The number-one thing Americans fear is public speaking. More than bears, spiders and gonorrhea, the most terrifying situation someone in this country can imagine is standing up and giving a speech. Fortunately, the Portland State Debate Team is working to change that. Unfortunately, they have no funding to do so.
At the beginning of this year, the Student Fee Committee cut a large portion of the funding that the club received, rendering them completely unable to compete. On Global Debate Blog, Team Co-Coordinator Kelly Welch sent out a plea for others in the debate community to help them appeal the decision by the SFC.
Their plea fell on deaf ears.
Without the 20,000-plus dollars in funding from the school necessary for transportation and tournament expenses, the team was left without the budget that allowed them to travel to other schools and compete in tournaments.
Essentially, the club that was formerly an internationally competitive juggernaut was brought to a standstill.
While still able to compete in tournaments in the Northwest, Portland State Debate is unable to achieve its previous stature in the debate community.
The benefits of a debate team are innumerable. According to the National Forensics League, debaters are more likely to receive degrees from an institution of higher education. Experience in debate also fosters higher ability in critical thinking, analyzing an issue and research skills.
By creating students that are more academically rounded and globally aware, a university creates a space in which students can feel able to have an open dialogue amongst one another. Essentially, debate helps create citizens instead of automatons, free-thinkers who are not afraid to shake things up. Fostering a debate team promotes this idea.
It’s also important for colleges to promote career preparedness. Debate promotes a strong grasp of language. Speaking, writing, reading and listening skills are developed through debate. All career paths require the ability to express yourself to others and to explain your ideas in a clear and concise manner.
By failing our debate team, PSU is expressing that they do not wish to assist in the intellectual growth and experience of our debaters and students.
Currently, the PSU debate team has been on a winning streak. The tournaments they have attended have ended well, with noted senior debaters Aaron Baker and Lindsay Bing taking top spots in the Seattle Open and Kirkland Washington Tournaments. Of the seven tournaments in which they competed during the fall term, they ended up with awards from every single one.
While it would be reasonable for the university to cut funding from a team that was generally unsuccessful, this is not the case with the debate team. A team that achieves such success deserves the funding it needs to function, and in the case of the PSU Debate Team, they need funding to travel.
The strange thing is that while the travel budget was cut, the money allotted to pay the team’s coach was increased. The team was allowed to use some of the money that was allotted for the coach’s salary to travel, but they are still unable to travel overseas or across the country as they were formerly able to do.
As a former speech and debate student, I know how much growth can occur when you are forced to push your boundaries and your comfort level. When many started out on the team, they were quiet, shy and they shook like a leaf when they tried to speak in front of a small group of people. After a year on the team, they were more confident in general, and they developed socially as well. Public speaking can have an incredible effect on a person.
While I know that the university is buckling down and trying to save money in these harsh economic times, they are denying many passionate and intelligent students a chance at doing what they love to do, as well as a chance to win a lot of shiny trophies in the process.
If the university cannot find a way to balance the budget with student activities and interests, they’re just going to start taking away more of the positive outlets for students at PSU, and harm the beneficial and enriching educational experiences such activities produce. ?