<p>I know this is early to ask, but I thought your opinions about summer Speech and Debate programs would be fresh in your minds. </p>
<p>My D is a sophomore this year and participates in Lincoln-Douglas debate and is thinking of adding some Dramatic Interp to her repretoire. She wants to go to summer camp for either LD or DI. </p>
<p>What is your recommendation? What did your S or D like/dislike about the program and did it make a difference in performance?</p>
<p>VBI is the leading national circuit LD debate camp</p>
<p>I went to VBI (Session II, to be specific) this past summer. I definitely recommend it for debate camp, especially if it is your first time. In addition to VBI, there is SNFI and NSD, but those are definitely more intense and I think they are more geared towards experienced debaters (I heard a girl cried at NSD). </p>
<p>About VBI--I definitely liked the atmosphere, and i LOVED the people I met. Session II is great because during the first week you attend different seminars about philosophy and concepts that are commonly used in LD debate. It's pretty amazing stuff :) The second week is when the September/October topic is released, so you get a headstart on the topic--they give you a resolutional analysis and they have you debate rounds, so you see what comes up. This also an advantage if your daughter wants to compete in some earlybird national-circuit tournaments such as Yale and Wake Forest. </p>
<p>It does make a difference in your performance. At my school, we don't have any coaches to set up lesson plans and such, so going to camp definitely helped in terms of getting better as a debater. </p>
<p>For dramatic interp camps, I know my friend attended UTNIF (she actually attended it for extemporaneous events, but i know they have an interp program). She had a lot of fun and came back and had lots of new material for our novices.</p>
<p>Hope it helped!</p>
<p>Okay - LOL - for the unenlightened, what is VBI? SNFI? NSD? UTNIF? :)</p>
<p>Okay - LOL - for the unenlightened, what is VBI? SNFI? NSD? UTNIF? :)</p>
<p>Something is wacky about this thread. My post wouldn't appear, then it did-twice but didn't move to the top. So now I am bumping in hopes of getting an answer.</p>
<p>VBI is Victory Briefs Institute. One of my son's friends went there last year, and their coach teaches there. SNFI must be Stanford National Forensics Institute. No one from my son's team has ever been there, I think, but I wonder what it's like, because it may fit by son's summer plans better than VBI (although I guess VBI Session II might fit his schedule). </p>
<p><a href="http://www.victorybriefsinstitute.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.victorybriefsinstitute.com/</a> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.snfi.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.snfi.org/</a> </p>
<p>I'd love to hear from other knowledgeable people about these programs.</p>
<p>NSD-National Symposium for Debate
UTNIF-University of Texas National Institute of Forensics
SNFI-Stanford National Forensics Institute
VBI-Victory Briefs Institute</p>
<p>VBI is generally a good camp for first-time debaters who are not familiar with the whole debate camp experience.</p>
<p>SNFI is a okay-camp experience for complete novice debaters who want that extra boost, but it won't be of much help to someone who has already had experience.</p>
<p>NSD is pretty rigorous, or so I've heard, and is recommended for people who would like to compete in tournaments with tough competition and who plan on getting a bid to the Tournament of Champions.</p>
<p>Those are probably the prominent LD debate camps.</p>
<p>Anyone have a child attend one for Speech events, not debate?</p>
<p>Hey believersmom,</p>
<p>I think part of what camp is good for your daughter depends on where in the country she lives. I happen to live in the Northeast and attended NDF (the National Debate Forum) its a really great camp for both LD and Interp events and they host it in Boston for two weeks in late july. I really loved my expierence there and definitley learned a lot. One of the criticisms many people have of VBI is that while it is alot of fun, there isn't nearly as much emphasis on doing work. During my time at VBI the opportunties where there for you to do work but likewise you could just waste your money and hang out in California and the instructors wouldn't mind. On the other hand, NDF really encouraged kids to work while still maintaining a fun atmosphere. For more information you can go to <a href="http://www.nationaldebateforum.com%5B/url%5D">http://www.nationaldebateforum.com</a></p>
<p>Thanks for the information about debate programs.</p>
<p>Thank you so much!</p>
<p>I did SNFI, and to be honest unless you're in Advanced Seminar(Top Lab for experienced Debaters- taught by two great coaches... and great people in general) it's a waste of time. Other labs just won't teach you as much.</p>
<p>I don't know very much about debate, but UTNIF is generally heralded by all who've been. I myself went to MFI, the Metropolitan Forensics Institute, and found it helpful but not outstanding. If your daughter is looking for the best I would suggest UTNIF, but MFI was in the area, less expensive, brief and did improve my performance.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. I'd love to hear from more debaters what they think are the best summer debate programs, and how each program differs from the others.</p>
<p>You might consider emailing the directors of the respective camps' and asking them what is taught during the camp itself (e.g. specific topics - for instance, in LD, you can ask whether they concentrate on theory or do they have a lot of practice rounds, etc..you might want to brainstorm). That way, both you and your daughter could decide what she'd prefer.</p>
<p>I thought I'd bump this thread now that it's the season to begin applying to debate programs. Where are you planning to go?</p>
<p>I'm an LD debater, and I went to VBI session 2 last year. Personally, I didn't learn too much, and we did nothing in my lab. I honestly don't think it's worth trekking across the country to go to (I'm from PA).</p>
<p>Instead, I would say to try NDF. That's where I'm probably going this year, and it's not a no-name debate camp, but it's also smaller than VBI/NDF (and less national circuit, I hope).</p>
<p>Thanks, lsun. The NDF you mention is the </p>
<p><a href="http://ndf.summitdebate.com/%5B/url%5D">http://ndf.summitdebate.com/</a> </p>
<p>mentioned earlier in the thread, right? I fear that one would involve a schedule conflict making it impossible for my family. Have a good time there.</p>