Figure of Speech

Greg Dolph is a high school national champion in Dramatic Interp. At the collegiate level, he has amassed an incredible twenty-four national college final rounds, nine national championships, five 2nd place finishes, and three individual sweepstakes championships. After leaving forensics, he has acted and performed stunts film & TV Shows: Second Hand Lions, Resident Evil Extinction, and The Conan O'Brien Show. For the past 27 years, he has played the main villain, Deacon, in the Water World Stunt Show at Universal Studios, Hollywood. In November he will reach 14,000 performances. • In this episode, Robert and Greg discuss knowing your judges, the wall of defeat, and having fun in the moment that will never be there again. Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The 2017 National Speech & Debate Association Middle School Coach of the Year, Ryan had been part of speech and debate for nearly 30 years as a middle school, high school and college competitor and coach, an instructor at camps such as Interprod, FFI, GMIF, and UTNIF, a coach with various nationally recognized programs across the country (Logan High School, CA, Stuyvesant High School, NY and Holy Ghost Prep, PA), and as the Director of Forensics at Phoenix Country Day School, AZ from 2012-2019. A former 3-time high school national finalist and 1-time college finalist himself (Duo/OO/Poetry), Ryan has had the privilege of working with and learning from some of the most interesting middle and high school students from a variety of backgrounds - culminating in over 40 national finalists and 4 NSDA High School National Champions and over 20 NSDA Middle School National Champions.  From 2012-2019, Phoenix Country Day School was awarded several Schools of Excellence in Speech at NSDA High School Nationals and the Overall School of Excellence for Speech & Debate at the NSDA Middle School National Tournament four times in 5 years. In 2020, during the pandemic, Ryan created, alongside several of the most recognizable coaches in the country, a performance piece that ran during online nationals called, "You Are Not Alone."  Ryan is currently ‘retired' from speech and debate and is the Director of Advancement at Leysin American School in Switzerland. • In this episode, Robert and Ryan discuss what the changes in middle school forensics, the disappointment of not breaking when you're expecting it, and the significance of the word “DING!” Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Kimberly Lee originally started competing for Summit High School in New Jersey back in 2014, graduated in 2018, and began competing for the University of Texas at Austin since then until the end of the 2022 season. She primarily kept her focus on interp, while she did dabble in Communication Analysis in college. In Kimberly's time in speech, she won 2018 High School National Speech and Debate Association in DI, as well as the 2021 College National Forensics Association in Prose. Kimberly dedicated her speech career towards voicing AAPI issues. Throughout her career, she was a part of over 30 National final rounds. • In this episode, Robert and Kimberly discuss what NSDA final rounds are like, how to cope with COVID forensics, and the anxiety that comes with having your parents watch you perform.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jeremy Carson competed back in the early 2000s for Cal State Long Beach, then coached both CSULB and Fullerton High School speech teams for 5 years after that. Along with a decent amount of finals in both interps and platforms, a three-year run as the Top Speaker in California, and a few Top 10 National Speaker Awards at AFA and NFA, his crowning achievement was when Jeremy and his sister became the first-ever brother/sister Duo to win at AFA while he was a senior and his sister was a freshman. When Jeremy left speech, some said a part of forensics died. Not many people said that. Mostly he did. And his mom. • In this episode, Robert and Jeremy discuss the ways in which speech impacts graphic design, what it's like to win a national championship in Duo with your little sister, and how coaches from other teams can sometimes be the biggest impact on your pieces.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Tiffany Brain was an active speech & debate competitor for Glendale Community College from 2006-2009. In that time she enjoyed competitions at colleges around the country and, while she may be best known for her 2008 Hard Candy Duo interpretation with partner Robert Cannon, she is proud of her 2009 solo win for Programmed Oral Interp at Spring Chanps in 2009. Hey look, Sheep! • In this episode, Robert and Tiffany reminisce about how to build a Duo from nothing, the pains of watching yourself on video, and how one's biggest enemies can become lifelong friends.