Contributed/ETSU Speech and Debate

The ETSU Speech and Debate Team will host its annual Spring Showcase on April 16, offering students, faculty and the public a chance to experience competitive events in a live, interactive setting.

The showcase will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Culp Center’s East Tennessee Room and will feature a mix of debate and individual speaking events designed to highlight the team’s work throughout the year.

“It is very entertaining and I think you can learn a lot from it,” said team member Riley Axelrod. “A lot of people don’t know what the speech and debate team does necessarily… when you actually get to watch what we do, you can definitely learn a lot about it and come to appreciate it more.”

The event will include a full MPA debate, a two-versus-two format in which participants are given an audience-selected topic and 15 minutes to prepare. The structured debate lasts about 40 minutes and emphasizes quick thinking and argumentation.

In addition to debate, attendees will see three speech performances: an impromptu speech, a poetry interpretation and an after-dinner speech. The impromptu event challenges speakers to craft a speech within minutes based on a randomly assigned quotation, while the poetry performance combines multiple works into a single, memorized piece with dramatic elements.

Axelrod will perform an after-dinner speech focused on toxic gym culture, blending humor with persuasive and informative elements.

“I hope they laugh,” Axelrod said. “But I also hope they learn something.”

Unlike tournaments, which are typically judged in small rooms, the showcase is designed for a larger audience and a more relaxed, engaging atmosphere. Audience members will help choose the debate topic and vote on the winner.

Axelrod said the event has two main goals: to educate the campus about the team’s work and to celebrate the end of the competitive season. The team will also present a year-in-review, highlighting 174 awards earned at tournaments.

“It’s kind of a nice place to sit down and just get to see a little bit of what we do,” Axelrod said. “There’ll be food, dinner and a show.”

The event is free and open to the public.

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