Series emails to better introduce new coaches to the concepts of points, strength, and roster management. • Introduced a tutorial outlining each role on the NSDA roster (student, advisor, and coach). • Developed a “What is Strength?” document, which shows advisors how to calculate school strength. • Created “The Road to Premier Distinction” document to enable students to visualize making progress in the Honor Society.

NATIO N

Making it Easier to Add Students

Underscoring the Importance of the Honor Society

NATIO N

s Board President Pam Cady Wycoff pointed out in her letter on page 8, our work at the national office is guided this year by an operating plan built to satisfy the needs of the five year strategic plan. Our five strategic priorities (see opposite page) have led to the exploration of many new ideas and deliverables. I’ve highlighted some below.

Conversation workshop (see page 31). • Encouraged coaches to provide demographic information so that we can better understand who we currently serve. • Built out Latinx resources for National Hispanic Heritage Month, modeling our Black History Month efforts from last year. • Created additional new and assistant coaching awards at the district level, which will feed up to national-level awards.

Amy Seidelman is the Assistant Executive Director for the NSDA.

N AT I O N A L S P E E C H & D E B AT E A S S O C I AT I O N STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023 N AT I O N A L S P E E C H & D E B AT E A S S O C I AT I O N STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023 STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023

MISSION:

VISION:

VALUES:

The National Speech & Debate Association MISSION: connects, supports, and inspires a diverse community to empowering students The Nationalcommitted Speech & Debate Association through competitive speech andadebate. connects, supports, and inspires diverse MISSION: community committed to empowering students The National Speech speech & Debate through competitive andAssociation debate. connects, supports, and inspires a diverse community committed to empowering students through competitive speech and debate.

We envision a world in which every student has access to membership VISION: in the National Speech & Debate Association, providing the educational resources, competitive and expertise necessary to foster We envision a world in opportunities, which every student has access to membership their critical thinking, andthe creative skills. in thecommunication, National Speechcollaboration, & Debate Association, providing educational VISION: resources, competitive opportunities, and expertise necessary to foster We a world incollaboration, which every student has access membership theirenvision communication, critical thinking, andtocreative skills. in the National Speech & Debate Association, providing the educational resources, competitive opportunities, and expertise necessary to foster their communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creative skills.

•

GROW OUR GROW COMMUNITY OUR COMMUNITY GROW OUR COMMUNITY

1 1 1

3 3 3 ENGAGE OUR ENGAGE MEMBERS OUR MEMBERS ENGAGE OUR MEMBERS

ENSURE WE ENSURE ENDURE WE ENDURE ENSURE WE ENDURE

5 5 5

OUR FIVE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES OUR FIVE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

Integrity

VALUES:

• Inclusion • Integrity • Leadership •VALUES: Inclusion • Service Leadership • Integrity •

Service Inclusion

•

Leadership

•

Service

2 SUPPORT MORE SCHOOLS OUR FIVE STRATEGIC •REACH Simplify the process of and remove barriers •SUPPORT Prioritize recruiting schools with speech and 2PRIORITIES MOREofSCHOOLS MORE STUDENTS to applying for student membership. debate of varying size, type, and student • Simplify the process of and remove barriers • makeup Prioritizethat recruiting of schools with speech and might benefit from membership. •REACH Promote MORE and run the Honor Society as a 2 SUPPORT MORE SCHOOLS STUDENTS to applying for student membership. debate of varying size, type, and student significant reason to make more students • Identify all former members and attempt to REACH MORE STUDENTS

Promote and rundata theof Honor Society as a • Simplify process and remove members,the using and research tobarriers significant to make more students to applyingreason for membership. demonstrate itsstudent value. using research to as a • members, Promote and rundata the and Honor Society demonstrate its value. significant reason to make more students members, using data and research to demonstrate its value. EARN LOYALTY

makeup might benefit from membership. Prioritizethat recruiting of schools re-establish our relationship sowith that speech they and Identify all former members and attempt debate student to rejoin. of varying size, type, re-establish relationship so that they thatour might from membership. • makeup Identify districts forbenefit Communicators in the rejoin. • Classroom Identify all initiatives. former members and attempt to • re-establish Identify districts for Communicators in the our relationship so that they Classroom initiatives. rejoin.

• •

4 4 4

• Identify districts for Communicators in the DRIVE INCLUSIVE Classroom initiatives. PARTICIPATION •DRIVE IdentifyINCLUSIVE and implementPARTICIPATION ways to expand districts and nationals to new audiences • outlined Identify and implement in the goals. ways to expand DRIVE PARTICIPATION districtsINCLUSIVE and nationals to new audiences • Use stakeholder input to revise and execute outlined in the goals. • new Identify and implement ways expand inclusion initiatives each to year, including • districts Use stakeholder input revise and execute and nationals to new audiences analyzing the lowest scores on the Grieger new inclusion initiatives each year, including outlined in the goals. survey and acting on them. analyzing the lowest on the • Use stakeholder inputscores to revise andGrieger execute survey and acting on them. new inclusion initiatives each year, including

•EARN Conduct loyalty survey in 2019 and 2022, LOYALTY focusing recommendations on primary • indicators Conduct loyalty survey 2019toand 2022, of value and ainplan boost EARN LOYALTY focusing recommendations on primary “likelihood to recommend” ratings. of value and ainplan toand boost • indicators Conduct loyalty survey 2022, Implement strategies over2019 the course “likelihood to recommend” ratings. focusing recommendations on primary of the school year to directly connect • indicators Implement strategies over the course of value and a plan with and recognize advisors onto anboost “likelihood to year recommend” of the school to directly individual and personal levelratings. toconnect enhance with and recognize advisors oncourse an • engagement. Implement strategies over the individual and year personal level toconnect enhance analyzing the lowest scores on the Grieger of the school to • Develop strategies to directly make district engagement. survey and acting on them. with and recognize advisorsand on an leadership more attractive • meaningful. Develop strategies to make individual and personal leveldistrict to enhance leadership more attractive and engagement. • Create a “New Coach to First Diamond” meaningful. • Develop to encourage make district incentivestrategies program to new • coaches Create a to “New Coach to First leadership more attractive andDiamond” continue coaching and engage incentive program to encourage new meaningful. with the NSDA. coachesa to continue and engage • Create “New Coachcoaching to First Diamond” with the NSDA. incentive program to encourage new STRIVE STABILITY coaches FOR to continue coaching and engage with the NSDA. •STRIVE Keep operating expenses below operating revenues to annually contribute to our reserves for FOR STABILITY protection against unexpected shortfalls. • Keep operating expenses below operating revenues to annually contribute to our reserves for •STRIVE Increase FOR development and alumni giving. STABILITY protection against unexpected shortfalls. • Establish an economically sustainable model to maintain and develop Tabroom.com as a membership service. Increase development andbelow alumni giving. revenues to annually contribute to our reserves for • Keep operating expenses operating • Increase demand for and use ofshortfalls. NSDA resources by members and partners. protection against unexpected • Establish an economically sustainable model to maintain and develop Tabroom.com as a membership service. •• Increase Increase development anduse alumni giving. demand for and of NSDA resources by members and partners. • Establish an economically sustainable model to maintain and develop Tabroom.com as a membership service. • Increase demand for and use of NSDA resources by members and partners.

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS RESPECT

STUDENT OUTCOMES STUDENT OUTCOMES 21ST CENTURY SKILLS 21ST CENTURYCRITICAL SKILLS

SERVICE COMMUNICATION COLLABORATION STUDENT OUTCOMES

INTEGRITY

HUMILITY

LEADERSHIP

INTEGRITY

CHARACTERISTICS HUMILITY RESPECT LEADERSHIP

SERVICE

COMMUNICATION

THINKING

21ST CENTURYCRITICAL SKILLS COLLABORATION THINKING CRITICAL

CREATIVITY CREATIVITY

GOVERNANCE

DISTRICT LEADERSHIP: A Call to Serve (and Vote!)

his April, the National Speech & Debate Association will hold its biennial election for district leadership. The election process and resulting committees are crucial to the function and mission of the NSDA. The participation of our member coaches and teachers is extremely important—both in the desire to serve on the District Committee and also to voice your opinion and vote for those who are best qualified and motivated to lead. This year, we hope voters also consider how well your committee reflects the student population your district serves. Certainly, serving is not without its burdens or obstacles. One of my favorite books and, in my opinion, a must read for all coaches, is Good to Great by Jim Collins. One of the primary tenets of the book is that great companies (or teams) must confront the brutal facts of a situation, yet never lose faith. In my first few months as District Support Manager, I received a plethora of feedback as to what it is like to serve

as a district leader. The brutal reality: it can feel lonely being a chair. Much is expected of a District Committee. The NSDA could provide better support for this valuable role. There are many changes in the works to make sure we are setting all districts up for success.

(and experienced) leaders through the various tasks a District Committee is charged with and potential roles that various members can fill, drawn from the best practices of our existing chairs. Ongoing professional development and mentoring will be a priority.

Reasons to Serve and Vote

High Tides Raise All Ships

Our activity naturally lends itself to civic action and participation. Thus, understanding that voting matters might seem redundant. However, it is still an important reminder to be aware of the election process and make it a priority among your speech and debate tasks.

As a coach, I often was reluctant to serve on any committees. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to voice my opinion, but I felt that serving would take away any time I could be spending with my team. What I failed to realize is that helping the district as a whole would help my students. District growth, providing judge training, working on media releases, helping to run an effective district tournament—all of these benefit the teams in your district, and it is certainly worth the sacrifice to have a voice on these issues and take on a portion of the weight.

Upcoming Changes In Support We are working on how we can better train and support leaders. Current projects include a District Leadership landing page on the website similar to our existing New Coach Quick Start Guide. If you are elected to serve the upcoming two-year term, you will receive online training that will walk new

No One Is Alone Facilitating speech and debate at the district

level is not a one-person job—it shouldn’t be! With such talented and motivated educators in all of our districts, each coach can play a small role to help carry the burden. At the NSDA, we are committed to helping members and leaders have lasting careers as educators and coaches, and we (often) face the brutal realities of what it means to serve. We hope our dedication to better equipping district leaders to serve and recognizing their immense role in our collective success can motivate you to accept a leadership role in empowering students in your district. Erik Dominguez serves as District Support Manager for the NSDA.

