LETTER: Debate team aids university

Editor,

This letter is being written as a response to recent letters concerning the Utah State Debate Team. First of all, I thank the team for their support. As the coach, I am honored by the support I have been given.

There are several things that make a debate team competitive. Most importantly, is a team that is willing to work hard and make a massive time commitment. This has resulted in our placing as one of the top three or four teams in the Rocky Mountain and Northwest region at each tournament we have attended.

Utah State is in an unique situation. We are one of only a handful of colleges and universities in the country who don’t have a school-sponsored speech and debate team. The resources to other schools in our region comprise of a yearly budget of $35,000 to $45,000, a full-time coach, several assistants and scholarships to recruit students to their respective universities. In contrast, we work to raise money for each tournament, I donate my time as the coach, none of our students receive financial aid or even credit for competing and we must pay for our meals while representing Utah State.

At every university where I have coached debate teams, the national and regional ranking of my teams have become an area that the administration has used to show the academic competitiveness of their schools. It was often used as a factor for their US News and World Report ranking and regional accreditation.

I am proud to work with a great bunch of students who have shown, with little resources, that Utah State is competitive and can place as one of the top teams in the region. I am also grateful for the College of HASS, ASUSU and the language, philosophy and speech communication department who helped provide partial funding for us to attend two tournaments this year.

Tom Worthen