When the Tennessee Speech and Debate Society moved from being a student-run organization to a fully supported team under the School of Communication Studies in 2023, it got a full-time faculty director and steady funding. Now, it also has a physical space to call its own in Room 99 of the Communication and Information Building.
“Having a space is not only a place dedicated for them to gather and practice, but it’s a physical signal of support and encourages them to work harder. We’re proud to have this space and want to make the college and university proud,” said Assistant Professor of Practice and TSDS Director Abbey Barnes.
Besides providing a morale boost, the new TSDS rooms have a layout that allows them to run three different rounds of practice at the same time, whereas before they were limited to one. This, Barnes said, increases productivity and means the team can continue to grow in numbers—one of her highest priorities for TSDS this year.
Barnes also requires her student leaders to hold open office hours for at least one hour every week, and the TSDS rooms give them a place to do that. It also gives the award-winning team a spot to display their many trophies from over the years.
“I always like to make the trophies visible from the hallway; not to show that we win a lot or that we’re hyper-competitive, but to show the rich history the team has had over the years,” Barnes explained.
With Barnes at the helm, TSDS no longer has to rely on each other to raise funds, coach each other, and handle the many logistics that come with running a speech and debate team. It also allows her to look at the big, long-term picture for the team, including how to better recruit members, engage alumni, and be involved locally at both the campus and community levels.
“We take opportunities as they come up—last year, we were asked to do an exhibition debate for Access and Engagement Week at the college, and one for WUTK about housing issues in the community, and we’re looking for opportunities like that,” Barnes said. “We’re also looking for opportunities for community engagement, whether it’s through speaking or at civic engagement events. Even if we don’t speak, but can table, we’re happy to do that.”
The biggest move Barnes made to level up the team’s community involvement was to bring the Tennessee State Speech and Debate Championship to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, campus in February 2025. This will be an opportunity to show how TSDS has been an institution at UT for decades and is a good way for local community college competitors to check out the team and help determine if they would want to attend UT and be a part of it, Barnes said.
“We’re really excited for the tournament, and that’s honestly all the students talk about,” she said.