Get Involved! All active coaches are eligible to serve on their District Committee. Starting in early April, one advisor per school may log in to www.speechanddebate.org/ account and select “NSDA Voting” from the left side menu. Complete results of the bienniel election will be announced in early May.

Questions or feedback about the district election process? Contact erik.dominguez@speechanddebate.org. 14

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COMMUNITY

NEWS + NOTES Teacher Standards Working Group

NSDA Coaches' Caucuses Offered in 2019

As part of the NSDA’s ongoing efforts to be the leader in professional development for speech and debate educators and coaches, a working group has been tasked with creating a set of teaching standards. These standards will serve as a guide for what educators should be able to know and do in order to be effective instructors and coaches. It will cover instruction in both speech and debate as well as research, ethics, and a variety of other topics. At this time, the working group is led by Renee Motter (CO) and Pam McComas (KS). Additional group members include Adam J. Jacobi (WI), Aaron Timmons (TX), Dario Camara (FL), Scott Waldrop (MS), Aly Fiebrantz (FL), Iain Lampert (CA), Melissa Beall (IA), David Yastremski (NJ), and Josh Anderson (KS). If you are interested in being part of this ongoing working group, please contact Lauren McCool via email at lauren.mccool@speechanddebate.org.

In conjunction with the National Speech & Debate Tournament in Dallas, Texas, the NSDA is honored to host a series of Coaches’ Caucuses throughout the day on Sunday, June 16 at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. The caucuses address issues of inclusion in the speech and debate community. In recent years, the Asian American, African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, LGBT+, and Womxn Coaches' Caucuses have met and provided invaluable feedback to the organization. If you would like to participate, please plan to arrive early in the day or the night before. A complete schedule will be available at www.speechanddebate.org/nationals as we get closer to June. If you would like to help moderate one of these caucuses, please contact the national office at info@speechanddebate.org.

Advertise Speech/Debate Job Openings As a service to member schools, the National Speech & Debate Association offers complimentary employment listings on our website, www.speechanddebate.org/jobs. For $100, you may also reserve a custom, third-page print ad in Rostrum magazine. We’ll even help you design your ad! Contact emily.kriegel@speechanddebate.org or call us at (920) 748-6206 to reserve your ad today. Our next issue will be published in mid-April!

Big Questions Funding Update Big Questions funding applications are full for the 2018-2019 school year. More than 20,000 students across the country have debated the intersections of science and philosophy, and almost $1.5 million has been awarded to programs since 2016! We are grateful to the John Templeton Foundation for their support in providing an important forum to ask complex worldview questions that are rarely discussed in other areas of life. For more information about Big Questions Debate, visit www.NSDABigQuestions.org.

Help us recognize the next COACH OF THE YEAR & ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR FIND THESE AND OTHER NOMINATION FORMS ONLINE:

www.speechanddebate.org /coach-recognition www.speechanddebate.org/school-recognition Nominations must be submitted by APRIL 16, 2019, to be considered for the 2019 awards.

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 15

MEMBERSHIP MINUTE

ACADEMIC ALL AMERICAN AWARD:

Celebrate Your Students

Only one percent of NSDA member students receive the Academic All American award. Commemorate their achievement with special insignia!

Editor’s Note: In this recurring feature, we share additional information about an interesting aspect of our organization. If you have a topic you would like us to address in the future, please contact director@speechanddebate.org.

s we enter the winter/ spring semester, many students may be newly eligible for the NSDA’s Academic All American (AAA) award. During the 2017-2018 school year, nearly 1,025 students earned the honor of being named an NSDA Academic All American. This award recognizes high school students who have done the following: • earned the degree of Superior Distinction (750 points); • completed at least five semesters of high school; • demonstrated outstanding character and leadership;

• Note: A student may alternatively qualify if they have a GPA that is between 3.5 and 3.7 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent) and also have received an ACT score of 27 or higher, or a New SAT score of 1300 or higher. To nominate a student for the AAA award, team advisors can apply at no cost on behalf of any qualifying student. The application requires a student’s transcripts and a letter of recommendation that attests to the student's character

and demonstrates why they are deserving of this award In 500 words or less. The entire process is done online; paper applications are not accepted. Once a nomination is submitted to the national office, processing takes about two weeks. Students who earn the AAA award will be recognized with official letters sent to their school's principal/administrator as well as the advisor who submitted the application. Schools or recipients can purchase special insignia to commemorate this award through the NSDA Store.

AAA Pin

AAA Certificate

AAA Perpetual Plaque

Eligible students are marked by a yellow box with "AAA?" under the “Awards”

AAA?

• and earned a GPA of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent).

column on your Student Roster. If you determine they meet the other academic criteria outlined on the nomination form, you can submit an application online on their behalf. Applications are typically processed within two weeks.

Nominate a student today at www.speechanddebate.org/aaa. 16

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

Visit www.VBIdebate.com Or call 330-3-DEBATE Why VBI?

1. Excellence: ͷͲ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ǥ

2. Trust: ͵ͷΪ ʹͷͲΪ ǡ Ǥ

3. Curriculum: Ͷǣͳ Ǧ Ǧ Ǧ ǡ Ǥ

2019 Sessions: • VBI Philadelphia ȋ

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• VBI Los Angeles Session I

ȋ Ǧ Ȍǣ ͳͶ ʹ

• VBI Los Angeles Session II

ȋ Ȍǣ Ͷ ͳ͹

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Don’t ǣ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ̈́ͺͲǡͲͲͲ Ǥ

2019 NATIONALS

Texas Forever. s a Texas native, from multiple generations on both sides of the family, I have long believed there is something special about the Lone Star State. I originally thought it was just because

Texas was my home, but then I started traveling and realized other people thought Texas was special, too. Back in the early ’80s, on my first trip abroad, I quickly discovered I received a great deal more assistance when I said I was from Texas rather than the United States. And when I said I was from Dallas, I invariably was given a smile in return—and not just from people who watched the famous television show of the same name! Everyone seems to recognize Texas, from its unique shape, known across the globe, to its big personality. Those of us who live here know that everything really is bigger in Texas, whether it’s driving for nearly 14 hours before you reach the other side, our big open skies, or our warm hospitality. Texas is indeed a special place. Writing about Friday Night Lights in 2011 in The Paris Review Daily article entitled “Texas Forever,” Adam Wilson observed, “...material wants pale in comparison to...the mystical and metaphorical place called Texas Forever, a place whose appeal lies partly in the unspoken profundity of its landscape—the wide roads and wider skies—and partly in the notions of liberty and freedom upon which, as the saying goes, this country was founded.” This mindset of “Texas Forever” is part of who we are as a speech and debate community as well. Our state has 13 NSDA districts, the most in the country. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is the fourth largest in the United States, and the speech and debate programs here reflect that same energy, size, and diversity. We challenge each other to work harder, to dig deeper, to reach higher. Our forensic community is proud to invite you to join us for a week of competition, collaboration, and celebration this summer. This will be the fourth time the North Texas area has hosted Nationals in recent history. While many of our committee members remain the same,

Steering Committee From top, left to right: Cindi Timmons, Chair; Jane Boyd; Dave Huston; Robert Shepard; and Rhonda Smith

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

we also have a few new faces ready to greet you and help you navigate the tournament site, our city, and our state. No matter where you turn, you should find a friendly face ready to help you feel at home. Texas Forever. Cindi Timmons Host Committee Chair

JOIN US FOR THE NSDA

Food • Music Fun • Results

Student Party!

...and More!

presented by the Institute for Speech and Debate

SHERATON DALLAS HOTEL

NSDA Store National Tournament Expo Supplemental Re-registration Middle School Registration

TUESDAY, JUNE 18

6-9 P.M.

Dallas Nationals FAQs As we return to Dallas, here are a few tips to help you make the most of the experience!

WHAT SHOULD I PACK? Dallas is hot in June, but Texans know their A.C.! Be sure to pack layers to keep yourself comfortable in hotels and public buildings. Past tournament attendees also recommend bringing reusable water bottles, power strips, and snacks.

WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE? High school registration and the National Tournament Expo begin Sunday morning, and additional events for coaches take place

throughout the day. Among them are the First Time at Nationals Coach Reception, District Leadership Luncheon, and Coaches' Caucuses. While you could drop in to register late Sunday afternoon, you may miss other events you’ll want to attend starting as early as 9:00 that morning!

HOW WILL I GET AROUND? DART (Dallas Area Rail Transport) is the “above ground” subway system in Dallas. It is clean and secure. There is a stop outside the Sheraton, and it connects participants to all of the tournament properties and other downtown and regional establishments.

I'M NEW! WHAT SHOULD I DO TO PREPARE? Beginning in May, look for your weekly Nationals Newsletters in your email inbox! They contain valuable information about registration, special events, rules, and more. Be sure to read the Tournament Book (accessible online and as part of in-person registration) and download the Nats19 app when they are available. These resources will tell you everything you need to know about the tournament. If you have questions while on-site, ask a tournament official. All national office staff and officials wear ribbons, so you know who to ask for help.

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2019 NATIONALS

National Speech & Debate Tournament JUNE 16-21, 2019 | Dallas, Texas OVERVIEW OF HIGH SCHOOL TOURNAMENT LOGISTICS SUNDAY • JUNE 16 (Registration and Expo) High school tournament registration and the National Tournament Expo will take place Sunday, June 16 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Lone Star Ballroom of the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. The Sheraton also serves as the host hotel for the tournament.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY • JUNE 17-18 (Prelim Rounds/Early Elims/NSDA Student Party) All preliminary competition of main event speech and debate events will be held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel and nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel. All preliminary competition and early elimination competition will occur between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. The NSDA Student Party will take place Tuesday evening at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Coaches of pre-registered students eliminated from main event competition Tuesday will re-register for Wednesday supplemental events through Tabroom.com. Provisions for doing supplemental re-registration in-person will also be made available at the NSDA Student Party. Note: Middle school registration will occur Tuesday evening.

WEDNESDAY • JUNE 19 (Elim Rounds/Supplemental Events)

Note: All details are tentative and subject to change. Times are shown in CT.

REGISTRATION High school coaches are notified via email when the online registration website opens for their district once their district tournament series (debate, speech, and congress) is complete and results are audited by national office staff.

