Overcoming Economic Disadvantages and Announcing the Champion Briefs Foundation

High School Speech and Debate is an activity that fosters intellectual growth but the degree to which it changes students' lives is immeasurable. To fully understand the impact that it has on students' lives, we must look to the different aspects of the activity. Research is the obvious one; students who participate in any event learn through their findings when researching debate topics, filing for Extemp, exploring topic areas for Original Oratory and Interpretation, etc. This, however, is not the key to the transformative aspect of the activity. The true impact of the activity comes from interaction with other students. When students participate in tournaments, they consciously recognize the competitive aspects but often overlook the value of unique social interactions within the forensics community. As Stephen D. Brookfield and Stephen Preskill explain in their book Discussion as a Way of Teaching, 'Discussion is one of the most effective ways to make students aware of the range of interpretations that are possible in an area of intellectual inquiry' (Brookfield 71). Discourse is the difference between understanding your perspective on a topic and understanding multiple evaluations from diverse positions, which is what makes this activity so special. By fostering conversation on a variety of issues, this activity forces students to change their minds; a necessary tenant to growth in our society. This is the type of open-mindedness that spurs innovation, social change, and every other type of major change. By encouraging more students to participate in the activity, we not only improve their lives but also improve the ability of the next generation to think critically and communicate effectively. This is not to say that intellectual growth is only possible through Speech and Debate but encouraging discourse would, in theory, accelerate the process. The change in mindset happens wherever there is discourse about a topic but the interesting modification is whom the conversation is between. Brookfield explains that 'When differences of opinion are strongly felt or when perspectives on an issue are highly divergent for cultural or ethnic reasons, even discussions that take place over a period of years can hardly be expected to overcome such long-standing and deeply rooted differences…an airing of differences can stimulate more discussion' (Brookfield 79). Conversations between parties of especially diverse backgrounds actually stimulate understanding, even if the discussion does not change views. This is where a crucial element of the Speech and Debate activity comes in: interacting with especially diverse parties. Many schools only compete within their own districts or leagues but this does not fulfill the potential of the activity as these students likely only interact with other students that are very similar to themselves (from the same geographic region, socio-economic background, etc.). This is what makes state and national tournaments so valuable. Students can realize major benefits of forensics without travelling but cannot possibly realize the full potential of their growth without interacting with students from different backgrounds than themselves. As a competitor, I was privileged enough to attend tournaments that had extremely diverse competitive pools, which led me to change my own views on many different topic areas. I attribute my development as an individual to these interactions, which is why it is unfortunate, and even tragic, that all students do not have this opportunity. I believe that it is within the responsibility of the community to help underprivileged students to have this extremely important opportunity. I am extremely proud to announce the creation of the Champion Briefs Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to giving students the opportunity to realize the full potential of this amazing activity. The Foundation will act in a few very specific ways to raise money that will then be provided to underprivileged students as scholarships. First, we are hosting a 'Coaches Round Robin.' This unique event will allow forensics coaches and alumni to compete against each other for the viewing pleasure of students, parents, and other members of the community. Second, we will be selling t-shirts and other merchandise through our website starting in January. All proceeds from these sales will go directly to creating more scholarship opportunities. Third, for those who would like to generously donate to the Foundation, we will perpetually accept donations through our website. Once the fund is established, the Foundation will release its plan for scholarships, the number and amounts of which will be determined by the scope of our fundraising. I am extremely excited about this new organization and hopeful that the Speech and Debate community will help us to achieve our goals. Please visit www.ChampionBriefsFoundation.org for more information about the organization, fundraising, and scholarships. Brookfield, Stephen, and Stephen Preskill. Discussion As A Way Of Teaching. N.P.: San Francisco. 2005. Print.