Every year 1.3 million U.S. high school students drop out of school with one quarter of female students failing to graduate on time. Female dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, to earn less when they are employed, to become pregnant before the age of 20, to become obese, to smoke, and to drink more heavily than their male counterparts. This…

Every year more intercollegiate speech and debate programs are eliminated from universities and colleges. Shrinking resources for higher education make it difficult to sustain extra or co-curricular activities without endowments and alumni support. Alumni support begins by cultivating a respect in undergraduates for speech and debate as a…