All main event elims, including Congressional House quarterfinals and Senate semifinals, and supplemental speech event rounds will be held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Extemporaneous Debate rounds will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel nearby. Coaches of pre-registered students eliminated from main event competition or supplemental events on Wednesday will re-register for Thursday consolation events throughout the day online at Tabroom.com. Middle school competition will begin Wednesday morning.

THURSDAY • JUNE 20 (Elim Rounds/Supp-Cons Events/Interp Finals/Diamond Awards) Thursday morning, all elimination competition will continue at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel with the addition of consolation events. Extemporaneous Debate will continue at the Crowne Plaza Hotel nearby. Congressional Senate finals will be held throughout the day along with Congressional House semifinals. Middle school competition will continue Thursday morning. Thursday afternoon and evening, attendees will enjoy the national final rounds of World Schools Debate, Program Oral Interp, Humorous Interp, Dramatic Interp, and Duo Interp, as well as the Donus D. Roberts Diamond Assembly, in the Lone Star Ballroom of the Sheraton Dallas Hotel.

FRIDAY • JUNE 21 (Supp-Cons/Main Event Finals and National Awards Assembly) The remaining main event final rounds (Congressional House, Informative Speaking, United States Extemp, International Extemp, Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, and Original Oratory), as well as the Big Questions Debate, supplemental/consolation event, and middle school finals, will be held throughout the day on Friday at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel.

The National Speech & Debate Association has appeared on the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) National Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities since the origination of the list. 22

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Save money by staying within the National Tournament hotel block! Guarantee the best hotel rates and keep your tournament entry fees low by visiting the online booking site at www.speechanddebate.org/nationals.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN SELECTING AND RESERVING HOTELS Please review before selecting lodging! NOTE: If your team stays within the National Tournament hotel block, you will receive a $25 discount off the current year’s main event entry fee per student. See our FAQ section at www.speechanddebate.org/nationals for more details.

Tournament Hotel » The official tournament hotel is the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. All schools should attempt to book rooms at this property first. Staying at this property will be the most convenient and cost effective way to enjoy the 2019 National Tournament. Do not delay in booking this property, as space is limited!

Online Booking Site » All coaches must use the online booking site. Please do NOT call the hotels directly to book your hotel rooms. Larger teams requiring ten or more rooms, or those teams wishing to pay by check, should contact the Speech & Debate Housing Bureau (managed by Catch Des Moines). Details can be found on the online booking site. Every hotel requires a credit card on file for incidentals and cancellation fees even if you are paying by check. If you are paying by check, please select “Yes” in the field under “Additional Information” on the “Guest Details” page and someone from the Speech & Debate Housing Bureau will follow up with you. For more information, consult our online FAQ section at www. speechanddebate.org/nationals.

Additional Block Hotels » We anticipate that the Sheraton Dallas Hotel block will fill quickly. Although the Sheraton is the best option, the NSDA has negotiated other excellent hotel options for schools that book after the Sheraton fills. It is essential that schools stay downtown at the Sheraton or at one of the other recommended hotel properties. Morning and afternoon traffic jams will make commuting from non-recommended properties a very difficult task and could result in major issues for your team. In addition, the NSDA only has contracts with those properties listed and will not be able to assist you with issues in hotels outside the block. PLEASE DO NOT STAY OUTSIDE THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT HOTEL BLOCK. Benefits of Staying in the National Tournament Hotel Block » Schools will find several major benefits to staying in the NSDA’s recommended block of hotel rooms.

Avoid the Cost of Vehicle Rental: All competition will be held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel and Crowne Plaza Hotel. The Sheraton and Crowne can be accessed by DART rail from all recommended hotel properties as well as Dallas Love Field airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International airport. SuperShuttle is also available for a reasonable fee, making transportation from DFW airport easy and affordable, rendering a rental vehicle unnecessary for many teams.

Free Internet Access at Sheraton: All attendees who are lodging in a National Tournament block hotel will receive free access to the internet at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel.

Easy Tournament Accessibility: Staying in the tournament hotel or within the National Tournament hotel block will avoid the risk of delays or major inconveniences related to traffic and morning parking.

Easy Access to Meal Options and Special Events: The tournament hotel is the site of tournament registration, the majority of competition, the NSDA Student Party, the final rounds, and awards. There is a food court adjacent to the Sheraton and Marriott. There is a DART stop on site at the Sheraton, providing the best possible access to registration, finals, and awards. All National Tournament block hotels sit near DART stops to provide access to events and restaurants.

Important Notes » Many room reservations within the National Tournament hotel block are subject to an automatic nonrefundable two-night deposit per room. This avoids double booking and allows all attendees equal opportunity to book in the best available properties. There is a five night minimum stay at the Sheraton, Crowne Plaza, and Aloft. There is a four night minimum stay at the Lorenzo. There is a three night minimum stay at the DoubleTree. Please check the online booking site for more details.

Additional tournament information is available at www.speechanddebate.org/nationals. ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 23

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subject to availability. Advance reservations are National Speech & Debate official Hertz is the National Speech & Debate Association's rental car company! recommended, blackout dates may apply. GovConference  1-800-654-2240 ernment surcharges, may taxes,apply. tax reimbursement, For more information, call (800) 654-2240 or visit www.hertz.com today. Some restrictions  1-405-749-4434 airport related fees, vehicle licensing fees and TXServices Hertz Dallas, Meeting  www.hertz.com optional items, such as refueling or additional June 16-21, 2019 driver fees, are extra. Minimum rental age is 20 General Information National Speech & Debate Tournament Reservations At the time of reservation, meeting rates will be (age differential charge for 20-24 applies). Meeting rates include unlimited mileage and are To reserve special meeting rates, please include CV# 053L0002 Dallas, Texas automatically compared to other Hertz rates and

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Additional tournament information is available at www.speechanddebate.org/nationals. 24

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OVERVIEW OF MIDDLE SCHOOL TOURNAMENT LOGISTICS

Middle School Nationals | JUNE 18-21, 2019 Tentative Schedule

presented by

TUESDAY • JUNE 18 Middle school registration will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. WEDNESDAY • JUNE 19 Middle school competition begins Wednesday at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Rounds begin at 10:00 a.m. and will last into the evening. Time has been built in for lunch. THURSDAY • JUNE 20 Middle school competition continues Thursday at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Rounds begin at 8:00 a.m. and last into the evening. Time has been built in for lunch. FRIDAY • JUNE 21 Beginning at 8:00 a.m., semifinal and final rounds will be held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. The middle school awards assembly will commence at 4:00 p.m. followed by the high school awards assembly at 6:30 p.m., where the middle school circle of champions will be recognized on the high school stage!

Important Middle School Dates • Coaches may register online at MSNats.tabroom.com starting in March. • Entries are due April 24. All entries will be placed on a waitlist. Entries will be taken off the waitlist once payment has been received (space permitted, up to four). Additional entries will remain on the waitlist until the payment deadline of May 10. Entries will be taken off the waitlist based upon the payment date and not the registration date. • Congressional Debate legislation is due April 24. • Speech piece information and judge paradigms for LD and CX judges must be posted on the registration website by May 1. • Media release forms, signed by each student’s parent/guardian, along with entry agreement forms, signed by the school's principal, must be submitted by May 10. • All fees, including judge bond, must be received in the national office by May 10. • After May 10, a $200 late fee will be assessed for any student changes, piece changes, missing forms, and missing payments. A school risks forfeiting participation if everything is not received by May 19.

Other Details • Coaches are asked to carefully review all information on the tournament website. • Please note that each school is limited to four (4) entries per event. A team may place an additional four entries in the system to try to secure additional spots. Students will be moved off of the waitlist on a rolling basis after payment has been received. Any slots beyond the four will not be available until after the payment deadline of May 10. • Middle schools are required to bring judges for each division in which they have students (Policy, LD, or PF, Speech, Congress, and World Schools) as a condition for registering.

Review Before Selecting Lodging Middle school coaches should read all information relative to lodging on page 23. Schools who do not stay in the National Tournament hotel block will be charged a $25 fee per student. See our FAQ section at www.speechanddebate.org/ nationals for more information.

Membership Notice The Board of Directors affirms the creation, support, and development of speech and debate programs at the middle and secondary levels through accredited public and private schools. All members of the National Speech & Debate Association must be schoolbased. For any club or organization that does not currently have a schoolbased membership, the NSDA is eager to work with you to create schoolbased speech and debate teams. Students who are currently members through their area non-school-based clubs and organizations may request to have their memberships transferred to their accredited public and private schools. Homeschools and virtual schools that are recognized by the state in which those schools compete may join the National Speech & Debate Association.

World Schools Debate Pilot World Schools Debate will once again be piloted at the 2019 Middle School National Tournament. All judges must attend the on-site judge training. The only exception that will be made is for high school students who competed in elimination rounds on Wednesday morning at the National Tournament and, as a result, could not attend training.

Additional tournament information is available at www.speechanddebate.org/nationals. 26

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Forensics

LEADERSHIP • INNOVATION • DISCIPLINE • GRATITUDE

Tess Welch Cy-Fair HS class of 2018

Isaac Keller Liberty North HS class of 2016

Paige Allbright Ovey Comeaux HS class of 2018

Zakiyyah Sanders Apple Valley HS class of 2017 Emma Warnecke West Bloomfield HS class of 2017

Reese Johnson Apple Valley HS class of 2018

Andrea Ambam Raymore-Peculiar class of 2018

Tayland Ratliff

Ovey Comeaux HS

Derek Collins Hattiesburg HS class of 2018

Matt Wisenden Morehead HS class of 2018

class of 2018

Rickey Williams Apple Valley HS class of 2018

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In that time the team also produced 285 national finalists. Discover your academic and competitive potential. Join our climb by emailing our director: ganer.newman@wku.edu

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

AUGUST 4-6, 2019 Colorado Springs, Colorado

his year’s National Conference, which will be held at The Antlers Hotel in downtown Colorado Springs, will feature more than 40 engaging sessions. Each presenter has been asked to designate the theme or audience their session addresses most directly from one of six areas: 1) New to Speech and Debate; 2) Inclusive Teams and Tournament Practices; 3) NSDA District Leadership; 4) Classroom Focused; 5) Competition Focused; and 6) Workshop. Here, we highlight several of the incredible sessions you may choose to attend this summer.

