Truman Week Activities

Several events are planned for new recruits during August 2008's Truman Week. Check back here during the summer for more information as we update details.



A tentative schedule of Truman Week activities can be found here. The document is formatted in MSExcel format. If you prefer a PDF version of the same document, it can be found here. Here's the alternative PDF version.

Traditionally, Truman Week features several events of interest to first year forensics competitiors. These events include:

• Three information sessions, at different times, coordinated by the Forensic Union and the Residential College Program.
• Demonstration debates, to familiarize debater with the parliamentary debate format.
• Individual conferences with coaches to orient individual events students to event options.
• A team picnic to introduce new students to returning members.
• Placement exercises to prepare debaters for possible partners.

The Importance of Truman Week Balance

The function of Truman Week is to orient you to a range of campus activities and your academic experience. We work very hard to make sure that Truman Week activities DO NOT conflict with required, or highly recommended, activities of the Residential College Program. Multiple events have been scheduled to ensure that everyone who is interested in forensics should be free to make some informational events. HOWEVER, people who are seriously interested in competing need to make every effort to attend the events highlighted on the schedule has required or highly recommended--particularly the Tuesday evening all-team meeting and (if competing in debate) the Wednesday evening Debate Diagnostic session. We also strongly recommend that everyone attend the team picnic on Sunday.



If you have conflicts that prevent you from attending one of these meetings, it is very important that you notify a member of the coaching staff. The team's travel and practice schedules are set, in large part, based on the recruits we are aware of during Truman Week. If you visit our office after Truman Week we CANNOT GUARANTEE you a place on the team during the 2007-2008 season. Students wishing to receive academic credit for forensics (COMM 272) will not be registered for that course after Truman Week.

Forms and Information for Fall 2008 Truman Week Activities

Students who know they will be joining the team are encouraged to complete the following forms before arriving on campus.

• Team Medical Waiver (.pdf file)
• Forensics Information Form (.pdf file)
• Team Handbook (.pdf file)

• A cover letter expressing your interest in the program and the scholarship. Students who seriously intend to compete for Truman and seem likely to maintain involvement in forensics for four years will be given top consideration.
• A letter of support/recommendation from a high school coach.
• A competitive resume listing major awards and honors won during high school.
• Optional : A videocassette of a debate or speech. This is not required, but can be helpful if we have not met you or seen you in high school competition. Please make sure you are clearly identified.

• Applications must be received by 5 PM on Friday, May 2, 2008 for consideration.
• The applicant receiving the scholarship will be notified on or before Monday, May 5, 2008. Only the student receiving the scholarship will receive notification of the award decision.

Frequently Asked Questions About Recruitment

Thank you for visiting our forensics recruitment page. Over 250 admitted first-year students for the Fall 2007 semester have expressed an interest in our program. We are very excited to meet new students and expand our program. This page is designed to answer some basic questions about the forensics program and help you decide whether forensics is right for you.

Q: What kind of debate activities does your team participate in?

A: We participate in NPDA-style parliamentary debate ( http://www.parlidebate.org ), which is now the largest of America 's intercollegiate debating leagues. Parliamentary debate shares many theoretical characteristics with policy debate, however it lacks the evidenced-based approach to supporting arguments. In this sense, it fuses characteristics of policy debate and extemporaneous speaking. We engage in Lincoln-Douglas debate competition at invitational and state-level tournaments, and if qualified, at the PKD or NFA National Championships.

Q: I heard you don't do individual events. Is that true?

A: NO! NO! NO! :-) We get this one a lot. We participate in the full range of American Forensic Association Individual Events. This includes five oral interpretation events, four public address events, and two kinds of limited preparation events (extemp and impromptu). Our program is often mistakenly assumed not to have individual events because our debate program has earned a lot or recent success. However, we have had multiple national finalists in individual events in recent years, three recent national champions (Pi Kappa Delta and Delta Sigma Rho honoraries), and a fourth place finish at Interstate Oratory.

Q: I've heard you make people do both debate and individual events in order to compete. Is that true?

A: It was required at one time, and we still encourage it. However, students may specialize. Most do, in fact. Our experience is that students who do both activities tend to be stronger in both. We call this “cross-training in forensics.” Additionally, nearly all of the tournaments we attend offer both debate and individual events. Our preference is for students to do both, but most students each year do eventually specialize in one area more than the other. Because Lincoln-Douglas is offered at individual events nationals (NFA), we strongly encourage students who do Lincoln-Douglas to have at least some individual events.

Q: Where does the team travel?