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jim has been involved in forensics since 1990. He started his forensics career at Glenbard West High School in the Chicagoland. From there he went on to compete for College of DuPage. While at College of DuPage he earned the Bavaro-Tabor award as the top speaker at the 1994 Phi Rho Pi National Championships. From there he went on to Northern Arizona University achieving the National Championship in Prose Interpretation at the 1996 National Forensics Association National Championships. Jim began coaching at a TA California State University Chico and inducted into the Chico Hall of Fame as part of the 2012. He is also in the National Forensics Hall of Fame. Jim has been the Director of Forensics at Las Positas College in Livermore California since 2001. He has coached multiple National Championship teams during his time there. • In this episode, Robert and Jim discuss what it's like to have to sit out from tournaments, watching your coaches go wild at awards, and how to meet your significant other through speech.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Bailey Hess, while a friendly ray of sunshine, encompasses the ‘Average Joe' of the Speech community. While she competed in both high school and college forensics, the closest she had to fame was placing third at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament in Duo. Instead, she has found her true calling as the head coach for Mounds View High School in Minnesota. Always a collection of rag-tag misfits and smarties, Bailey encourages one and all to join the team and find their voice. When not in season, she continues to consume Forensics in any way possible: listening to podcasts, watching performances on Youtube, and adding literature and topic ideas to an endless spreadsheet. Speech is life. • In this episode, Robert and Bailey discuss navigating forensics without a coach, the trials of Creative Expression, and the originality of cleaning a kitty's litter box.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Joel was introduced to debate through a teaching career in Asia where he taught American debate styles to international students in Taiwan. He's now retired from teaching in person but continues to remain active in providing Public Forum resources through Debatetrack. He also plans to expand to Policy lectures in the Spring of 2022. Find him on Instagram at @joelexperience or around the web @Debatetrack.  • In this episode, Robert and Joel discuss teaching debate in a foreign land, creating content for free, and learning how to teach.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jeff Moscaritolo holds an MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University and is currently pursuing a PhD in American Studies at Indiana University Bloomington. As a speech competitor in high school and college, he earned numerous accolades; he was the 2005 NFL Champion in Humorous interpretation and a multiple-time national finalist at the AFA-NIET across many categories. His short fiction and other writings having appeared in Indiana Review, Los Angeles Review, Paper Darts, Carve, and Lincoln Journal Star. His academic interests currently revolve around race, dance, empire, and memory. • In this episode, Robert and Jeff discuss the power of POI, the pressures of using a piece everyone knows, and the differences between high school and college speech.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Alexandra Smith is a Congressional Debater from East Ridge High School in Central Minnesota. She has been heavily involved in the debate community nationally, is a two-time National Finalist and the 2021 NSDA House Champion. After graduating in June, she created an online company for Congressional Debaters to hone their skills and collaborate nationally while being accessible to everyone with an internet connection. Alexandra hopes to continue helping the Congress community grow and expand access to forensic activities during her time at university in British Columbia, Canada.  • In this episode, Robert and Alexandra discuss when to speak in Congress, the stress of running a small company, and what happens when you actually read Robert's Rules of Order.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Larry Radden graduated from San Francisco State University in 1987 with a minor in Theater Arts and a major in Communication Studies. While attending SFSU he was actively involved in theater productions with highlights such as Tom Stoppards “The Real Inspector Hound” Charles Fullers “Soldiers Story”, Bernard Pomerance's “The Elephant Man” and Cole Porter‘s “Hot and Cold.” He went on to audition for American conservatory theater and which he landed his first professional acting job in August Wilson‘s “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom” After touring the country with the production, he landed in Los Angeles and did commercial and television work. He also coached on the forensics teams at El Camino College and LA Valley College, receiving multiple state and national awards. Radden then enrolled for graduate school at Cal State Los Angeles and graduated with a degree in communications studies in 1994. Radden was hired at Saddleback College in 1995 and has continued to teach in the Communications studies department to present.