Escape from Lecture: Using Escape Room Strategies to Flip Your Debate Team’s Season Prep

of the game concepts before they dig deep into the issues. In other words, students can learn in a middle ground between passive listener of a lecture and the crucible of a real debate round.”

Presenters: Becky Hansen (WI) and Dan Hansen (WI)

Round Pegs and Square Holes: Norms, Trends, and Rules Minutiae in Speech and Debate

This session will explore how teachers/coaches can use an interconnected series of puzzles, games, and problems to create an active learning experience. This will energize students and get them working together while they learn what they need for the season. Hansen and Hansen explain, “This escape room concept helps students understand and ‘play’ some

In partnership with 30

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Presenters: Don Crabtree (MO), Adam J. Jacobi (WI), and Angelique Ronald (CA) In a round table discussion format, attendees will grapple with common misconceptions about rules, the role rules serve in our activity, and how literalist

Sponsored by

or hardline interpretations of rules can unintentionally harm marginalized populations in the forensic world. Interactive in nature, this session will include an open discussion about how we can use the tools in front of us to foster a productive, positive, and inclusive environment for all coaches, students, and community members.

MacGyvering Debate to Prepare Students to Be More Effective Public Advocates

Presenters: Ed Lee III (GA) and James Roland (GA) This workshop will use

the first affirmative constructive (1AC) speech as a backdrop for exploring how to create more effective pieces of public advocacy. Workshop attendees will explore what it means to be an advocate and develop strategies for supporting students as they become more civically and communally engaged. Lee and Roland contend, “With a little reframing, the core tools of debate can become powerful vehicles for social transformation.”

From Preparation to Performance: Ethical Practice of Program Oral Interpretation

Presenters: Jacob Abraham (FL), Ellis Fraser (FL), and Renea Moss (FL) This Interp workshop will closely examine Program Oral Interp (POI). It will discuss how to engage students in the research process and then responsibly perform the amalgamation of literature, characters, voices, bodies, and ideas. This session will challenge coaches to examine how they hold students accountable— not just to competitive standards, but larger notions of morality and the ethics of engaging the other through performance.

In addition, NSDA staff will facilitate two sessions in 2019 that have been requested by past conference attendees. If you are interested in being a panelist for one or both of these sessions, please email Lauren McCool at lauren.mccool@ speechanddebate.org.

Been There, Coached That Presenters: NSDA Staff and Additional Panelists A panel of seasoned coaches from a variety of teams, regions, and backgrounds will share their experiences and guidance for new(er) coaches. Topics to be covered: team management, building parental/community support, work/life balance, and event specific strategies.

Ceiling Breakers Presenters: NSDA Staff and Additional Panelists A panel of seasoned and/ or retired self-identified women educators will discuss their experiences and journey as NFL/NSDA coaches and teachers.

Lauren McCool serves as Education and Recognition Coordinator for the NSDA.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

KEYNOTES

LEARN from expert coaches and educators.

DISCUSS

and collaborate with coaches from around the country.

RYAN HAYGOOD CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER

innovative ideas, new techniques, and expert tips.

APRIL HOLMES PARALYMPIC ATHLETE

It is not too late to register for the 2019 NSDA National Conference! REFER A FRIEND Recruit a fellow speech and debate educator to attend, and you both can receive $50 off your registration. To be eligible, at least one person must be a first time attendee! To get the coupon, please email lauren.mccool@speechanddebate.org with the names and emails of each person registering.

INCLUSION WORKSHOP The 2019 NSDA Inclusion Workshop for coaches and educators will take place August 7-8 in Colorado Springs, following the NSDA National Conference. Our facilitators from Courageous Conversation by the Pacific Educational Group, Inc., will lead attendees as they: • Practice using strategies for identifying and addressing the policies, programs, and practices that negatively impact student of color achievement and serve as barriers to all students receiving a world class education. • Learn a protocol they can use at their schools and in their classrooms long after the workshop ends. At the recommendation of our facilitators, space at the workshop is limited and the makeup of our attendees will reflect the demographics of our student membership. To view the application or learn more, visit our website at www.speechanddebate.org/conferences.

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NFHS Speech, Debate and Theatre Association MEMBER BENEFITS • • • • • • •

Insurance coverage, including excess general liability, up to $1 million Subscription to High School Today, a monthly NFHS publication Speech/debate adjudicating training course on NFHS Learning Center (www.NFHSLearn.com) Training Materials and Resources Access to Online Publications Professional Development Network of Communication

The Forensic Quarterly (FQ) has remained one of the most credible and valuable resources for policy debaters and coaches across the country. Four issues are published each year: FQ1, an overview of the current policy debate topic area; FQ2, a bibliography of available research materials; FQ3, potential affirmative cases; and FQ4, possible negative cases.

Adjudicating Speech and Debate on NFHS Learn

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Northwestern University Debate Institute 2019

Six Week Policy Institute

Four Week Policy Institute

One Week Policy Institute

Full-Time Faculty Members

Offers intermediate and advanced instruction, a 6:1 student to faculty ratio, intensive individual feedback for at least 25 debates, daily speaking skills-building, and topic instruction from leading debate minds.

Focuses on student growth in programs tailored for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students, at least 16 debates, and instruction from our professional faculty of debate coaches and classroom teachers.

A perfect introduction to Policy Debate for students new to debate or transitioning from a different format, or a jump-start on the new season for students with beginning Policy Debate experience.

Include Northwestern coaches Dr. Daniel Fitzmier and Jeff Buntin, Northwestern assistants Kristen Lowe and Theo Noparstak, and Northwestern debaters Gabe Jankovsky and Joe Weideman.

For dates, tuition and full roster of faculty, please visit our WEBSITE: nhsi.northwestern.edu EMAIL FOR INFO: nhsi@northwestern.edu

COMMUNITY

INSIGHT:

Hosting Efficient, Inclusive Tournaments Visit www.speechanddebate.org/inclusion and www.speechanddebate.org/resources to learn more!

osting a tournament is a great way to give back to your speech and debate community, and we want to support you in creating opportunities for students. Below are several NSDA resources that can help make your tournament as inclusive, affordable, and professional as possible.

Tournament Policies You can make it clear to schools and students attending your tournament that you demand an atmosphere of mutual respect at your event by publishing your school district’s Harassment and Discrimination Policy in your tournament invite or adopting the NSDA’s policy. Codify that harassment and discrimination are not tolerable at your tournament, and identify

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who someone can talk to if any concerns do arise. Traditional elements of dress codes may be rooted in problematic societal norms in gender, race, class, ability, etc., and may not be feasible for all students. Consider letting attendees know you’ve adopted the NSDA’s inclusive Dress Code Template for the students working your tournament, and that you’ll offer judge training that discourages comments or feedback based on attire (see opposite page for our training, which does just that). The Harassment and Discrimination Policy and Dress Code Template can be found online at www.speechanddebate.org/ inclusion.

Representation Tournament practices present a unique opportunity for hosts to be champions of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Being purposeful about making sure diverse

identities are represented in your judge pool and tournament leadership infrastructure is important for recruitment and retention of traditionally marginalized students and programs. Be intentional

about inviting and training people from diverse backgrounds to judge and help run your tournament. Being exposed to a diversity of perspectives will empower your students and make your

NSDA HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION POLICY The National Speech & Debate Association is committed to providing its participants, judges, coaches, and staff the opportunity to pursue excellence in their endeavors. This opportunity can exist only when each member of our community is assured an atmosphere of mutual respect. The NSDA prohibits all forms of harassment and discrimination. Accordingly, all forms of harassment and discrimination, whether written or oral, based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by any applicable federal, state, or local law are prohibited, whether committed by participants, judges, coaches, or observers. Individuals who are found to have violated this policy will be subject to the full range of sanctions, up to and including removal from the tournament premises.

tournament better at serving your community. Consider using diversity-enhanced judging on Tabroom.com, where judges can selfidentify as adding diversity to your judge pool. This allows tab workers to place judges in a way that ensures there is representation in your rounds and on your panels. Review the suggested tournament roles in the "District Tournament Operations" section of the High School Unified Manual to see if there is an opportunity for you to include new voices in your tab room.

Judge Training In partnership with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the NSDA has created an online judge training course that covers the basics of each competition event, walks a judge through filling out sample ballots, and discusses how to provide comments that are consistent with best practices for cultural proficiency. Ask coaches to share this free course with the judges they bring

to your tournament to ensure students receive high quality, productive feedback. You can find the course online at www.speechanddebate. org/judge-training. Use free, downloadable ballots from our Resources page to direct judges to comment on specific features of a speech or give comments for both teams in a debate.

FREE ONLINE JUDGE TRAINING COURSE In partnership with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), this course covers the basics of each competition event, walks a judge through filling out sample ballots, and discusses how to provide comments that are consistent with best practices for cultural proficiency. Visit www.speechanddebate.org/ judge-training to get started today.

Advanced Tabulation Features Think about using online ballots at your tournament. Online ballots can make written comments more robust and easier to read, allow tab workers to see exactly when each round has started, and free up ballot runners to help in other areas of the tournament. It can seem like a daunting task to get everyone online, but it is possible! The National Tournament has successfully held World Schools Debate and the entire Middle School division online in recent years with almost 900 judges, many of whom were new to judging. Make it clear before the tournament that

judges should create and link their Tabroom.com accounts and, if possible, bring an electronic device with which to enter ballots. Be prepared with paper ballots or an extra laptop in case a judge does not have a device to use. Publish instructions for accessing the internet. Make sure your tournament is set up to auto-post competition points to the NSDA website. Auto-posting has the potential to save coaches time after the tournament and ensure that points are posted accurately. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using Tabroom.com, all you need to do is publish your

results at the end of your tournament.

Tournament Services The NSDA offers a number of resources to improve the quality of competition and recognition at your tournament. View the monthly free Congress dockets posted on our Resources web page, and look into adopting topics from our Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month resources to use at your tournament. Consider saving time writing Extemp

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Invitation Template #1:

Send to administrators

without programs

Dear <Administrator Name>,

questions, Impromptu prompts, or World Schools motions by ordering them online from the NSDA. We work with nationally successful coaches to write unique topics for your tournament. You can also purchase low-cost, high-quality awards from our trophy shop! Place an order for questions, prompts, motions, or trophies at www.speechanddebate. org/tournament-services.

