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| Alumni Newsletter – December 2016
A publication of the National Speech & Debate Association
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| Dear Alum,
From all of us at the National Speech & Debate Association, have a warm and relaxing holiday season! We're excited to offer new ways to get involved in the coming year!
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Webinar Presenters Wanted » Any alum who is interested in leading an online webinar for the organization should email harrison.postler@speechanddebate.org. Please include information about your background and provide an overview of what you'd like to present. Not sure where to start? We're always looking for stories about the role speech and debate played in your life after graduation. If you'd like to present on how the activity helps you in the real world, how to make speech and debate skills translate into applications, or related topics, let us know. We'd love to hear from you!
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Coaching and Advocacy » Fewer than one-third of U.S. high schools have speech and debate programs. If you are considering starting a program, the NSDA can help! Programs can be started and run by alumni, parents, and others. We offer training materials and resources you can use to advocate for a program to school administration. Even if you aren't interested in being the coach yourself, sometimes all it takes is one persistent voice to get the ball rolling. We encourage you to share how speech and debate made a difference in your life with decision makers. Contact us to learn how to get started!
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| Podius Debates » We just finished the fourth installment of the Podius Debates series, wherein we've partnered with the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation to bring public debates to college campuses. The latest debate took place November 16, 2016, at Emory University. Our moderator, former NewsHour anchor and NPR host Ray Suarez, facilitated the lively discussion between CNN analysts Bakari Sellers and Andy Dean. They tackled a very timely question in the days following the presidential election: Was the 2016 election cycle damaging to American democracy? Watch the debate here!
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| PKD Membership » As an alum of the Association, you’re eligible for free membership in Pi Kappa Delta, our collegiate forensic honor society! PKD is more than just a great addition to your resume. Click here to learn more about the PKD National Tournament, resources, scholarships, internships, and how to continue your journey with the NSDA!
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What Has Speech and Debate Given You? Was it confidence in public speaking? It may have been communication skills, or maybe it was a supportive network of coaches, teachers, and competitors that inspired you to keep going. Whatever the case may be, by participating in speech and debate, you’ve been given opportunities that will benefit you your entire life. Many alumni have asked how they can give back to the organization that has given them so much. Your tax-deductible gift of any amount—$25, $10, or even $5—means that others will have access to the same speech and debate programs from which you’ve benefited.
If you aren’t able to make a donation, you can still show your support by sharing the NSDA’s posts on social media so that more people will learn about the many benefits of speech and debate. Use the links below to follow us!
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Speech is in the Movies! » Erica Dasher and Sami Kriegstein (Harvard National Champs 2004, Nat Finalists 2003-2004) made a documentary about speech and debate, and it’s in theaters right now. It’s called Figures of Speech (formerly This is Not a Club), and it follows four Duos as they fight to make it onto the National Finals Stage. Chris Pine (Star Trek) saw an early screening and asked if he could narrate—true story! Erica and Sami have set up a special campaign through TUGG, a national theatrical distribution company, that makes it easy for you to host a screening. Each host gets 5% of the total screening income, and you can also set it up as a fundraiser for your favorite team or school. This is a fantastic opportunity, and we hope you decide to host a screening. Click here to learn more.
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