A Conversation With Former First Lady Michelle Obama June 7, 2022
Welcome! All net proceeds from tonight’s special program benefit the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative.
Thank you for supporting speech and debate programs in our public schools! www.RichmondSpeechDebate.org
A Conversation with the Former First Lady June 7, 2022 Opening program & National Anthem
Huguenot High School Jazz Band
Welcome & Heather Mullins Crislip opening remarks Executive Director The Richmond Forum
Chris Medina Executive Director National HBCU Speech & Debate Association
Introductions
Kameron Belfield, Student, Armstrong High School
Tani Washington, Student, Western Kentucky University Former team captain, Deep Run Forensics
Presentation Closing Remarks
Michelle Obama with Melody Barnes Ms. Crislip
Tonight’s presentation may not be recorded or photographed by any means for any purpose. Continue the conversation online:
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tonight 's progr a m
Michelle Obam a
Michelle Robinson Obama served as First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, transforming the position and becoming a role model, champion and inspiration for women, families, and young people across America and around the world. As First Lady, Mrs. Obama launched and led four key initiatives: Let’s Move! brought together community leaders, educators, parents, celebrities, medical professionals, and others in a nationwide effort to address the challenge of childhood obesity; Joining Forces, which she launched with Dr. Jill Biden, called on all Americans to rally around service members, veterans, and their families and support them through wellness, education, and employment opportunities; Reach Higher aimed to inspire young people across America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university; Let Girls Learn focused on helping adolescent girls around the world go to school. Mrs. Obama’s work on girls’ education continues through the Girls Opportunity Alliance at the Obama Foundation. Mrs. Obama attended Chicago public schools until enrolling in Princeton where she studied sociology and African American studies. She graduated cum laude from Princeton in 1985 and received a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1988. She then joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she met her future husband. Following her time at Sidley & Austin, Mrs. Obama served as an assistant to Mayor Richard Daley and as Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development for the city
of Chicago, before becoming the founding Executive Director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares young people for public service careers. As part of her continued focus on community service and engagement, Mrs. Obama joined the University of Chicago in 1996 as its Associate Dean of Student Services focused on fostering connections between the campus and community. She also served as Vice President of Community and External Affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center. In 2018, Michelle Obama published her memoir, Becoming, which sold more copies than any other book published in the United States in 2018, achieving that status in just 15 days and instantly rising to the #1 slot on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Becoming has since sold more than 15 million copies worldwide, and in 2021 Mrs. Obama released a young readers edition adapted for children ages 10 and up. She is also the host of the Michelle Obama Podcast on Spotify, and has recently released Waffles + Mochi, a culinary children’s series on Netflix. Mrs. Obama was born on January 17, 1964. She married Barack Obama in 1992. They currently live in Washington, DC and have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
michelle oba m a
For mer First Lady Michelle Obam a
st udents on stage
Huguenot High School Jazz Band Huguenot High School is home to Concert, Marching, Orchestra, Symphonic, & Jazz Bands with about 75 students training to be young professionals with experience in the performing arts. This evening before the program we will be treated to the work of their Jazz Band, who has performed at the Mayor’s State of the City Address and Richmond City Hall on many occasions. The mission of the Huguenot High School Jazz program is to stay committed to academic excellence, while nurturing the development of creative thinkers and young professionals, through astute musicianship. Tonight’s band members:
Trumpets: Brandon Buckentin, Justin Elmore, Davonya Lee, Nathen Munoz-Giron, Arianna Jordan, Daniel May, Berny Raffael-Merida
Flutes: Siara Doswell, Zyana Fashaw, Genesis Ruiz-Guzman Saxophones & Clarinets: Jahmiah Anderson, Chloe CarmonHill, Roquan Holmes, Shamya Melvin, Kendall Randolph
Trombones: Junior CardonaAlvarez, Jamiyah Culbreth, Stephan Fowlkes, Kameryn Purvis
Rhythm Section: Devin Barcacel (Guitar), Chutthana Michael Ta (Piano), Josiah Boykins (Drums), Khalil Ford (Piano), Michael Long (Bass), Joshua Overton (Piano), Kamara Ross (Piano)
Mr. Drew Miles is the Director of Band and Orchestra at Huguenot High School and will be directing the Band this evening. Mr. Miles earned his undergraduate degree at Virginia Union University where he now serves as an Adjunct Professor. Mr. Miles obtained his master’s degree in music from Southern Utah University.
Introductions The following speech and debate students will have on stage roles in tonight’s program.