Gender Inclusivity Take steps to ensure that all attendees feel welcome at your facilities. Add, identify, and communicate the location of centrally-placed gender neutral restrooms to make certain no one feels uncomfortable taking care of themselves at your tournament. Use our Best Practices for Gender Neutral Restrooms guide and identifying signage to help. Additionally, review your tournament invit and promotional materials to ensure you are using gender neutral

pronouns. The Pronouns Best Practices guide also has helpful tips to use in training your judges and tab staff to be sensitive to the needs of your attendees. Both guides can be downloaded at www.speechanddebate.org/ inclusion. If you use Tabroom.com, remind students and judges they may enter their pronouns in their profile. Pronouns will be sent to competitors and judges in their rounds when the tournament sends out text/email blasts.

Accessibility Clearly state in your tournament invitation who coaches can contact about the need for accommodations. If possible, gain access to your school’s elevator and have a plan for helping any judge or student who needs to use it. If using Tabroom.com, you can mark certain rooms as ADA accessible and individual judges or teams as needing to use those ADA accessible rooms. This will automate the process for making sure everyone is able to access their

competition space. View our Inclusive Tournament Checklist as a first step to consider how you can make your tournament even more accessible. Visit our website at www.speechanddebate. org/inclusion to access the guide. Before preparing for your tournament, you may also want read the Rostrum article entitled “Ensuring Access for Students with Disabilities” found at www.speechanddebate. org/resources. This article explains the legal basics of ADA and Section 504 and applies them to situations that speech and debate professionals may confront. This is a good exercise to think through and prepare for any circumstances that may arise at your event.

Share Your Tournament Success One of the best ways to make your administration invested in your program is to invite administrators to see the amazing work students are doing at

nt Name> on <Date>. invite you to attend <Tourname on>, I wanted to personally I schools or district <Insert any other Title On behalf of <Organizati schools from <Area> including This event brings together Invitation Templa te #2: Send to schools>. admini the following strators with makes programs & Debate Association Speech National Dear the <Administrator and debate through Name>, Participating in speech possible for your students: As you know, our speech and , and critical thinking debate team expose student has experienced communication, collaborationable to become career ready collegesand ● Teaches creativity, to creativity, critical <Insert Details> students this year. We experience that assists of you and speech thinking, commu our entire debate andschool would not be for ● Creates a meaningful nication, and commu specifically nity. collaboration to an honor society without the suppor ● Provides your students On behalf of <Organ t yet, there’s an entire ization> for your students. Better , I wanted toool Name>. persona speech and debate happenThis event brings <District/Sch lly invite you to togetheat r schools I’m here to help you make and support a program attend <Tourn mentor schools from <Area> miss out.) >. ament Name> who are willing to help including <Insert of enticing them not to on <Date>. community of educators any other Title have programs as a way I schools or district schools in the area that (Consider listing out all The team would debate can help your be speech honoredand Here is how to have you see personally to <Insert Details>. attendance, increase committed us welcom is ol in scores, action test e you improve an observe I know your district/schoAfter hostingt:Coaches’ (Perhaps Caucuses innce 2016, 2017, andupon 2018arrival and holding meetings with as a rural school r or even experie and ensure and commitmen <Insert Details>. as a judge! We that someone answer is district/school meet that focus group, the National Speech & Debate help will any Association working resources that is support available to oversee questiotonscreate you may an enjoyable have. engage students, etc.) tournaments to better meetIfthe needs of participants and create aas more meaningful, inclusive space for We you are able a judge! or even to attend, an observer please action as attendees. To that end, have created that could to invite administrators to observe debate let be is, andwe meused andin know we cantemplates an enjoyable at your earliest oversee have you see speech work with youto is available convenience. I would be honored to speech and debate to accommodate thatissomeone tournaments. event I know how busy not feasible, I’d a limited availab you upon arrival and ensure your schedule be happy to share will personally welcome ility on <Date> have. your you may schedu other . Additionally, any questions le. local tournam Why should administrators from under-resourced schools support speech and debate? The NSDA if attending our experience and help answer ent dates your schedule how busy connects, supports, and inspires a diverse community committed to empowering students through to see if they may better work . I know convenience earliest with Thank our at your me know you for , if attending please let speech yourvalues Additionally competitive and debate. The NSDA inclusion and believes speech and debate can uniquely conside <Date>. on ration! If you are able to attend, te a limited availability work with better career accommoda mayand/or you tostudents if they support from Title I backgrounds todates become more college ready after high school. to see is, and we can work with local tournament Respec tfully, be happy to share other event is not feasible, I’dMultiple studies and testimonials prove that speech and debate activities keep students engaged and increase their performance in the classroom. Speech and debate levels the educational playing field. You your schedule. <Your can bring speech and debate toName> the schools and students who need it most. n! Thank you for your consideratio Who should send an invitation? Letters to administrators with existing speech and debate programs would best come from the school’s administrator. If that’s not possible, a letter from the coach would be Respectfully, another option to pursue. Letters to administrators without programs could be sent by anyone hosting a tournament in the area where the school is located. If you have a supportive administrator/chair, you could <Your Name> ask that person to co-sign the letter! Reach out to the NSDA to see about having the letter signed cosigned by our office (time-permitting).

Invitation to Administrators

What tournament(s) should be the focus? Early season tournaments might be more strategic because administrators need lead time to implement new programming the following year. However, it’s never too late, so don’t hesitate to invite them if you’re hosting a tournament later in the year. Inviting administrators to attend a tournament where other Title I schools are participating would be a plus. Inviting these individuals to the district tournament series would be awesome, too. When should the invitation be sent? Administrators have packed schedules, so you should invite them at least three weeks in advance. If you know the date far enough in advance, consider sending a save the date communication. What to do if an administrator responds? ● Thank them for getting back to you, even if they do not have the ability to attend. ● Make sure you clearly communicate to the administrator about where to check in. ● Greet them personally, orient them to the event, and pair them with someone to judge alongside or shadow observe. ● Thank them in person when they leave, and be sure to send a follow-up communication that expresses appreciation and welcomes any follow-up questions. ● Ask students to write or sign a thank you card and mail it to the administrator. ● Notify the NSDA of an administrator’s interest if they do not have a program. We are here to help you!

your tournament. Use our editable Tournament Invitation Templates (shown above) to invite local administrators to witness how powerful our activity can be. Find these and more online at www.speechanddebate. org/inclusion. After the conclusion of your tournament, use our Local Tournament Press Release Template, available online at www.speechanddebate. org/resources, to share your tournament’s success with your community. Also, remember to share photos from your event with us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) @speechanddebate.

Lauren Burdt is the Big Questions Manager for the NSDA.

Questions? Ideas? These suggestions are a good place to start, but best tournament practices are always evolving. Please contact lauren.burdt@speechanddebate.org with any feedback you may have!

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CLAREMONT SUMMER DEBATE PROGRAMS

OUTSTANDING LEADER IN NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL DEBATE TRAINING 2019 SUMMER PROGRAMS CLAREMONT SUMMER Residential/commuter sessions for 500 debate and leadership communication students. For comprehensive Information and applications, visit claremontsummer.org. MIDDLE SCHOOL DEBATE Three sessions, with training in the Middle School Public Debate Program (MSPDP) format. Comprehensive instruction in advanced public speaking and argumentation – appropriate for MSPDP and other debate formats. The third session includes a summer championship tournament.

About the Public Debate Program

The Public Debate Program offers integrated class/critical thinking instruction and debate competition for secondary schools. Major educational and civil rights non-profit organizations in the US and abroad use PDP materials and programming for critical thinking, professional communication, language development, and girls’ and women’s empowerment instruction. The PDP proprietary competitive debate formats were designed by graduate education school faculty, secondary school administrators and teachers, and education and debate professionals. They were developed to maximize student educational outcomes and accelerate standards-based learning, as well as professional communication practice. The PDP promotes sophisticated public speaking, critical thinking, note taking, research, argumentation, and refutation skills. In 2018-19, the Public Debate Program will serve more than 825,000 teachers and students in 34 countries. Students learn skills appropriate for success in any debate format. Among many major awards, students trained in the PDP format have won high school policy and LD national championships, as well as the college BP/WUDC championship.

Middle School/High School Debate Summer Sessions

Middle school and high school students may participate in MSPDP and HSPDP parliamentary debate programs. The summer residential/commuter debate sessions feature an extraordinarily innovative curriculum, low 4-1 student-faculty ratio, small group instruction, certified staff and judges for all program instruction, and student-directed elective and open forum sessions. The 2019 summer program integrates student assessment portfolios for individual feedback and best practices updates during the 2019-2020 academic year. Students may attend one or more than one session – all sessions are appropriate for new and advanced debaters. High school students will have the opportunity to learn and practice the most popular college debate format, British Parliamentary/World Universities. All debate students receive a textbook and other curricular information designed for their format.

Other Information

Claremont Summer, in its 19th year, is an official program of the Claremont Colleges Debate Union, centered at Claremont McKenna College. Supplementary Programming – Essay writing training is integrated in all summer programs. It is offered by the staff of Claremont McKenna’s Center for Writing and Public Discourse. In addition, college admission officers meet with high school student groups to help students understand the intricacies and opportunities of the college application process. Debate students may arrive early for leadership/professional communication programming. The Leadership Program (high school) and Scholars Program (middle school) offer public speaking, discussion, multimedia presentation, interviewing, social networking, and team/group management training. High school students participate in an academic conference. Information is available online. About the Claremont Colleges – The Claremont Colleges consist of five extraordinarily prestigious and highly selective undergraduate colleges and two graduate schools. The Fiske Guide to Colleges noted that Claremont constituted “a collection of intellectual resources unmatched in America.” Claremont McKenna College is ranked as the 3rd finest higher education institution, according to the College Consensus, an aggregation of leading college ranking services worldwide, including the Center for World University Rankings, Forbes, Times higher Education, QS World University Rankings, US News, and Washington Monthly.

