Alaska News & Updates
This portion of the webpage features information about speech & debate throughout the state of Alaska. In addition to the general information below, you can follow these links to specific information about:
Alaska State Championship (High School)
Alaska (evidence) Core Files - Policy
Organizations
The state has several organizations that support academic, competitive, and/or public debate.
Middle School Debate Program
The Anchorage Middle School Public Debate Program was launched in 2011 as an initiative by the Seawolf Debate Program to promote competitive academic debating in Anchorage Middle Schools. (University of Alaska Anchorage 2021)
For more information about opportunities to debate in middle school, contact the Seawolf Debate Team at seawolfdebate@gmail.com
High School
Drama, Debate, & Forensics
Alaska has a robust speech & debate circuit for high school students. While the majority of programs are located in either Southeast Alaska or Anchorage/Kenai Peninsula, there are also established programs in Galena, Lower Kuskokwim, Valdez, and Kodiak, among others.
The high school Drama, Debate, and Forensics activity falls under the auspices of the Alaska School Activities Association. Shawn Briscoe serves as the state coordinator.
Details about Alaska DDF can be found here. Details about eligibility, policies, and procedures can be found on the ASAA webpage, as well.
Seawolf Debate Program
University of Alaska Anchorage
The prestigious Seawolf Debate Program is part of the Department of Communication and Discourse Studies at the University of Alaska Anchorage and holds dual missions to excel in intercollegiate debate competitions and promote public discourse in the community.
It welcomes undergraduate and graduate students with little to know competitive debating experience into its ranks. The team also hosts an annual intramural competition for those students who don’t think they are ready for the leap to intercollegiate competition.
The program has produced multiple national champions (National Parliamentary Debate Association; United States Universities Debating Championships), numerous elimination round participants at the World Universities Debating Championships, USUDC national championships, and the YODL national championships. It has also been ranked among the best intercollegiate debate programs in the world.
For more information, about joining Seawolf Debate, click here.
Community Debates
The Seawolf Debate Program (SDP) is also committed to promoting public discourse. As such, it hosts a number of public events:
Arguing Alaska Debate Series - In cooperation with Alaska Dispatch News, the SDP hosts events to engage local policy experts in public exhibition debates on topics relevant to the community.
Cabin Fever Debates - Each spring, the SDP holds an intramural competition for the UAA student body. Members of the team organize the event and are not allowed to participate. The debates take place throughout the month of February and are open to the public. For information about the 2024 Cabin Fever Debates check here.
Contract Debates - Each spring, the SDP hosts a competitive team from “outside” for an exhibition match against two members of the Seawolf Debate team.
Seawolf Debate Camp - The SDP hosts a debate camp for 6th-10th graders in late summer.
Opportunities
The state offers multiple opportunities to be engaged in academic, competitive, and/or public discourse.
Volunteer Judges Needed
Goldenview Middle School is hosting the second tournament of the year for Anchorage-area middle schools on December 9th. If you are a community volunteer (or even a high school DDF student), we would love to have you serve as a judge for this event.
If you are interested in judging, please fill out this Google form to capture your judging availability. (If you are a high school student, please include your high school for your affiliation.)
Volunteer Judges Needed
West High School is hosting the next tournament of the year (Dec 1-2) for the southcentral region of Alaska. Coach Michaela Kolerok, her students, and all those attending the tournament would greatly appreciate it and benefit if you could donate 2 hours of your weekend (or more for those who are willing)! No prior experience is necessary. Students learn best when they must adapt to all levels of judging experience.
If you are interested in volunteering to judge, the coach at West Anchorage HS has set up this form to collect volunteer information.