Kameron Belfield
Senior, Armstrong High School Senior Class Secretary Forensics Club Incoming Freshman at Virginia State University
Tani Washington
Alum, Deep Run High School 2020 National Speech & Debate Association Informative Speaking Placer Sophomore, Western Kentucky University
Tonight’s conversation with Mrs. Obama will be moderated by Melody Barnes. Melody Barnes is executive director of the University of Virginia’s Karsh Institute of Democracy and the W.L. Lyons Brown Family Director for Policy and Public Engagement at the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences’ Democracy Initiative. She is the J. Wilson Newman Professor of Governance at the Miller Center and a senior fellow at the School of Law. Ms. Barnes was Assistant to the President and director of the White House Domestic Policy Council during the Administration of President Barack Obama. Prior to her tenure in the Obama Administration, she was executive vice president for policy at the Center for American Progress and chief counsel to the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Her experience includes
“Becoming” by Michelle Obam a is available for purchase in the lobby.
appointments as director of legislative affairs for the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and assistant counsel to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights. She began her career as an attorney with Shearman & Sterling in New York City. Ms. Barnes is an independent director on the boards of Ventas, Inc. and Booz Allen Hamilton. She is chairperson of the board of directors of the Marguerite Casey Foundation and the board of trustees of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (Monticello). She is vicechair of the advisory board of the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU. Ms. Barnes is narrator and host of LBJ and the Great Society, described as one of the best podcasts of 2020 by The New Yorker, and co-editor of Community Wealth Building & The Reconstruction of American Democracy: Can We Make American Democracy Work? Barnes earned her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduating with honors in history and her J.D. from the University of Michigan. A native of Richmond, she was a member of the Jefferson-Huguenot-Wythe High School speech and debate team and jazz band. Ms. Barnes resides in the city with her husband, Marland Buckner, and they are subscribers and supporters of The Richmond Forum.
tonight ’s moder ator
Melody C. Barnes
r ichmond forum speech & debate initi ati v e
“Give me liberty or give me death!” Since 1775, Richmonders have understood the power of speech and debate.
About The Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative From Patrick Henry’s historic and game-changing speech to America’s largest and most respected non-profit public forum, Richmonders have long understood that the ability to speak with power and confidence and civilly articulate and debate ideas and points of view is critical to a functioning democracy and a successful life. In that local tradition, we believe our region’s students should have access to strong speech and debate programs in our public schools. These programs teach research, critical thinking, construction of logical arguments, assessment of audience, self esteem, poise and presentation, and engagement in world events—skills which build better students, better college candidates, better employees, and better citizens.
For 36 seasons, the biggest names in the world have come to The Richmond Forum. Leaders of art, science, politics, and beyond have presented their powerful voices in order for our community to learn and make lifelong memories. Our Speech & Debate Initiative ensures that local voices are amplified along with these leaders. With over 4,500 local season subscribers and sponsors, The Richmond Forum is America’s largest non-profit speaker series.
Recognizing the absence of speech and debate programs at many of the region’s public schools and the inadequate funding for the teams that did exist, in 2018, The Richmond Forum launched the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative to start, grow, and support these important programs. Speech & debate changes lives. From increased Through a pilot grant with Chesterfield attendance to higher test scores & a rise in college County Public Schools for 2018-2019, ten acceptance, speech & debate prepares young people teams were supported, including three for college, the work force, & beyond. brand new teams started with that funding. – J. Scott Wunn, Executive Director In the first year, Chesterfield County saw National Speech & Debate Association a 60% increase in the amount of students participating in speech and debate! We adapted during the virtual school period, holding online scrimmages and tournaments to keep everyone’s skills sharp. Today, we actively support 28 teams in our region and have grown every year since we founded the Initiative. For the 2021-2022 school year, we are especially proud to include Petersburg Public Schools in our region. The Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative provides funding for tournament entry fees and travel, training and incentive pay for coaches, debate camp scholarships for students, and much more.
Growing Speech & Debate at Local Colleges and Universities A unique opportunity presented itself in 2021-22 at Virginia State University and Virginia Union University to start speech and debate teams with the support of Chris Medina, President of the National HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities) Speech and Debate Association. These two brand new teams will join other collegiate speech and debate teams including University of Richmond, Randolph-Macon University, University of Mary Washington, Liberty University, College of William and Mary, and University of Virginia. Virginia State University’s Deb8Society Back row - Dionte Davis, Jamal Wallace, Richard Boller Middle - Idayziah Jones, Jasmine Pierce, Mattison Smith Front - Coach Arnold Westbrook, Jr. The goal of the Initiative is for all schools in our region to have competitive speech and debate programs by 2025—the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s game-changing American speech delivered here in Richmond.
