<p>Does anyone know anything about speech and debate at Bama? I have read what is on the website and am aware of some scholarships in that area, but I am now interested in hearing about the teams. Are many Honors College kids involved? Do the teams travel? How is it funded? What about the time commitment? Any info would be appreciated.</p>
<p>I don’t know how many honors kids are involved, but I would imagine that many of those on the speech and debate team are in honors.</p>
<p>[UA?s</a> speech team looks to advance in competition this weekend | The Crimson White](<a href=“HRC addresses housing issues – The Crimson White”>HRC addresses housing issues – The Crimson White)</p>
<p>[Forensics</a> team to hold auditions | The Crimson White](<a href=“HRC addresses housing issues – The Crimson White”>HRC addresses housing issues – The Crimson White)</p>
<p>The University of Alabama debate and forensics program has won 16 national debate championships.</p>
<p>Dr. Frank Thompson is probably the person to ask about time commitments and such.</p>
<p>While I have no direct knowledge I remember that during a recent tour at UA the tour guide said the Speech & Debate team is #1 in the nation.</p>
<p>I stored that info as our HS has many kids on the debate team usually sending a group to nationals and many of these kids want to continue after HS!</p>
<p>Bama is one of the few “big” schools with a really strong forensics team.</p>
<p>But since it’s a good program, it’s basically a job. They practice something like 20 hours a week and the focus is a lot more on winning than it is for most high school competitors. The goal is to qualify people to nationals, so you have to be able to win to travel and… I don’t know. I’ve been interested in their program since my freshman year of HS but I don’t know how I feel about the ubercompetitive atmosphere of college forensics.</p>
<p>Bama does speech, not debate, also. So there’s no parly, policy, or LD. People do like 4 events. If your child’s a debater, he/she would need to pick up multiple oratorical events. If he/she does IEs now, it wouldn’t be a huge transition, I guess.</p>
<p>You can try out for the team at actual tryouts or by competing as a senior at the UA Hall of Fame Tournament (we go to it, so I’ve gotten to see campus at least once every year since I’ve been in HS). It’s always in January, the MLK Jr. holiday weekend. The team does award some full-tuition scholarships.</p>
<p>Overall, it’s a lot of work, but it’s also one of the best programs in the country. As for funding, I seem to remember reading something a while ago (like maybe two years ago? don’t recall) about how their team is relatively underfunded, compared to similar college programs.</p>
<p>Thank you, crazyinalabama11 as you have answered the question as to why I never hear anything about debate. My S does original oratory, impromptu, congressional debate and public forum debate. Not sure yet that he wants to do it in college.</p>
<p>When we visited the Honors College during Capstone Day last year, one of the Honors Students talked of his involved in something called Moral Forum. It may be something your son would be interested in.</p>
<p>My son is currently enrolled in Moral Forum, an Honors College course. Each semester the class tackles a thorny moral/ethical issue. The culmination of the experience is a debate tournament, in which each student is partnered with another to form teams of two who must be prepared to debate either side of the issue effectively. Like March Madness, it’s a knockout tournament, with teams advancing if they win.</p>
<p>My son reports that it’s an amazing intellectual excercise and learning experience. Freshmen may find themselves debating seniors. Civility is the rule of the day (business attire is required in the later rounds, venues such as the law school court room are used.) And points are awarded for the ability to articulate a position, effectively cross-examine, and identify (then improve upon) the strengths of an opponent’s arguments. Efforts to bash, humiliate, or put down the opposition go unrewarded.</p>
<p>The Fall Semester tournament is underway as we speak, with the semifinals being held tomorrow and the final debate on Monday between the last two teams standing. Prior to the final, the debates are held only before the judges to keep opposing teams from learning the positions, arguments, and tactics of one another. The final will be held in front of the entire class and I believe that members of the winning team are awarded scholarship money.</p>
<p>Way cool!</p>
<p>Wow, malanai, sounds like a great course. Sounds like you’ve got a future F. Lee Bailey on your hands! Thanks for the post, as I only knew the course existed, but no particulars. May be just the thing for a kid who is into debate.</p>
<p>I just happened to look at the Crimson White online and saw an article on the Moral Forum tournament. Y’all should check it out!</p>
<p>Wonderfully informative article. Thanks, Malanai. Nice to see the scholarship money attached to their efforts.</p>
<p>Here’s the link to the Crimson White article: [Moral</a> Forum participants debate offshore drilling | The Crimson White](<a href=“HRC addresses housing issues – The Crimson White”>HRC addresses housing issues – The Crimson White)</p>
<p>Not only did the finalists receive scholarship money, each of the semifinalists received a $500 scholarship.</p>
<p>Congratulations to all!! :)</p>
<p>Congrats!!! :)</p>