Lucas Ochoa competed for the Orange Coast College State national team, garnering several gold medals. Lucas then transferred to Cal State Long Beach qualifying numerous events for the American Forensics Association. Lucas advanced several interp events to the quarterfinal and semi-final Rounds. Finally, Lucas earned a master's degree in communication studies from Cal State Los Angeles. Lucas is a tenured professor at Saddleback College leading his team to multiple State and national championships in interpretation and Readers Theatre. Lucas's wife, Heidi, writes a family blog called The Autism Collection, which focuses on their son's autism. The link to that blog is: https://www.theautismcollection.com

In this episode, Robert and Alex discuss the changes from middle school to high school, navigating the waters of circuit LD, and get into the nitty gritty world of Worlds Debate.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Adam Sharples Brooks loves helping people impact others. He discovered speech in high school and won a national championship in Prose and earn second place in Poetry. He went on to compete at Bradley University where he would win a national title in Prose at NFA in 2008 and was a national finalist in Prose, Duo, and Poetry as well as a team sweepstakes title. He coached briefly at Bradley University helping the team earn a team title in 2010 and The University of Alabama where he earned his PhD in Communication. Adam left the activity in 2013 and become an assistant professor at UA, Director of the public speaking course and founder of UA’s speaking center The Speaking Studio. Since then Adam has led workshops with hundreds of organizations and businesses to train their talent in presentation and communication skills. He recently published his first book Engineered to Speak: Helping You Create and Deliver Presentations to help those with STEM backgrounds communicate to nontechnical audiences. He continues to use his skills he first developed in speech unironically on TikTok and in life. • In this episode, Robert and Adam discuss the terror of joining a legendary team when they have expectations, the nuances of winning Prose, and do a full breakdown of one of the greatest interps to ever grace a final round (complete with 30 seconds of silence).  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Kevin is a professor and Director of Forensics at Los Angeles Valley College. He didn’t break any events at nationals his senior year, and it clearly ruined his career. Through hard work and sheer luck, his students have somehow managed to consistently win national championships despite having him as their coach. It is truly a marvel to witness. Outside of forensics, Kevin has been a mediocre slam poet, an average artist, a second-rate photographer, a so so husband, an adequate D&D Dungeon Master, a wannabe TikTok influencer, and most importantly, a dad of 3-the one job he will admit to being great at. • In this episode, Robert and Kevin discuss ghosts, the trauma that coaches can inflict on students, and the joys of ADHD.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Katie Pengra joined the Arizona State University speech team after competing throughout high school. She placed second in Duo with AJ Moorehead at NFA in 2005 and 6th in POI at AFA in 2007. Pengra moved to Los Angeles where she coached high school speech, and failed at acting. She landed in Austin where she received a master’s degree in journalism, regularly performs stand up comedy, has worked on several short films, and co-directed a feature length documentary. She is currently working on a nursing degree, and lives with her husband and two-year-old son.  • In this episode, Robert and Katie discuss how to cut a POI, the terrors of peer critiques, and how to use speech to springboard into stand-up comedy.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Dontae Hill, a.k.a. “The Forensics Guy” is a Speech and Debate coach from Wisconsin currently creating an impact in California and around the world. From YouTube videos, a weekly podcast, to an awesome TikTok, you can find him making content that sparks joy and gives value to speech and debate coaches, students, and judges everywhere! Feel free to follow him on all platforms @Theforensicsguy to join his unique journey! • In this episode, Robert and Dontae discuss the impact that Poetry has on a middle school student, secretly repeating literature, and the difficulties of coaching a team completely solo.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Michael H. Miller has been deeply involved in both high school and college debate since 1965.  At the University of Houston (TX), from which he graduated with a B.S.in Political Science in 1970, Michael won first place in more than twenty major college debate tournaments, and was Top Speaker at the National Debate Tournament his senior year.  He won the National Professional Debate Tournament in the Summer of 1970 before moving to California. Michael began coaching debate full-time in the Fall of 1970 and, among other achievements, mentored the NDT National Champions of 1971 (UCLA), as well as the high school Lincoln-Douglas National Debate Champion in 1982.  