Samford University will host its 27th annual Summer Forensics Institute beginning Sunday, July 15. A total of 66 high school debaters from Alabama and eight other states will attend the intensive two-week program.
During lectures and labs, participants will learn the techniques of debate. Lecture topics include affirmative and negative cases, topicality, rules of debate and tournament procedure. Participants will study both Lincoln-Douglas debate, in which individuals debate philosophical topics, and policy debate.
Debaters will also research next year's national debate topic, U.S. nuclear policy. A two-day tournament at the end of the Institute, July 26 and 27, will enable debaters to put into practice what they have learned.
Alabama students who will participate represent high schools in Jefferson County, Birmingham, Hueytown, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Montgomery and Decatur. They will be joined by students from Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.
Dr. Mike Janas, Samford director of debate, is Institute director.