Session 1 – June 13-18 Session 2 – July 6-11 Session 3 – July 31-August 7

HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE One session, with training in the High School Public Debate Program (HSPDP) and supplemental training in the leading college parliamentary format, British Parliamentary debating. HSPDP Session – July 17-24

OTHER SUMMER PROGRAMS

There are leadership/professional communication programs for high school and middle school students, including public speaking, writing, and digital and social media training. These sessions are organized so that students may attend a communication scholars program and a consecutively scheduled debate session.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR John Meany Director of Forensics Claremont McKenna College Claremont Colleges Debate Union john.meany@cmc.edu

CLAREMONT LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS

LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION 2019 PROGRAMS SUMMER CONFERENCE

Conference on Criminal Justice Reform

An effort to stimulate informed discussion, deliberation, and debate on criminal justice policy issues. The conference includes keynote speeches/seminars by judges and field experts – opportunities for high school students to present papers, engage in roundtable discussions, and offer multimedia presentations. Awards in each category. The conference is part of the summer high school leadership program.

CIVICS IN ACTION (CIVAC)

LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION PROGRAMS HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER SESSION – JULY 9-17

Advanced communication training for academic and career success. The Claremont program uses the same instructional sessions, practice exercises, and curricular materials now used by higher education institutions, non-profit and government organizations, and businesses for training tens of thousands of individuals. Through the application of conference programming, case studies, training simulations, and roundtable discussions, students will develop the ability to identify problems, propose technically-achievable solutions, express vision, and motivate and manage others. The program offers professional training in public speaking, deliberative discussion, multimedia presentation, digital and social media, interviewing, report writing and editing, and team/organization management. In addition to diverse skills practices and topic-based research, students will prepare organization manuals, participate in a public policy case simulation, and engage in an academic conference. The summer program includes the opportunity to present papers, make presentations, and engage in discussion panels in the 2019 Conference on Criminal Justice Reform. Students may participate in this session and the following summer debate session, July 17-24.

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCHOLARS PROGRAMS – June 8-12 & July 26-30

The middle school sessions offer primary professional communication and leadership training for younger students. These programs feature an age-appropriate version of the public speaking, roundtable discussion, multimedia presentation, club/organization management, and report writing and editing training and practices as the high school leadership session. Students may take the opportunity to join academic year political and social leadership and civic engagement programs for their schools and communities. Sessions are scheduled to permit students to attend a consecutively-scheduled debate session. The session is appropriate for experienced and new speakers. Essay writing training is integrated in all summer programs. It is offered by the staff of Claremont McKenna’s Center for Writing and Public Discourse. In addition, college admission officers meet with high school student groups to help students understand the intricacies and opportunities of the college application process.

Claremont’s Civics in Action program features opportunities to learn and apply management communication skills and participate in national and international leadership projects and conferences. Programming is based on the Claremont Colleges Debate Union’s successful professional communication programs for higher educational institutions, non-profit organizations, businesses, and government agencies. Based on organizational and leadership communication from summer programming.

SCHEDULE WITH DEBATE SESSIONS It is possible to register for consecutive programming for leadership communication and debate for middle school and high school students. For Claremont Summer leadership communication programs, please visit claremontsummer.org.

Program Director John Meany Director of Forensics Claremont McKenna College john.meany@cmc.edu

COVER STORY

BLACK HISTORY MONTH:

Celebrating Blackness in Speech and Debate by Aiden Kwen

‘‘

Competitive debate provided me with the critical thinking skills that I rely on every day as an attorney.”

— ANDRE P. HYLTON

Woodward Academy, Georgia – Class of 1992

ne of the greatest developments

in debate is an ongoing movement of inclusivity that has helped shed light on debaters’ identities. When Andre Hylton and Nathan Holmes first walked into the Woodward Academy debate office in College Park, Georgia, however, this “movement of inclusivity” had yet to blossom. They were on their own: two Black debaters in a community that had yet to accept them for who they were.

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

OVERCOMING BARRIERS As two young Black men participating in the late ’80s and early ’90s in what was historically a Whitecentric activity, Andre and Nathan faced many hardships on their way to several considerable tournament wins— especially when they entered the spotlight on the national circuit. “The race factor was certainly there, mostly when we were sophomores and beginning to have exposure... We looked different as two Black guys from a private school. There were not a

lot of us around at the time,” Andre recalls. “[It’s] hard to read minds,” he continues, “but I imagine some people were predisposed to thinking we couldn’t be a top-tier team...or that there could only be one ‘good’ Black team at a time. A ridiculous notion, even back then.” Financial constraints were another significant barrier between Andre and his competitive career. As many debaters know, travel costs and tournament fees can be extremely expensive. “We were blessed to debate for a school that paid for all that,” Andre explains. “Our parents could not have swung it

otherwise. Even then, the financial strain was always a factor. We would work minimum wage jobs to help our parents pay for summer programs. We would scrape our spending money to take the train and bus over to Emory University’s library to research on the weekends.” Interestingly, Andre says he and Nathan were seen as privileged by their Black peers in poorer communities. “[That] couldn’t have been farther from the truth,” Andre muses. “Our families struggled and clawed to provide for us, just like their parents did. In fact, we lived in the same communities.”

FIRM MOORINGS Despite the many difficulties that came from his being a person of color participating in the activity at the time, Andre says his Blackness was not a key aspect of his identity as a debater. “I have to be honest. It wasn’t a focal point for us,” Andre explains. “Our whole lives were Black. Our neighborhoods. Our family. Our cultural mix... We spent our whole lives immersed in Black culture. We went to school and debated in a largely White environment. We were firmly moored culturally, so we didn’t really need debate to be culturally representative for us.”

ON CRITICAL ARGUMENTS With regard to critical arguments and the notion of expanding critical awareness of Blackness in general, Andre says this: “There were no critical arguments about race [during my high school debate career]. Those started to gain more popularity while I was debating in college. [However], as a debater and a judge, I have always been cool with

all types of arguments. If you can defend it, you should win.” He adds that he does not believe there should be any limitations on who can make what arguments in any debate. “I think that would be a very dangerous slope—if people started making claims that ‘only certain types of people can make certain arguments.’ Obviously, arguments that are based on personal experiences are subject to limitations by their very nature. Other than that, there should not be any restrictions whatsoever.”

ADVICE FOR DEBATERS Andre offers two pieces of advice for students looking to succeed in debate. “One, the activity is difficult—the research, the rigor, the all-nighters, the complex arguments and counterarguments, the surprises,” he explains. Andre encourages debaters to embrace that difficulty. “If you say the same thing every round, you are shorting yourselves,” he says. “Two, debate is one of the most openminded and accepting

‘‘

During Black History Month and beyond, we share perspectives from more trailblazers in our activity.

Joining the debate team was one of the best and most important decisions I’ve made. I was lucky to join a team led by Brent Farrand who selflessly guided us through the challenges we faced in and out of debate rounds. I was lucky I had a partner, Wakilah Felton, who was smart, funny, and fierce. I learned skills that helped me understand the world and how it operates. The friendships and skills that I learned are still with me today.”

— DIANA (DUNKER) CREWS

Newark Science High School, New Jersey – Class of 1989

environments you will experience in your life.” He adds a word of caution, however. “This is not to downplay discrimination and diversity issues in the activity. If you want to create positive change in the world, you will have

to do it in the sandbox in which you are playing.” Andre elaborates, “In my professional life, I have to be a good lawyer and use that platform to advance diversity in the business community at large. I cannot be effective just standing up

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 41

# S PA R K L E A D E R S

DEBATE GAVE ME A VOICE AT A TIME IN MY LIFE WHEN I FELT LIKE NOBODY WAS LISTENING. NOW I USE THAT VOICE TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF OTHERS.

SARAH CARTHEN WATSON The Blake School, MN - Class of 2011 Associate Counsel, Lawyersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

www.speechanddebate.org

in a business meeting and pontificating about race. “I would encourage young Black debaters to use debate as a platform to develop skills they can export into their professional lives down the road.”

WITH GRATITUDE Years after his high school and college debate career, Andre credits much of his competitive success to his education. “My high school coaches were wonderful, and worked very hard to develop us as young debaters. Our head coach was Paula Nettles, and our assistant coaches included Robert Thomas, the late Norm Hayes, and Judy Butler—who is the best educator to young debaters I have ever seen. “I would like to thank Ken Strange and Bill Russell for all they did for my college debate career. I apologize I will not be able to thank all the people who have helped me.”

He also notes Aaron Timmons and Gerard Grisby as Black coaches who always had a kind word of encouragement and a fair ear as judges.

FINAL THOUGHTS Upon finishing his high school education at Woodward Academy, Andre went on to debate for Dartmouth College and now serves as a Chief Counsel at Georgia-Pacific “I think debate did much for me in terms of how I thought critically and processed difficult problems throughout high school, college, and law school,” Andre concludes. “I also think the friends I made through the debate community are some of the most interesting and dynamic people I know. I probably cherish that more than anything.”

Aiden Kwen is a junior at Tenafly High School in New Jersey. He currently serves as a publication intern for the NSDA.

‘‘

Find printable posters from Cornelia and other speech and debate alumni, coaches, and leaders on our website!

“Being a member of a marginalized group in America, I didn’t share the same privilege as my counterparts in being able to speak about concepts of poverty, violence, and human casualty as distant events. Watching and listening to debaters unintentionally devalue these experiences, experiences that hit so close to home for me, was frustrating to witness. For me, being the first Black Public Forum champion is proof that choosing arguments in debate rounds that actually affect the lives of people is not only rewarding, but can be very powerful. I am confident that my feat is just the beginning of seeing more Black women taking their rightful places in more PF outrounds.”

— CORNELIA FRASER

Nova High School, Florida – Class of 2017

Turn the page for another full-size poster you can display in your school or classroom! Find these and more resources online:

www.speechanddebate.org/black-history-month ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 43

# S PA R K L E A D E R S

SPEECH AND DEBATE IS NOT JUST SOMETHING FUN TO DO ON THE WEEKENDS; IT IS THE FIRST STEP TO CHANGING THE WORLD AROUND US.

