Who Are We?
Hey everyone! My name is Adaolisa and I’m from Dallas, Texas. I’ve been in Speech for two years now, and my main events are DI and POI. Coming from a smaller school, I’ve not only witnessed and experienced the effects of the vast resource gap in Speech and Debate, but also the social divisions that seem to form between competitors. It’s so important to me that we, as members of this community, actively work against these barriers to ensure equity across the board. Despite being a competitive environment, Speech and Debate is also a place where we should be able to acknowledge each person and their efforts as valuable.
Dressing up on weekends. Running around random schools to out-rounds. Discovering my voice.
Although I’ve only been in this program for a short time, Speech and Debate is something I will cherish. From competing in several supplemental events, Dramatic Interpretation, and Original Oratory, I use my voice as advocacy. However, no program is necessarily perfect. I have encountered avoidable obstacles because I lacked the tools and resources. That’s why I hope to achieve change through this initiative. I hope our work will help provide a platform in our community that uplifts understated resources to the limelight, encouraging healthy and fair competition. The resource gap in Speech and Debate is vast enough, but by disseminating resources equally, I hope this project can be a step in the larger plan toward equity.
Hello! I am Olufisayo Oladimeji from Rowlett, Texas. I perform in Original Oratory, and even though it is my first year in Speech and Debate, I can say that this program is incredible, which is why this initiative is even more important to me. Having spent time in other clubs such as Youth and Government with the YMCA, I can say that it is a no-brainer coming into competitions and noticing schools which have better access to the resources they needed to perform well. Such patterns can even be in the speech and debate world, and even though I am always up for great competition, I believe the competition is only better when the playing field is as equal as possible to all. I am so grateful to be a part of this project to help give anyone who joins Speech and Debate an opportunity to be the best they can be with as many resources as they can get.