r ichmond forum speech & debate initi ati v e
The Birth of the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative
r ichmond forum speech & debate initi ati v e
Creating Competitive Speech and Debate Programs We have developed four focus areas that will elevate Richmond region students and teams to state and national competitiveness. Team Grants: A lack of funding for speech and debate activities means schools are not able to support the costs associated with high-performing teams. For some schools, grant support from the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative might mean the ability to start a team for the first time. For established teams, a grant brings the ability to gain more practice and competition experience by attending more tournaments, including highly competitive national circuit tournaments outside the region. Grants are not intended to replace existing resources or team fundraising, but rather to supplement these funds in order to elevate a team to the next level of competitiveness and success. Pay Incentive Program: One of the foundational ways that a speech and debate program gets off the ground is with a dedicated coach, but teachers currently make pennies on the dollar to run a team. This year, we created one of the first pay incentive programs in the country to compensate teachers for their work and encourage greater participation in regional and national competitions. Teachers can now make an additional stipend beyond their Virginia High School League (VHSL) involvement which creates more opportunities for teachers and students alike to engage with speech and debate. Professional Development for Coaches: One of the most effective ways to increase the competitiveness of middle and high school teams is to leverage high-quality professional development for team coaches. We work with our partners and coaches to identify robust opportunities and ensure they are accessible to our region’s coaches. RFSDI will launch its inaugural Richmond Coaches’ Clinic this summer, where Richmond area speech and debate sponsors will learn from nationally renowned coaches brought in by the Forum to inculcate new strategies in team growth and performance. This will expand the region’s network to include regional and national educator and coach voices. Judges Bank: One of the greatest needs is for qualified judges to serve at local competitions to evaluate student performances and provide feedback. In response to that need, the Initiative has created a Judges Bank for Richmond Forum subscribers, college students, past debaters, and the greater community to recruit, screen, and train volunteer judges.
Despite years of involvement with Forensics, as an adult and competitor, it wasn’t until our partnership with The Richmond Forum that I felt as though I was connected to the Speech and Debate world outside of Chesterfield County. My students’ experience is so much richer with The Richmond Forum in our corner. Thanks to The Forum, my students have been able to twice travel to the George Mason Patriot Games (and succeed!) – Jessica Sanchez, Coach James River High School
Teams Supported for 2021-2022
Chesterfield County Public Schools Clover Hill - Hunter Clark & Jessica Fout Cosby - Jackie Clark, Scott McKeag, & William Waddell James River - Shannon Castelo & Jessica Sanchez Manchester - Lexi Cobbs, Linda Moccio-Webb, Kelie Negron, & Chris Okamura Meadowbrook - Ryan Dondero, Ruth Loop, & Hajnalka Woosley Midlothian - Heather Murfee Thomas Dale - Kimberly Leggette Hanover County Public Schools Atlee - Brian Carr Hanover - Brad Goldsmith Mechanicsville - Megan Gerheart & Stephen Salvato Patrick Henry - Luke Kupscznk Henrico County Public Schools Deep Run - Sheryl Gibson & Rob Rumans Douglas Freeman - Daniel Lewis Godwin - Jonathan Saufley
Glen Allen - Jonathan Tolbert Hermitage - Jimmy Day & Jennifer Jones Holman - Joan Hodges J.R. Tucker - Lacy Hodges Moody - Beverly Matos Petersburg Public Schools Petersburg - Terri Smith Richmond Public Schools Armstrong - Andrew Maples George Wythe - Angela Moore Huguenot - Jeff Clevenger Open - Vic Carll & Lorah Allen Richmond Community - Vincent Simone Regional Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School Celie Boswell & Dan Brown Historically Black Colleges & Universities Virginia State University - Arnold Westbrook Virginia Union University - Tim Wenzell
Why Speech and Debate? Increased standardized testing has caused schools to place less emphasis on many skills critical to success in work and life that are difficult to measure, such as critical thinking, civil discourse, presentation, and engagement in world events. These skills are often a better foundation for and predictor of success than coursework. The Virginia Department of Education’s graduation requirements (“Profile of a Virginia Graduate”) identify specific soft skills—personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people—that students need to succeed after graduation: The 5 C’s of 21st Century Skills. Speech and debate programs incorporate all five of these skills like no other activity can.
r ichmond forum speech & debate initi ati v e
This has been a year of remarkable growth as over 500 students have joined 28 speech and debate teams sponsored by the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative. Much of this growth is the product of passionate, hard-working coaches, all of them teachers, who spend countless hours working with students after school and traveling most Saturdays to competitions around the region and beyond. Congratulations to all of the competitors from the Richmond region competing at the state competition, especially those who placed! Best of luck to our national qualifiers who will begin competing in less than a week at the National Speech and Debate Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky.
