Frequently Asked Questions | Southwest Speech & Debate at ASU

How are you connected to ASU?: ASU Forensics in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication has assumed management of Southwest Speech and Debate. The ASU Forensics team has a long history of excellence, and is striving to improve the community by continuing to offer a top-quality camp experience that is affordable and accessible.
Do you accept middle school students?: Unfortunately, we only accept students who will be in high school (entering 9th grade or higher) in the fall. We are not equipped to handle the unique needs of younger students.
Can I do one week of a two-week event?: Our curriculum is carefully planned to use every minute of camp for something productive, with each lesson and activity leading into the next skill. Regardless whether the student is a novice or advanced, the student will miss important parts of the camp experience.

How are students supervised?: Students spend the majority of their time 9 am to 5 pm with their coaches in lab, and eat meals together in the dining hall.
What happens if I can’t stay the whole time?: Occasionally we do have students who need to come late or leave early. We can prorate the expenses for rooms and meals if we have the information in advance.
What is the schedule every day?: We Begin labs at 9AM each day, and have lectures and activities until 5PM each evening.

Aren’t they ever going to have any fun?: We think speech and debate IS fun. This is an academic, competitive camp for students who have competed or want to compete in Speech and Debate. Students will be busy doing something they love, but we won’t be spending hours and hours off task – even our games are designed to help students become better speakers, listeners, and thinkers.