Foward to Graduation

Badger Speakers and Debaters,

Spring semester is both a beginning and an end.

We will welcome members who are joining us for the first time. Volunteer to meet them at the Spring Org Fair. If you’re a Badger interested in Speech and Debate, join us. No experience is necessary.

We will also say goodbyes. Many members that I welcomed in my inaugural year leading Wisconsin Speech and Debate, and shortly thereafter, will graduate this spring. I hope that they will look back fondly on their membership: on the speeches given and heard, the friendships made, the challenges faced (including the Covid-19 pandemic), the meals shared, the trips taken, and the competitions lost and won. There are many lessons one could learn from participating in Speech and Debate. I hope they’ve learned the good ones and not the bad. I also hope that they leave us more critical of—and generous towards—others’ speeches, more confident to speak themselves, and that they will speak for good.

But there is much to be done between the beginning and the end. We will foster forums for Speech and Debate on campus. Senior members are organizing large debates open to the campus community (watch our weekly emails for details) and we will host our second on-campus, intramural competition open to all Badgers. Members will also be speaking in our weekly sessions, participating in competitions, and preparing to speak in national championships. Members will celebrate the year at the spring banquet. You can find dates for these events on pages 12 through 15 of this booklet.

These activities come with costs. Again we thank our generous donors for their support—thank you! Members will also contribute by volunteering to sell concessions at UW athletic events and applying for university grants. Selling concessions together can be fun and there are skills to be learned writing grants. Members, please pitch in to help.

Forward!

A.J. Carver, coach (he/him) acarver@wisc.edu