My Story & Our Mission:

“Keep On Spreading” is a blog that functions as an empowering platform for novice debaters to navigate their first year in the activity by granting them free access to advice on strategy execution, a column dedicated to interviews I have conducted of some of the top senior debaters in the country on their experiences in debate and their tips for success, and a segment that specifically teaches novices everything they need to know for the rounds on elimination day.

As I advanced in debate, my partner quit. Given that debate is an activity that requires everyone to have one partner, I was fearful her quitting was indicative of my time as a debater coming to a close. I was advised to quit as well and informed that searching for another partner at my high school with the same level of experience and motivation to succeed in debate as me was a fraught endeavor. To some, it would have been easier to search for a new activity. To me, however, being a debater and participating on the debate team was my passion, at the forefront of my identity, and an avenue for me to explore intellectually. Little did I know that my tenacious spirit would mean I would find the perfect partner the next year, but until then, I was emboldened to turn to coaching and judging in an attempt to maintain my participation on the team.

As a novice myself, I was nervous to ask questions and suffered from anxiety the days of our elimination debates. The resources I had access to, both older students and coaches, assisted in eliminating these negative fears. Being a student-coach and judge offered me a new perspective. I quickly learned that not everyone had comfort when they felt nervous before an elimination round or an adult coach to ask their questions to. The role of the judge is to remain impartial, but whenever I noticed a confused or worried novice debater, I would have to resist every urge to guide them mid-round. I wanted to be an access point for the novices who had the same experiences I had and find a way to share all I had learned in very simple terms with everyone.

Thus, reflecting on my novice year combined with all I learned as a student-coach, I believed all novices would benefit from an easy-access website where they could find clarity and advice.

My goal has expanded to effectuate change by making the technicalities of debate more accessible to all novices, increasing novice retention rates and understanding of the activity, and attempting to narrow the disparities that exist across different schools and their capacity, or lack thereof, to hire debate coaches for their novice debaters. I firmly believe in making policy debate accessible to everyone regardless of who they are or where they come from.

Today “Keep on Spreading" has thousands of readers and subscribes, both students and coaches alike.

Ariana Arvanitis