Forensics as a Cooperative Agent: Building a Tradition within an Academic Community.

As college and university administrators appraise speech and debate activity, their responses clearly affect the strength and survival of local programs. The director or coach of a debate team must help decision-makers see the educational, social, and personal relevance of forensics. Public presentations of debates that begin with a round of competition can expand to include audience debates, demonstration debates and/or the presentation of individual speaking and interpretation events for specific campus-community groups. Audience members from the student body, faculty, and administration not only learn about the nature of forensics, but they can also profit from hearing diverse approaches to topics of public interest and the presentation of works of literary value. Service experience involves debate team members presenting programs for banquets, debates for alumni groups, and speaking and performing for convocation, graduation, and homecoming events, as well as for local schools, churches, and civic organizations. Members may also serve as guest speakers or readers for courses in education, English composition, business, or sociology. State, regional, and national tournaments offer outlets for individual and team achievements that contribute to a program's reputation. The team's forensic journal, as a type of newsletter, bulletin board, and source of information about forensics, allows student team members to reach out to a wide range of supportive readers. An annual forensics banquet for team members and parents, administrators, alumni, and supportive community friends can also serve as an important unifying force of the program. (CR)