A: Our travel plans change from year-to-year based on the location of the two national championship tournaments. As of this writing, we know that the 2007 IE nationals (NFA) will be in Tennessee. NPDA will be in Colorado Springs, at the United States Air Force Academy. Generally speaking, we travel a heavy Midwestern circuit (Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas), usually visit Colorado once or twice a year, and make at least one trip to the west coast each season (usually California or Oregon). In previous years we have visited Maryland , Florida , Georgia , Michigan , Ohio , Indiana , Kentucky , Illinois , Minnesota , Texas , Kansas , Colorado , Wyoming , Arizona , California and Oregon. We have also had limited competitive experience in Canada.

Q: How successful are your competitors after graduation?

A: Our alumni play important roles in higher education, government, medicine, public education, scientific research, and law. Recent alumni have attended law school at the Harvard, the University of Texas, New York University, Hofstra, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and the University of South Dakota. One of our recent graduates is attending St. Louis University Medical School, studying to be a Cardio-Thoracic Surgeon. One of our 2000 NPDA National Champions is currently a PhD candidate in political science and on a Fulbright Fellowship in Moldova, while his former partner is a PhD student in rhetoric at the University of Kansas. Other alumni are college professors in a range of fields. We have alumni who are business leaders, accountants, and bankers, and clergy as well. Two members of the coaching staff, now holding PhDs, once competed for Truman.

Q: Do freshmen get to travel much?

A: Freshmen get to travel as much as any other team member does, regardless of class rank PROVIDED they are making the appropriate effort. Truman freshmen have been in quarterfinals of debate nationals twice and finals of IE nationals. All we care about is whether you work and make a continued effort to grow. That being said, it is sometimes necessary for freshmen students to learn more about competition before they can be sent to some of the more high-caliber competitions. This has much less to do with rank and much more to do with personal growth.

Q: What if I don't have any experience, or am not as competitively successful as other students?

A: There is a natural limit to how many students we can travel in a given season. The "magic number" if you will is about 14-16 debaters (7 or 8 NPDA teams) and around a dozen individual events competitors. Some seasons have seen larger or smaller teams, but we never want the size of the team to exceed a number that can be coached effectively. Thus, students who are unprepared may not travel right away. In recent years we have learned that we can improve the growth of some students by involving them in on-campus debate competitions or by starting them at more regional, small-scale competitions. Does this mean students with no high school experience shouldn't compete? Absolutely not! We have had students with no prior experience who have made it to elimination rounds at nationals their freshmen year. But students should also be realistic and understand that, like any learning process, growth can take time--even for experienced students.

Q: What do I need to do to join the team at Truman?

A: Send a short e-mail or letter to the Director of Forensics at kminch@truman.edu . Include in the e-mail your full legal name, home address, phone number and e-mail. If you have additional means of contact (cell phone, instant messenger, etc.) please include these as well. We aim to use these communication mechanisms to get to know you better during the summer and help you better prepare for your arrival in the fall. You will receive an e-mail in the late spring or early summer asking you to indicate what your likely event preferences are (especially if your primary focus is individual events). Further e-mails will come before Truman Week (the orientation period for the University). We will also ask you to send us a photo and brief biography during the summer that we can put on the team website to help the team get to know each other better.

IMPORTANT: First priority for placement on the team is given to qualified students who contact us prior to the beginning of the school year. We CANNOT guarantee the availability of competitive opportunities to students who come to our attention after Truman Week (orientation week). Generally speaking, the first tournament of the season occurs about two-three weeks after the beginning of school, so some preparatory work--particularly with partner pairings--is necessary.

Q: Are there try-outs to join the team?

A: Yes. We prefer to call them “diagnostics,” as they are much more about assessment and placement and much less about selection. Generally speaking, our budget allows us to maintain a team not much larger than 32 students in regional competition, and about 18 students in national competition. We do not, however, “cut” students from the program. Instead, we ask students who are not deemed ready for competition to allow us to “redshirt” them. This means they still participate in team programs, remain eligible for Pi Kappa Delta honorary membership, and work and learn with the team, but do not immediately begin traveling. As “redshirts” become more proficient they are moved into the competitive portion of the roster. Forensics is a co-curricular activity. While it is competitive, and competitive teams do make cuts, we believe cuts should be avoided when possible. As many students now attend college for five years, this also preserves competitive eligibility—especially for students who might attempt to master multiple academic majors.

Q: Is anyone ever cut completely from the team?

A: Very, very, very rarely. Generally this only happens is someone is spread too thin with other campus commitments, misses too many practices or shows significant disregard for their commitments or team policies. Naturally, the same kind of expectations about work and responsibility that exist in athletics, theater, band, etc., apply in forensics.

Q: Is Forensics compatible with other campus activities?

