By Michael Bushnell
Northeast News
April 22, 2015

INDEPENDENCE, Missouri — Over 20 students from eight high schools in Western Missouri gathered this past weekend at Truman High School to compete for over $50,000 scholarship funds offered by the Ronald Reagan Foundation from the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley California.

According to Anthony Pennay, Director of the Annenberg Presidential Learning Center at the Reagan Library, the competition is designed to teach students to communicate more effectively in a public setting.

“This series is central to our work at the Reagan foundation,” Pennay said. “We base our work on Reagan’s farewell address to the United States at the conclusion of his presidency. His innermost desire was to create informed, engaged citizens and leaders. To that end, there are few academic programs that do that so effectively as speech and debate at the high school level. Students engaged in this competition are central to an effective and strong democracy.”

The debate format is a departure from the standard high school policy debate format in that the judge in the debate round is also a moderator and allowed to ask questions of the competitors during the round. Following the round, judges are then allowed a four-minute critique time to engage the two debaters.

“I was honored to be contacted by the Reagan Foundation to host the Regional tournament” Chris Adams, Director of Speech, Debate and Legal Communications at Truman High School in Independence, said. “I was particularly excited by the format of the style of the debate because it stresses putting the debate in to real world context.”

Jack Tuckness, the Debate Coach at Springfield Central High School in Springfield, Mo., gives high marks to the program.

“I think it’s excellent from the student standpoint as well as the judging standpoint,” Tuckness said. “There’s a much stronger emphasis put on persuasion versus the plan and structure of a policy style high school debate. It’s also a much more judge friendly format.”

Jordan Lingelbach, a Junior at Truman High School in Independence, noted the very different style of the debate as well.

“As a Policy Debater, this is a very different style,” Lingelbach said. “I actually had to think and speak as a leader rather than a high school student engaged in an evidence driven, policy style debate. It really made me think outside the box.”

Final rounds were held at the Truman Library and judged by a panel of three local dignitaries, including Stanton Thompson, United States Navy, Retired, Rear Admiral; Jennifer Finch, Vice Chair of the Jackson County Republican Committee and Chairperson of the Fifth Congressional District Republican Committee; and Scott Wagner Kansas City City Councilman and former National Forensic League national qualifier in Congress. Both finalists will travel to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley California this summer to compete in the national competition where close to $50,000 in scholarship funds will be at stake. Tournament organizers indicated the tournament could be an annual event.