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HARKER DEBATE 2015-2016 Attributes of a Public Forum and Congressional Debate Captain

In order to be a captain next year, you must agree to:

1. Follow the rules and guidelines set forth in the Harker Speech and Debate Handbook/Bylaws, such as dress code, tournament preparation and behavior, and in-round protocol.

2. Lead by example, even when such a position is unpopular. Such leadership involves setting a good example with attendance, punctuality, academic performance, homework responsibility form completion, permission slip submission, and tournament behavior.

3. Be a spokesperson for the coaching staff for the coaching staff when such action is warranted and requested.

4. Actively participate in the Harker tournament (the Howard & Diana Nichols Invitational), the awards ceremony, mentoring of novice students, and any other activities as requested by the coaching staff.

5. Be enrolled in Competitive Forensics and attend all classes unless dismissed by your respective coach.

6. Participate in a minimum of four tournaments throughout the year with at least one tournament occurring prior to December 1, 2015.

7. Attend Preview Nights and Open Houses as deemed necessary by Admissions and the coaching staff.

8. Understand and promote the notion of team unity and support for all members within the forensics community.

9. Attend a monthly captains meeting. These will take place during the first Wednesday Extra Help of every month unless it is determined by the coaching staff that there is a campus-wide conflict at which time it may be rescheduled.

In addition, in order to complete the application process for becoming a captain, you must, BY 5PM, MAY 12, turn in a completed application. I agree, as a condition of being considered for captaincy, to abide by the above requirements, and to complete the above assignments on time. I also recognize that failure to uphold the contract above may result in being removed as a captain and the proper notification will be sent to involved parties including, if needed, colleges where you have applied. __________________________________ __________________________________ Student Signature Date Student Printed Name __________________________________ __________________________________ Parent Signature Date Parent Printed Name __________________________________ __________________________________ Advisor Signature Date Advisor Printed Name


1. What'has'been'the'highlight'of'your'debate'experience'here'at'Harker?'How'do'you'plan'on'bettering'the'experience'of'others'on'the'team?'''''''''''''' 2. What'are'the'biggest'problems'you'see'on'the'debate'team'right'now'and'what'would'you'propose'to'help'solve'it?'''''''''''''' 3. Given'the'amount'of'work'that'junior'and/or'senior'year'has,'how'will'you'balance'your'responsibilities'as'a'captain'along'with'your'schoolwork?'Please'include'in'your'answer'how'many'AP'classes'you'are'taking'along'with'any'other'sport/performing'art/or'other'club/extracurricular'you'plan'on'participating'in'next'year.'''''''''''''''''


4. List'three'things'you'did'this'year'that'demonstrate'your'commitment'to'improving'the'debate'team'(e.g.$when'you'went'above'and'beyond'your'required'responsibilities,'moments'you'showed'leadership,'etc.).'Choose'one'and'write'a'paragraph'discussing'how'it'shows'your'ability'to'be'a'great'captain'next'year.''''''''''''''5. What'can'and'will'you'do'to'make'Harker'debate'not'just'a'collection'of'partnerships'broken'into'cliques'but'a'collaborative'community'instead?''''''''''''' '6. How'will'you'help'ensure'a'peaceful'transition'with'the'new'teacher'next'year?''''''''''''''7. Historically,'we'have'divided'the'leadership'board'into'committes'with'captains'serving'on'various'committees.'While'this'may'still'occur,'I'would'like'each'captain'to'commit'in'your'application'to'one'area'you'would'like'to'develop'next'year'on'the'team.'Please'describe'the'area'that'you'would'like'to'focus'on'and'develop'a'plan'of'action'on'how'you'will'support/develop'this'area.'Include'summer'and'school'year'deadlines'for'each'step'of'your'plan.'Use'no'more'than'two'sheets'of'paper'to'develop'this'plan'of'action.