r ichmond forum speech & debate initi ati v e
A Sampling of Speech Events Extemporaneous Speaking Students are presented with a choice of three questions related to international or domestic current events and in 30 minutes, prepare a seven-minute speech answering the selected question. Students may consult articles and evidence they gather prior to the contest, but may not use the internet during preparation. Topics range from country-specific issues to regional concerns to foreign policy. The speech is delivered from memory. Original Oratory Students deliver a self-written, ten-minute speech on a topic of their choosing. Limited in their ability to directly quote, competitors craft an argument utilizing logic, evidence, and emotional appeals. The topics range widely and can be persuasive or informative in nature. The speech is delivered from memory.
Storytelling Students select a published children’s story that meets a designated theme, such as mysteries, heroism, or fairy tales. The stories must be appropriate for young children and students tell the story from memory as if presenting to that audience.
Duo Interpretation Two students form a team to deliver a tenminute performance of a published play or story. Competitors convey emotion and environment through varied performance techniques focusing on the relationships and interactions between the characters. No props or costumes are used.
A Sampling of Debate Events Student Congress A simulation of the U.S. legislative process, students generate a series of bills and resolutions for debate in Congressional Debate. Debaters alternate delivering speeches for and against the topic in a group setting. An elected student serves as a presiding officer to ensure debate flows smoothly. Students are assessed on their research, argumentation, and delivery skills, as well as their knowledge and use of parliamentary procedure. Lincoln-Douglas Debate In this one-on-one format, students debate a topic provided by the tournament organizer. Topics range from individual freedom versus the collective good to economic development versus environmental protection. Students are allowed to consult evidence gathered
prior to the debate but may not use the internet in round. An entire debate is roughly 45 minutes and consists of constructive speeches, rebuttals, and cross-examination. Public Forum Debate Public Forum involves opposing teams of two, debating a topic concerning a current event. After a coin toss, the winners choose which side to debate (PRO or CON) or which speaker position they prefer (first or second), and the other team receives the remaining option. Students present cases, engage in rebuttal and refutation, and also participate in a “crossfire” (similar to a cross examination) with the opportunity to question the opposing team. Source: National Speech & Debate Association
To make a donation, visit www.richmondspeechdebate.org/donate-now or scan the QR code below to show your support. Thank you!
To learn more, find out about volunteer opportunities, and become a sponsor of speech & debate in our region, please contact: Sandra Wheeler Director of Student Programs sandra@richmondforum.org
If you purchased seats in the front orchestra for tonight’s special program, your ticket price included a tax-deductible donation to the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Association. Thank you!
Read more at www.RichmondSpeechDebate.org THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTING SUBSCRIBERS, INITIATIVE SPONSORS, AND PARTNERS
Virginia Association of Forensics, Theater & Debate Coaches
An additional thank you to Laurie Petronis, Avenue 8 Advisors, and Robert L. Thalhimer for sponsoring student opportunities at tonight’s program.
r ichmond forum speech & debate initi ati v e
Please Join Us in Supporting Speech & Debate Programs in Our Region’s Schools.
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2022 - 2023 Season Just Announced!
Thank you for supporting speech and debate programs in our public schools!
In an ever-divisive world, where the ability to engage in civil discourse seems to be waning at lightning speed, debate allows my students to learn the skill of not only building an argument but of listening to the perspectives of others. The ability to research and articulate arguments from both sides of a single issue is an invaluable life skill that makes them, me, and our community better. My debate team gives me hope for the future. Hope that we will find ourselves in a place where we can hear and be heard. I am forever grateful for the support of The Richmond Forum in allowing us to triple the size of our team in two short years. Your support has provided a vehicle through which we can train the leaders of tomorrow in speech and argumentation skills that will carry them through life and ultimately, make our community all the better for it. – Shannon Castelo, Coach James River High School I truly appreciate the support of The Richmond Forum. Because of their sponsorship, it has lightened my load of trying to locate funds to allow the team to participate in various oratorical competitions. The team’s speaking skills have truly blossomed, and they feel confident while competing. – Angela Moore, Coach George Wythe High School The Richmond Forum’s support is more than a matter of money. While the grant certainly provides our new team with a degree of immediate capacity and flexibility we would not have otherwise, my students and I have already benefited not only from the Forum’s generosity, but also from their trust. It means everything to have the endorsement of an organization of such stature, one widely respected and even admired in our community. It is our sincere hope and expectation that our team’s growth and development will justify The Richmond Forum’s financial and moral investment in us. – Vincent Simone, Coach Richmond Community High School
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