DEVANE MURPHY Science High School, NJ - Class of 2011 2017 collegiate NDT champion and 2017 CEDA champion

www.speechanddebate.org

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INCLUSION

EnGENDERing Change In Our Community: A School's Student-Led Effort to Address Gender Equality by Noelle Lambert and Jessica Liu edited by Ashley Murphy

n Emma Watson’s 2014 United Nations speech, she posed a pressing question to all female advocates of gender equality: “How can we effect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feel welcome to participate in the conversation?” Watson invited men to join the conversation about gender in society, how it affects them, and how to move forward to create a more comprehensive system of equality. At Unionville High School in Pennsylvania, our speech and debate team accepted that challenge. The movement to increase inclusivity in these conversations has been growing in all forms throughout the speech and debate community— at camps, tournaments, conferences, and more. Unfortunately, in our experience, many of the

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

“Gender in Debate” meetings open to students within our community have invited only those who identify as female. Furthermore, conversations are often more reactionary, with students describing their negative experiences with seemingly no one outlining concrete steps toward preventive action.

Breaking the Norm As senior female competitors, we felt we needed to take these talks one step further. Our team is approximately 60 percent male. To have as open and productive a discussion as possible, we felt the whole team should be included. We also focused our objectives around prioritizing a proactive discussion rather than a reactive one.

With the help of our coach, Ms. Murphy, we planned the most effective ways to successfully achieve these two objectives. We knew we wanted to make the atmosphere of the discussion as fluid and accessible as possible. We wanted to expand the discussion about how their gender identity affected their experience, starting with the personal and self-reflective, moving to focus around the team, before finally focusing on the speech and debate community as a whole.

Setting Up for Success As our friends and teammates were seated around tables of four or five, we had them fill out surveys, rating the following statements on a scale of 1-5, based

on how much they agreed with them: • “My gender affects how my judge evaluates me as a competitor.” • “It’s important to monitor my tone when speaking in a round so I don’t come across as too aggressive or shrill.” • “I can be honest about how I feel to my teammates.” • “If I had a concern about an interaction with another competitor, it would be taken seriously.” In doing so, we hoped to allow for introspection and consideration before beginning the discussion. After group breakouts, the team came back together for a full group conversation, which we quickly saw inspired surprising and meaningful discussions. Our

ENCOURAGE

BE INTENTIONAL. Establish objectives early on about the purpose of the conversation. This setting may not be an

PLAN AHEAD. Envision what the ideal meeting would look like, then create materials and establish ideas in advance to help achieve a productive and valuable discussion.

AND GENUINELY LISTEN. Due to each participant’s unique perspective, they may reveal different experiences and ask questions. It is vital to listen to each person’s viewpoint and to withhold judgments to maintain an educational environment that is inclusive, welcoming, and educational for all involved.

LET THE

Noelle Lambert is a senior at Unionville High School and Overall Debate Captain on her team. Besides Public Forum, Noelle's main extracurricular interests include volunteering, art, and working with team novices.

participants to respect individuals' chosen pronoun usage. If unknown, allow and encourage the use of gender-neutral singular pronouns such as they, them, their, and theirs, rather than using binary alternatives such as he/ she or his/hers.

BE OPEN-MINDED

NONBINARY LANGUAGE. Ask

KNOW YOUR RESOURCES. Have a working knowledge of the support systems available at your school or within your community, and make your team aware of these resources. This is a key step within the discussion to ensure incidents are addressed in a comprehensive and appropriate manner.

how the content is discussed. Although we alternated between structured discussions and targeted questions, for example, we allowed participants to express their thoughts freely and openly.

SET GROUND RULES. It should be clear from the start that offensive language, gossip, or personal attacks will not be tolerated. Remind the group of these rules at the beginning of a workshop to foster a constructive tone.

As competitors who spend countless days in the activity, we have a unique opportunity to connect with our student community and address gender issues that have arisen with more commonalities and trust. Moreover, we are able to use the self-advocacy and public speaking skills we have developed over our speech and debate careers to further a cause about which we genuinely care and to foster dialogues on gender inclusion within this community.

If you and your team want to create a similar dialogue, it is both feasible and easy to plan. The structure and content of the event will vary, as the needs of each team are diverse. Use the following tips to help maintain a welcoming atmosphere necessary to facilitating meaningful conversations.

appropriate one to report other teams on the circuit or to disclose a very private experience with harassment or assault. While these issues are important and should be addressed, you may not want to do so in the midst of the entire team.

Talking the Talk

Tips for Facilitating Your Team's Discussions

friends shared personal experiences and questions we never anticipated. Later, we encouraged the group to transition into speaking about a much larger scope: our forensic community’s treatment of gender differences as a whole. For example, we discussed the impacts of judgmental language when talking about women from other teams, and the stress it creates as they feel they have misogynistic standards to fulfill. We also addressed comments that some of our teammates had experienced personally.

CONVERSATION BE ORGANIC. As long as the ground rules and objectives are clear, you shouldn’t need to rigidly structure

Jessica Liu is a senior and Policy Debate Captain at Unionville High School. She finished 11th in Policy Debate at the 2018 NSDA Nationals and 5th at the 2018 NCFL Nationals.

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 47

COMMUNITY

N AT I O N A L

SPEECH AND DEBATE EDUCATION DAY

CELEBRATING EDUCATORS. INSPIRING STUDENTS. TRANSFORMING TOMORROW.

THIS YEAR WILL BE BIGGER THAN EVER!

CE LE B R ATE W ITH US ON M A RC H 1 , 20 19

now more than ever. This is our chance to promote this activity to a huge audience. Planning is in full swing for NSDE Day this March 1. Every single day, more schools sign up to participate in this year’s celebration. We are well on our way to surpassing our record!

Need help getting inspired? Teams are already working hard to pass local resolutions in their city or through their school

board. You can find a full collection of resolutions we’ve received on our Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/ speechanddebate). Or, if you’re looking for motivation from someone else, visit www. SpeechAndDebateDay. org for a video from one of the National Resolution co-sponsors (and speech and debate alum), Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. March 1 can be a wonderful day to honor this activity and everyone who participates in it, from students and coaches to parents and more. We’re here to help you plan the best celebration possible. We've updated our resources and added even

more planning materials for 2019. Download them for free on our website.

Help, I haven’t planned a celebration yet! That’s okay, there’s still a lot you can do to recognize NSDE Day! Visit our website for a full array of resources, or start with some of these ideas. Hang posters and

ational Speech and Debate Education Day (or NSDE Day for short) is a special day for all of us in the speech and debate community. It’s a day dedicated to celebrating educators, inspiring students, and transforming tomorrow. We all know that speech and debate changes lives and teaches crucial skills. It is the best activity to develop the interest, passion, and skills to become engaged citizens and knowledgeable members of our society— skills that are important

flyers around your school. Our new posters for 2019 are available to download online—or use the 16x20” winning student poster design included inside this issue! Show your spirit by hanging them in your classroom, on your bulletin board, or in your hallways.

Ce le b ratin g E du cato r s. I n s p i ri ng S tud ents . Tra nform i ng Tom orrow.

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Education Day is right here—planning tips, posters, and advice galore.

POSTERS Print our 8.5x11”, 11x17”, or winning student poster contest design to hang in your school.

CELEBRATE THE HONOR SOCIETY Center student achievement in your celebration by honoring members of the National Forensic League. This is a great time to award new degrees or induct new members. LOGOS Sending out celebratory emails? Making your own graphics? Use the official logo. SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS Share these images March 1 to let all of your followers know about National Speech and Debate Education Day.

CONTACT ELECTED OFFICIALS Get started on passing

INCLUSION RESOURCES Make your NSDE Day celebration accessible for everyone by viewing our Harassment and Discrimination Policy, Pronoun Guide, and Gender

Neutral Bathroom Best Practices.

STATE/LOCAL PROCLAMATION Your legislators may have their own templates, but use this as an example to show them the importance of speech and debate.

PRESS RELEASE TEMPLATE Use this to contact reporters about your team’s celebration.

TEAM TOOLKIT Everything you need to celebrate National Speech and Debate

SCHOOL BOARD RESOLUTION Customize this to fit your school’s needs and pass it to declare March 1 as National Speech and Debate Education Day.

MEDIA TOOLKIT Hosting an event or want to highlight your team’s accomplishments? Read this for advice on reaching out to local media.

Find FREE resources on our website

EMAIL TEMPLATE Reach out to local elected officials or members of your school board.

activities posted on our website are a great way to emphasize the importance of speech and debate and show how this activity can change lives.

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT Need help setting up an account for your team? This guide has everything you need to know, including tips on how to celebrate National Speech and Debate Education Day on social media.

to honor the day during your class period. The classroom

a local resolution in your area with this helpful guide.

Take a moment

THANK YOU GRAMS Sign up by February 22 and we’ll send a free thank you email to your coach or administrator.

Celebrate the day on social media. This year, we published a guide on setting up a social media account for your team, which you can find on our website. Share the free graphics offered online, post about why speech and debate is important to you using #WeAreSpeechAndDebate, and stay tuned to our pages for videos, testimonials, and other fun content to share.

Grace Rogers serves as Marketing Communications Specialist for the NSDA.

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Students Demand Action is a supporter of the mission of the National Speech & Debate Association. They believe in the power of student voices for action. The statements in this article do not represent any official position of the NSDA.

I survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Here’s how I’m working to end gun violence.

ne year ago, I survived a massacre at my high school. Since that day, I’ve honored my friends and classmates who did not survive by demanding change. I write here to encourage you all to do the same. My memory of that Valentine’s Day at my high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, is blurry. I remember hearing pops, but at first, I didn’t register these sounds as gunshots. They couldn’t be. When we realized they were, in

fact, gunshots, and began to realize the seriousness of the situation, we all began to run for our lives. And then weeks later, we marched for our lives. Now, we continue to fight for our lives by advocating for stronger gun laws. After the shooting, my school, my city, and my friends were changed forever. We knew we had to do all we could to ensure this never happened again. When we first started our advocacy work after Parkland, we weren’t sure it was going to work, but we knew we had to try. Shortly after the shooting, Florida passed a sweeping gun violence prevention package over the gun lobby’s objections. This package was signed into law by Republican governor Rick Scott and created a Red Flag law, prohibited bump stocks in Florida, and raised

the age to purchase firearms to 21 along with other common-sense gun violence prevention measures. After years of passing gun laws backed by the gun lobby, our state had finally reversed course and was on the right track. If a state like Florida can reverse course, anything’s possible. It’s up to students like us—the next generation of leaders—to stand up for what’s right and demand better. We owe it to my classmates whose lives were taken by gun violence, and we owe it to all victims and survivors of gun violence. Soon after the shooting, I knew I needed to join a network of students who were committed to ending gun violence. That’s why I joined Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a national initiative, created by and for teens and

young adults, to channel the energy and passion of students like myself into the fight against gun violence. Since then, I’ve worked with other Students Demand Action volunteers to advocate for stronger gun laws. There’s no question that gun violence is one of the most important issues facing our generation. In fact, we’ve even been labeled the “mass shooting generation.” One day, I’d like for us to be known as the generation that put an end to all shootings. If you’re ready to demand better and put in the work to end gun violence in America, join your local Students Demand Action group. If there isn’t a group in your area, start one. To get involved, visit studentsdemand.org or text STUDENTS to 644-43. I think in each of us, there is a voice that can make change. My hope is that you find your own cause and use your voice.

