NSU Debate Team

The Communication Studies program is one of the few on campus that offers a co-curricular competitive activity via a speech and debate team. Many empirical studies have demonstrated a correlation between competitive speech participation and professional career success. One survey of U.S. Senators and Representatives revealed that over 60 percent had participated in high school or college forensics (Asonye, 2006). A study by Hobbs and Chandler (1991) concluded that competitive speech participation "provides significant benefits for those entering the professions of law, management, ministry and teaching (p6)." A survey of Midwest business hiring managers "listed debate first among twenty other activities and academic specializations that an applicant might present on a resume" (Sheckels, 1984). In the same survey, competitive debate was overwhelming the first choice of recruiting directors at major law firms (p 2). The NSU speech forensics program is a co-curricular program. This program directly links back to the curriculum taught in our unit of communication. This student experience allows students to compete in public speaking and oral interpretation with other colleges and universities in the region and nation.

Contact Tricia Diaville at price@nsuok.edu for more information.