Speech vs. Debate: The Growing Divide

“The National Speech & Debate Association is committed to modeling and  fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion for all speech and debate  communities. We are continuously transforming our organization to reflect  and operationalize the values of equity, integrity, respect, leadership, and  service.” This is a statement from the National Speech and Debate association regarding their mission and vision for speech and debate. A quote that was personally read to me my freshman year of high school when I joined speech.  This phrase is what sealed the deal for me to enter this activity, and in the past three years it has become my entire world. I spend all my free time working on my written speeches wondering how I can be better. And if I’m not writing? I’m watching videos of other people’s speeches and analyzing  everything about it. Specifically, Informative Speaking. The event has stolen my heart in how people are able to express and teach topics people never take a second glance at… and make it so interesting! However, this passion I found wasn’t introduced to me in the same way that most other events were. The first time I had heard of the event was from a different teammate,  complaining about how much he hated participating in it. It was when I went to watch his final round that I fell in love with the event. I asked so many questions because of this fascination, and to me it seemed like the perfect event. The next year I would continue to pursue it, and in doing so watch that very fascination be judged and proceed to crumble.  

In my years, and many experiences with Informative, I’ve noticed that it is  held at a different level in comparison to other events within speech and  debate. From fully committing to Original Oratory and dabbling in multiple  interpretation events, it has become increasingly clear that, in my region,  Informative has been dealt a smaller spotlight than the events surrounding it,  and it’s not alone. Many events in this community are viewed under harsh  lighting when compared to others. As of this year I am a competitor, and I’ve become closer than ever to many of the other competitors in my region. They  told me that they had either not shown a respect to the event or never even  attempted or spectated it. It was through them I realized that not everyone saw each event the same way, and that some events were viewed as lesser than others.  

The first time I championed Informative Speaking, instead of being met with praise by most of my teammates and friends, I was met with a few cheers  and a pat on the back, while when other members of my team finalled in Dramatic or Humorous Interpretation, they were praised as though they had just won nationals. It was an odd feeling, to be holding my trophy in my arms, watching as other teammates were given their medals then be swung and jump around. At that moment, I should have been proud of all my hard work I had put into that speech, but rather, I wanted to toss my trophy in the trash because it felt like it held no real value. Looking back on it now, I  am incredibly proud of myself for doing so well at that stage of my speech career. But I'm more heartbroken at the fact that there are probably other students feeling just like I did every single weekend.  

Where I’m from (the South Texas region) Interpretation events are heavily  taught and yield the highest entry rates because they are held so highly.  Therefore, other platform events like Informative or Oratory, even most  debates, fall into a shadow due to the platform Interpretation events are  given. And in some other regions, it’s the reverse, whereas debates and  platform events are viewed higher than interp events, making interpers feel less than their other competitors. There is a clear divide amongst events which are given due to each of  the natures and focuses of events being completely different. However, it is when we start to prioritize some events over others that we see the divide become dangerous and create a tear in the community. In the one place  where we should all be “fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion for all,” we  are rather highlighting different traits to be worth more and fostering a  growing cruelty amongst ourselves. Simply put, this activity is no longer  united but pitted against itself. We have become the “Speech vs. Debate”  community.  

The roots of this problem find themselves in the way we are coached to do  events and the experiences we have with them. Like the original teammate I  had, at the next tournament he proceeded to be the Informative champion,  and when I went to congratulate him so he felt seen, he simply told me “It’s  not that hard.” By doing this, he not only undermined the win I previously had, but also his own. When we continue to voice these opinions, we start to see the effect it has on the competitors around us and ourselves; consequently, this cycle will never end unless we actively take steps toward dismantling this way of thinking. This problem is so deeply rooted in our community, that it is not only the way we view events, but also how they are taught to others. In judging, some events have different ballot prerequisites and things to check for at each tournament, making the perception of these events vary in the eyes of different judges. Not only that, but different regions have different interpretations and standards that these events are held to, so when these diverse cultures of events collide, it creates a confusing issue of how these events and competitors should be seen.  

It is because of these beliefs and issues, along with my own personal history  of doing this event, that whenever I see new faces in my local Informative  community attempting new events and expanding past their comfort zone  to find their true passion, I do everything I can to foster these steps they take. 

No matter what event they decide to go for or how they do, you treat them  the same as you would if anyone else had placed similarly in different events.  It is important we do this because those competitors are the future of this activity, and they possess the true ability to make the changes we are so desperately trying to make. If we want to solve this ever-growing  dilemma, we must realize that each of us has different skills, traits, and  passions for different events. Just because you may not enjoy one side of the  event spectrum, doesn’t mean it’s easier or a lesser event. Furthermore, by doing this I believe our community would expand its appreciation of one another, the passion we have, and the expertise many have spent years perfecting their event. It is when we do this, that the divide between many will diminish,  and we can unite once again to truly harness the name of being the “Speech and Debate” community.