A: Generally speaking, yes. We have had team members who were involved with student government, enrolled in multiple majors, members of numerous clubs and much, much more. However, some campus activities are generally not compatible due to scheduling conflicts. Though we have attempted on more than one occasion to involve a student competing in intercollegiate athletics, we've found it nearly impossible to coordinate practices, games and tournaments. Some theater and music students have been involved in forensics, but eventually the demand to be involved in plays, practices and concerts make tournament travel virtually impossible. Some extra-curricular organizations (campus religious groups, fraternities and sororities) have weekly events that conflict with weekend travel. However, we have generally found that students are able to manage these conflicts just fine with some advanced planning. However, unless the conflicting activity is co-curricular (such as theater or band) we expect students to make forensics a priority.

Q: How do you handle absences from school?

A: Truman professors are very supportive of forensics and cooperative with student absences provided they are given ample notice and students work with the professors to keep up with their assignments. Every student receives a schedule of possible tournaments they might travel to at the beginning of the semester. They are asked to share this with their professors. Additional letters are issued two or three weeks before each tournament to remind the professors of the absence. Generally speaking, faculty allow absences for university-related activities such as athletics and forensics.

Q: I want to become a high school speech and debate coach. What should I major in?

A: Truman does not offer a MAE (Master of Arts in Teaching) in Communication (Speech and Theater). However, students can take a heavy concentration of courses in the speech area while majoring in English or Social Sciences. This enables them to pursue the MAE in English or Social Science and later obtain a second endorsement in speech.

Q: What do most forensics students major in?

A: Statistically speaking, the largest major represented by applicants is almost always a tie between "Undecided" and Political Science. Business, Biology and Chemistry actually rank fairly highly as well. A large number of students are in pre-professional programs such as Pre-Law, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Business Administration and Pre-Accounting. Naturally, there are a good number of students in Communication and we find that many students in the program eventually elect double-majors or minors in Communication. Political Science/Pre-Law majors continue to dominate the team's numbers in the long-haul.

Q: Can you take get academic credit for being on the team?

A: Yes. You may take COMM 272: Speech Communication Activities for up to eight credits (one credit each semester of competition). Freshmen do not enroll for this class until after Truman Week and the diagnostic process. It will not appear on the first semester schedule you receive in the summer.

Q: Are any scholarships available for participation in forensics?

A: There are currently four scholarships available for forensics and an additional one is currently being negotiated. The first is the Robert Newman Freshman Scholarship in Debate. This scholarship is restricted to freshmen and, as the name suggests, is available to debaters. We often get questions as to how this is interpreted. If a qualified person with debate experience is in the applicant pool, preference goes to that individual, in honor of the requests of the giver. In the event that no qualified debater has applied (which has not yet happened), students with competitive experience in individual events might apply provided demonstration of a serious committment to debate competition. Preference will always be given to the experienced debater. The Aileen Corbin scholarships (two) are for sophomores, juniors and seniors who are also members of the associated honorary Pi Kappa Delta. An additional scholarship is available for upperclassmen debaters. The Craig Evans Memorial Debate Scholarship awards a scholarship to a student with at least a 3.75 GPA. Students must be at least a sophomore to be eligible for this scholarship.

The value of these scholarships fluctuates with the stock market. Instructions for applying for the Newman Scholarship can be found below. The Newman scholarship is intended to promote freshman recruitment, while it is technically renewable, it is only renewed in the absence of a qualified freshman candidate in subsequent years. Generally speaking, every attempt is made to move Newman recipients from the Newman Scholarship to one of the Corbin Scholarships. Information on the application process for scholarships can be found below.

Q: I saw a flier for MoForensics.com. What's up with that?

A: MoForensics.com is no longer in operation due to SPAM problems. We hope to have a substitute in place soon.

Q: What can I do to prepare for college forensics?

A: Preparation depends on what you want to do competitively. We can mail you Windows Media Player compatible video clips of debates and speeches and even help you begin drafting different kinds of speeches, if your summer time permits. We can also send you sample manuscripts to read. The best education you can receive in the activity, however, often comes through websites maintained by the various forensics organizations. We will be happy to refer you anytime.

Q: I would like to speak to a coach in real time. How can I arrange to do that?

A: You can call our office at (660) 785-5677 or ask Admissions to schedule an appointment with one of our coaches during a campus visit. You can also chat live with Dr. Minch via Instant Messenger on AOL at kminch200a or on MSN at kevinminch@hotmail.com (not an e-mail address. You can also reach him by Yahoo! at kminch@sbcglobal.net (IM not e-mail). Please notify him of your username in advance at kminch@truman.edu so he knows who he's talking to.