Sari Kaufman is a junior and a member of the speech and debate team at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. She serves as a volunteer with Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

To get involved, visit studentsdemand.org or text STUDENTS to 644-43.

www.gdsdebate.com

Lincoln-Douglas Debate Two Weeks June 30 – July 13 Three Weeks June 30 – July 20 Kritik Lab Three Weeks June 30 – July 20 Congressional Debate Two Weeks June 30 – July 13 World Schools Debate Two Weeks June 30 – July 13 World Schools/Lincoln-Douglas Three Weeks June 30 – July 20 Coaches Clinic One-Three Week Options Available

Visit our website for more information about all of our programs.

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COMMUNITY

DEBATE

From New York to Croatia: Tips for Understanding World Schools Debate by Emily Grantham and Leila Saklou

Michael Bole, Luke Tillitski, Anh Cao, Ranen Miao, Liana Schmitter-Emerson, Elyse Dewbre, and Maddie Butler

SA Debate concluded 2018 with a whirlwind of events. The time for slowing down was out of the question as the team put their best foot forward at tournaments spanning the globe from New York to Germany to Croatia. After winning the Cornell University tournament in late October, November found eight members of the team and their coaches in Stuttgart, Germany, for the EurOpen tournament. Upon arrival, the team had a brief power nap and a few bowls of homemade German pasta, then got to work. The following days would be consumed by intriguing debate motions such as “This House would not prosecute feminist activist groups who break the law in order

to protect women” and “This House supports the right to offend.” By the end, both USA teams cleared to outrounds. Octafinals and quarterfinals took place the following day, and both USA teams emerged victorious after tough rounds with teams from Turkey, Germany, and Lithuania. Unfortunately, USA Blue met their defeat in semifinals, debating “This House would allow states to pay other states to relocate and resettle migrants” and finished the tournament in third place.

USA Red advanced to finals, ready to take on the last round against Team Israel over the motion “This House prefers Asian collectivist values over Western liberal individualism.” In a close decision, the debate was given to Team Israel and USA Red claimed second place. Four of the debaters placed in the top five speakers. Less than a month later, the team met up in Zagreb, Croatia, for the Winter Holiday Open. To combat the jet lag from the 12-hour flights and airport layovers, the team set out to explore

the festivities of the winter capital of the world. Strolling through streets bedazzled with holiday decorations and glowing lights, it was a picturesque way to end the night. The following morning, the team squeezed in last-minute revisions and enhanced their arguments’ analysis over coffee and a Croatian breakfast before taking off to the venue for the first two rounds. After some thoughtful debates over increasing STEM education, both USA teams finished the night undefeated. On the second day of competition, USA Debate prepared for four rounds and a culture night party to celebrate the customs of every country partaking in the competition.

Luke Tillitski, Michael Bole, Emily Grantham, Leila Saklou, Jack Johnson, Ranen Miao, Ishan Bhatt, and Brian Zhou

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

After the final preliminary round, the team seized the opportunity to snack on some Turkish delight and interact with people from all across the globe. For some members of the team, this would be the first time ever experiencing a culture night. After the party, breaks were announced, revealing that both USA teams advanced. The following morning, USA Debate arrived at the venue ready to take on the final leg of the tournament. Debates over slum tourism and civil disobedience took up most of the day. USA Blue met their defeat in semifinals, while USA Red advanced to finals, ultimately losing to Slovenia on the motion “This House would oblige companies to price in environmental burdens into the cost of their products.” The team looks forward to an eventful second semester.

Advice for World Schools Debate We hope the following tips are helpful for understanding the format we as USA Debate team members have come to love so much!

reasonable.

World Schools Debate is all about staying in “the heart of the motion,” meaning that when you make arguments, you should focus on the logic behind why an action would cause a certain impact and the likelihood of that impact happening. In a debate about compulsory voting, for instance, it would be reasonable to assume that the motion applies to liberal democracies. In that same way, many motions involving supporting a policy can have exceptions that are made in the framing component of a case. For example, when on the proposition side for the motion “This House would introduce a 100% inheritance tax” from the Winter Holiday Open, it is reasonable to say the motion would not apply to individuals below the poverty line because the point of the inheritance tax is to redistribute wealth. These format conventions show that you can engage opponents in a fair manner. Be

comprehensive.

The format is called World Schools because

the debates ought to reflect an international perspective. In a case, it obviously is okay to use an example from the United States, but as a general rule, having examples from other countries is imperative. An example of where restricting yourself to one specific country is dangerous is with the motion “This House regrets the increasing focus on STEM education in schools.” When debating this motion in Croatia, the USA Debate team researched examples of what initiatives reflected this trend in schools around the world, citing examples from countries like Australia, Germany, Spain, Singapore, and Great Britain. Diverse examples help ensure that the argumentation is relevant. Be

creative.

A number of motions initially seem like they are easier to debate on one side than the other, but naturally there should be a level of truth on either side of an issue. When unsure about how to debate the seemingly more difficult side a motion, good questions to ask are “What is the comparative?” or

“How would this motion function outside of the United States?” and “How would this motion impact a marginalized population?” Be

diligent.

Because roughly half of the debates one has in the format will be impromptu, one of the strongest ways to improve is simply to stay informed. Having a different motion every round, from topics that range from sports to economics and from pop culture to international politics, means that you have to be able to formulate arguments about subjects you otherwise might not be inclined to think about. Reading a range of news sources and listening to podcasts on international events is critical to making relevant arguments and engaging in a persuasive way with your opponent. Finally, redoing speeches for yourself or a debate coach can be a very helpful way to correct mistakes or practice executing a strategy after a round has finished.

Emily Grantham and Leila Saklou are seniors at Kingwood High School in Texas. They both currently serve as publication interns for the NSDA.

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COMMUNITY

Words from the Hall

A CHANGE OF SCENERY by Gay Brasher

hen I was invited to share in Rostrum what I’ve learned over my 52 years of teaching and coaching speech and debate, I didn’t know where to begin. Then I went to my Thursday morning class at Horace Mann Elementary School in San Jose, California. That’s where I realized what I could share: how my involvement in—and commitment to—elementary speech education has taught me to become a more invigorated high school coach and educator. My own involvement at the elementary level started about 10 years ago. After all my years of high school teaching and coaching, I feared I would lose the passion I needed to be fresh and effective in the classroom. When I called the principal at

ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

Horace Mann and asked if I could demonstrate speech activities to fourth-graders, he was interested but skeptical. I explained I would include simpler, activity-based

Elementary school speech education has taught me so much—and given me renewed confidence. It’s gratifying and encouraging to realize that at my age, I can be successful at

A new environment forces us out of our routines. We can find ourselves in a rut, buried in paperwork, and exhausted by long hours. Sometimes, a change of scenery is just what we need. communication skills that we do every day in a high school speech class. From the moment I had the students use gestures to describe the various heights of the ghosts that had attended their Halloween party, they (and I) were hooked.

bringing life skills to a new age group. For these young students, the imaginative, activity-based curriculum overcomes any fear they may have about speaking in front of an audience. They want to have fun, and they see speech and debate as just that.

A new environment forces us out of our routines. We can find ourselves in a rut, buried in paperwork, and exhausted by long hours. Sometimes, a change of scenery is just what we need. And to enjoy the elementary school experience, you can find that new scene right within your current school district! I have found that leading a one- or two-day weekend workshop for third-, fourth-, and fifthgraders is a great way to incorporate this concept into your regular schedule and involve current high school students. What’s more, I have discovered that by requesting an entry fee appropriate for the length of the day and for your area, this can also become a lucrative fundraiser for your team.

Here’s the formula I have followed for the past decade:

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Step Four

Step Five

Secure a classroom in your own school. (Be sure to check your school’s liability policies.) Keep in mind, larger rooms swallow the students’ voices and enthusiasm. However, the classroom must hold all of the elementary students as well as the student coaches from your team.

I typically cap enrollment at 34 to facilitate classroom management. Although you will be the workshop’s main instructor, recruit one student coach from your team for every two to four elementary students. The larger the studentto-coach ratio, the more time should be allotted for each activity. I award my high schoolers class credit or community service for having participated.

Develop a promotional flyer that informs parents of the communication skills their children will learn that weekend—skills that will be used every day in the classroom for group projects, book reports, and even to raise their hands and answer questions. Send out reminder emails with workshop specifics. Ask parents to accompany their students to the classroom to sign them in and then again to sign them out.

On the day of the event, student coaches should arrive 30 minutes early. Remind them about appropriate behavior and language and encourage them to begin with positive comments when giving feedback. Emphasize that any problems must be reported to you immediately. Throughout the classroom, leave empty seats for elementary students around each high schooler. During the workshop, your high school coaches will break into small groups with the younger students and help them execute the skills you present. The elementary students will then perform for the entire group.

The activities must be short, fast, and fun! Moving quickly means you won’t need a recess. We let the students have a snack as they write their speeches with the high schoolers. I typically provide graham crackers, whole mandarin oranges, and water.

Pictured below: Elementary students: Noelia Diaz, Alexander Haggis, Ashley Zamora, and Owen Lewis. High school students: Sasha Shahinfar, Carly Chan, and Joanna Bi.

Workshop Structure on NEXT PAGE

Gay Brasher is a sevendiamond coach and member of the NSDA Hall of Fame. She received the James M. Copeland Coach of the Year award in 2001. Her Leland High School squad is one of the largest in the nation and won the Bruno E. Jacob / Pi Kappa Delta Trophy in 2016.