Date: Date_2: Date_3: Student Printed Name: Parent Printed Name: Advisor Printed Name: Question One: I started my Harker debate experience in the sixth grade through the middle school debate program. Since then, I have grown to enjoy congressional debate and have continued with the program for the past four years. The absolute highlight of my debate experience was the welcoming environment that Harker debaters have created in helping me get started. Personally, I have never attended a debate camp before. I still remember feeling lost as to how I was supposed to complete my first evidence assignment or behave inside congress chambers in the sixth grade. At Harker, I was lucky enough to have peers and mentors who guided me along the way and paid attention to my needs a young debater. I believe that the best way that I can help enhance the Harker debate experience is to continue to help new debaters to the program learn and understand what debate is about. New debaters should feel comfortable emailing captains for help in regards to assignments or other issues. Especially in congressional debate, just talking out some of the bills for specific tournaments is really helpful not only when preparing speeches but also for in-round crossfire. Question Two: In regards to congressional debate, the biggest problem I see on the team right now is evidence assignments. There have been changes over the past couple of years in regards to how evidence is handled. However, this year I don't believe that all congressional debaters have been required to be as involved as they should be. Specifically, evidence assignments this year involved highlighting potent information on PDFs and uploading them to google drive. I felt that the people who actually debated those tournaments did not end up really using the PDFs that were uploaded and instead defaulted to researching on their own. In order to better utilize the time of all congressional debaters in regards to research, I believe that every month, each debater should be assigned to one specific bill for an upcoming tournament and be required to research that bill alone. They should be required to cut normal cards on both sides as well as uploading a small summary of pro and con arguments to drive. Debaters who use these cards for tournaments should also be consulted as to how much they benefited and how they feel congress research should be changed to better serve them.Question Three: I am taking three AP courses next year. I am not participating in a Harker sport nor performing art. I am part of the Harker Quiz Bowl and FPS club. Quiz bowl only meets once a week for an hour, and FPS meets once every three months. Although my courseload is slightly high, I have invested a lot of time into debate and am sure that I can balance my responsibilities as a captain along with my schoolwork. This year I took four AP courses and was still able to focus properly on debate. I plan to attend a significant amount of debate tournaments next year as well, so I do not believe that I will be distracted from my duties as a captain. Question Four: Three things that I did this year to demonstrate my commitment to improving the debate team include: mentoring a middle school debater at the Berkeley tournament, committing to help run the high school Harker debate tournament for both days, and continuing to stay up as late as my peers to research bills at tournaments after I had not broken. I believe that my commitment in mentoring a young debater at the Berkeley tournament shows my ability to be a great captain next year. Before the first congress round at Berkeley, Naveen was walking outside the chamber very lost and nervous. At my first Berkeley tournament, I sat down in the back of the chamber and only gave two speeches, and I didn't want Naveen to experience the same thing. Thus, I approached Naveen with the goal of making him feel less nervous and more comfortable in debating against high schoolers. We ran through a couple of his speeches and I gave him feedback and tips between rounds. Naveen told me that he felt more confident in his later rounds and thanked me. I believe that mentorship of young debaters is very important in a school team, and I hope to enhance that part of Harker debate as a captain.Question Five: In order to make Harker debate a collaborative community, interaction between all debaters is key. With my influence in the congressional side of Harker debate, I will advocate team preparatory sessions during which debaters can discuss upcoming bills at tournaments. The sessions do not have to be formal but rather should be convenient such that debaters can share ideas and benefit from a discussion of key concepts or policies. If preparing for a tournament becomes more of a team effort, I believe that Harker debate will definitely be a collaborative community. Question Six: I understand that a new teacher can result in different attitudes or policies. Over the past few years, Harker congress has seen its fair share of coaches. In order to ensure a peaceful transition, I believe that it is important to communicate with the new teacher to prevent any major changes from hindering progress in the debate community. At the beginning of the year, all captains should make a conscious effort to fully understand the new teacher's expectations and goals for the year to come. Afterwards, the changes should slowly be introduced into the debate community. If a change is not desired by either the captains or the debaters themselves, we should communicate with the new teacher why it is that we don't want said change and what alternatives exist. It may not be possible to please everyone, but to ensure a peaceful transition, I feel that it is important for us to understand what we all want. That may mean that we have to adapt to certain changes along the way.

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