The Forensics Experience

I just wanted to vent a bit...

You can catch new episodes every Wednesday.

In this episode, we discuss the existence of college Speech and Debate and the differences from the high school sector. 

Michael's Bio: Dr. Michael Eisenstadt took the position as Assistant Professor and Director of Forensics at CSU Long Beach in 2018. Since then, he has helped qualify more than a dozen students to the National Forensic Association National Championship and two policy debate teams to the National Debate Tournament – CSULB’s first qualification since 2005. Under his leadership, Beach Forensics has received multiple awards, including the 2019 Desiree Odekirk Outstanding Service Award from the Cross-Examination Debate Association, the 2019 and 2020 Volunteer Service Award from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League, and the 2020 National Public Debate Award from CEDA. Eisenstadt’s mission is to grow and sustain a full-service intercollegiate forensics program, premised on community building, access, and connecting the practices of argumentation and advocacy to public life. Generally speaking, Eisenstadt’s scholarly interests lie in the areas of public argumentation, political campaign debates, and the rhetorical form of social movement. Overall, with the help of the rest of an amazing coaching staff and the hard work of the team’s outstanding students, Eisenstadt hopes that Beach Forensics will consistently be one of the most competitive speech and debate programs in America.

New episodes every Wednesday!

In this episode, we discuss potential careers that stem from speech and Debate and more with this award winning TedX speaker!

Deano's Bio: Deano Pape is assistant director of speech and debate for Simpson College of Iowa. He also serves as a membership specialist for the National Speech & Debate Association and as curriculum coordinator for the public speaking and argumentation division of the Harvard Debate Council Summer Workshops. Prior to Simpson and full-time work with the NSDA, Deano was director of forensics for Ripon College of Wisconsin.

New episodes every Wednesday!

In this episode, we literally try to solve mental health problems while I subtly call out the Speech and Debate community.  

Katie's Bio: Katie is a first year out from Santa Monica, CA, where she competed at the Brentwood School for 4 years in LD. Her junior and senior years she broke at almost every tournament she attended, reaching two bid rounds her senior year at Greenhill and College Prep. She was a quarterfinalist at the California state championship, and was 10th place at NSDA nationals 2019. As a debater, Katie specialized in identity politics arguments about disability and queerness and postmodernism kritiks. She has always been very open about her identity as a queer woman who struggles with mental illness. As she puts it, she strove to focus on “fostering inclusivity in the space around accepting one’s vulnerability and identity.” As a coach, she likes to work with debaters who share a similar goal. She now attends Smith College and is majoring in Government and Statistics.

New episodes every Wednesday!

In this episode, we talk about leagues being on one accord, what should constitute as approved literature for speech and we tackle effective judging for all.

Adam's Bio

For more than two decades, Adam Jacobi has worked in the fields of communication and theatre education, as well as public relations, government affairs and politics. As Executive Director of the Wisconsin High School Forensic Association, he coordinates contests, programming, outreach, operations, and governance of one of the country’s oldest state activities associations. In 2018, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA), and appointed as Section 4 representative to the Speech, Debate, and Theatre Committee of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). He also serves as Congressional Debate Curriculum Coordinator for the Harvard Debate Council.

Jacobi previously was Programs & Education Coordinator for the NSDA where he coordinated development of an international public speaking and debating curriculum that he helped implement in the People’s Republic of China, where he taught for a semester (fall 2013). He also coached forensics and taught Public Speaking at Ripon College. For 11 years, Jacobi directed the speech and debate program at Rufus King International School in Milwaukee, WI, where he coached several state and national champions and finalists and also volunteered with several professional organizations in leadership roles. An author of several books, articles and guides, Mr. Jacobi has also led several professional development sessions, as well as academic presentations on the benefits of speech, debate, and theatre education.

New episodes every Monday!

In this episode, we discuss urban districts in Speech and Debate, and figure out a way to get more coaches to take the leap and coach!  

Carrie's Bio: Carrie Baker Jackson started coaching forensics in 2000 and over the last 20 years has coached at private, suburban and urban schools.  She serves as the Milwaukee Archdiocese Catholic Forensics League director and led a team of local coaches that hosted the NCFL Grand National Tournament last spring.  She also serves on the Southern Wisconsin National Speech and Debate Association Committee.  Baker Jackson teaches at Ronald Reagan College Preparatory High School in Milwaukee Public Schools, where she developed the IB Theatre Program.  In addition to coaching forensics, Baker Jackson oversees the Theatre Program at Reagan IB HS, directing the Reagan Fall One Acts and co-directing the Reagan Musical. Baker Jackson loves teaching theatre and coaching forensics because “our young people need to be given a voice and these activities provide them a platform.” 

New episodes every Monday!

In this episode, we discuss the qualities of a national champion and how concerned we should be with that title anyway! 

Iain's Bio:

Iain Lampert is one of the foremost high school public speaking educators in America. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from UCLA, his M.A. in Education and Human Development from the George Washington University, and his Certification in Advanced Education Leadership from Harvard University. He is in the process of attaining a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Vanderbilt University. He is the founder and director of forensics at Valley International Prep High School in California.  

Iain is a lifelong advocate for Speech and Debate; he has founded eight teams, coached winners of over 6,000 individual awards (in addition to over 1,000 individual championships, including multiple state and national champions), received the National Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the activity, and currently serves as chairman of the West Los Angeles district of the National Speech and Debate Association and director of publicity for the California High School Speech Association. Iain’s students are the only team in the history of Southern California to earn the National Speech and Debate Association’s Outstanding Distinction team award. In 2019, his team won sweepstakes at the Tournament of Champions. He’s coached NSDA national semifinalists, finalists, and champions in Public Forum Debate, Original Oratory, Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Programmed Oral Interpretation, Congress, International Extemp, National Extemp, Storytelling, Expository, Commentary, and Impromptu Speaking. During his college years, he won the American Mock Trial Association’s national championship twice. Iain loves improv, musical theater, trivia, nature walks, and wearing fake glasses to make himself look more intelligent.

New episodes every Monday!

In this episode, we figure out how we can give every student a chance to do Speech and Debate! 

Becky's Bio:

Becky is a creative writing professor with Southern New Hampshire University and the director of novice debate for Fort Atkinson high school. She is spearheading diversity and inclusion issues with the Wisconsin Debate Coaches Association. You can hear her and her husband regularly on their own Poetry Professor Podcast available wherever you get your podcast content.

New episodes every Monday!

In this episode, we search for ways to promote Forensics to students/coaches of color. 

Ernest's Bio:

Ernest Chomicki, Born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, the son of a crazy African American father and an even CRAZIER Sicilian Polish mother. A proud product of the Milwaukee Public School system and have coached successfully at Bradley Tech HS since graduating from there in the year 2000. He obtained his Bachelor's Degree from Marquette University in 2004 and works as a 3rd shift chemist at Sigma Aldrich in order to coach in the daytime. He has coached students to elimination rounds at the NIETOC, NCFL, NAUDL and NSDA National tournaments., as well as had 4 state champions, many State finalist and semifinalists. His students have gone onto Emory, Georgia State University, Marquette University, UW- Milwaukee, MATC, and various other institutions of higher learning.

New episodes every Monday!

In this episode, we get to hear advice from a very successful midwest coach! 

As I briefly mentioned in the show notes of the last episode, Next week the format of the episodes will be changing to more of a discussion style instead of interview. 

New Episodes Every Monday!