He was named the California High School Speech Association "Speech Coach of the Year" for his work at Notre Dame High School in 1982-83, was unanimously elected the University of Houston Forensics Society Hall of Fame in 2007, and was a featured character in the 2008 documentary film, "Debate Team."  Michael co-founded Glendale Community College's NFA Lincoln-Douglas debate program in the Fall of 2008. In addition to his debate training, Michael earned his Juris Doctorate degree (J.D.) from the Southwestern University School of Law in 1984, and is a licensed trial attorney. • In this episode, Robert and Michael discuss the changes from tournaments in the 1960s to today, review what Extemp questions were offered back then, and somehow get into the way that politicians debate differently than forensics.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Iain Lampert is thrilled to promote empathy, equity, and excellence as a ModernBrain regional director. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from UCLA, his M.A. in Education and Human Development from the George Washington University, and his Certification in Advanced Education Leadership from Harvard University. He is in the process of attaining a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Vanderbilt University; his thesis will focus on the intersection of burnout, accessibility, and ableism in the Speech and Debate community. Iain is a lifelong advocate for competitive communication; he founded eight teams, coached winners of over 1,000 individual championships, including six national champions, and received the National Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the activity. Iain’s students are the only team in the history of Southern California to earn the National Speech and Debate Association’s high school Outstanding Distinction team award (twice!). In 2019, his team won sweepstakes at the Tournament of Champions. He’s coached NSDA national semifinalists, finalists, and champions in PF, Oratory, DI/HI/POI, Congress, IX/NX, Storytelling, Expository, Commentary, and Impromptu Speaking. During his college years, he won the American Mock Trial Association’s national championship twice. • In this episode, Robert and Iain discuss the differences between forensics and mock trial, the ‘inside baseball’ of competing at a national level, and how burnout affects the greater forensics community.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Larry Schnoor is one of the most respected voices in competitive speech and debate. now retired, he served as professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato since the 1960s. Schnoor was instrumental in starting the American Forensics Association - National Individual Events Tournament and served as the organization’s chair from 1977-1979 and as the long-running tournament director from 1994-2016. Additionally, Schnoor also served as the National Forensics Association’s president from 1995-2015 and tournament director in 2004. He is currently enjoying his retirement in Minnesota. • In this episode, Robert and Larry discuss the differences between forensics in the ‘50s and today, the disappointment when controversies like Peter Pober’s are brought to light, and having some tough love for students who jeopardize the rest of the team.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Andy Stone is a two-time high school state champion and went on to compete in college forensics at Arizona State University where he was a six-time national finalist. As a coach, he helped lead Desert Vista High School to 8 consecutive state championships and worked at some of the nation’s most prestigious speech summer camps in Arizona, Illinois, and Florida. For several years, Andy was a producer and co-host of the Encyclopedia Show Arizona, a live semi-educational variety show in Tempe, AZ. Andy graduated from the University of Dubuque with a Masters in Business Administration in 2019 and spent 10 years working at Apple Inc before accepting a position earlier this year as a strategic customer success manager at Sendoso, a rapidly growing tech startup in Scottsdale, AZ. He is married to his former duo partner and AFA national champion Julia Kolsrud.  • In this episode, Robert and Andy discuss falling in love with speech from the very beginning, falling in love with winning, and falling in love with a teammate.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Heather Wolpert-Gawron is an award-winning middle school teacher and district PBL/21st Century Instructional coach. She was a 2013 USDOE Profiled Connected Educator as well as the San Gabriel Valley Computer Using Educator TOY for 2009. She is the author of Just Ask Us: Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement (Corwin/AMLE) which shares the results of of her nationwide survey of 6th-12th graders and their responses to the question, "What engages you as a learner?" Other books include DIY for Project Based Learning for ELA and History (Routledge), DIY for Project Based Learning for Math and Science (Routledge), Writing Behind Every Door: Teaching Common Core Writing in the Content Areas (Routledge), and ‘Tween Crayons and Curfews: Tips for Middle School Teachers (Routledge). She has been a staff blogger for Edutopia since 2008 and shares all things middle school at tweenteacher.com. She has been a proud member of the California Writing Project since 2008 and was selected as National Faculty for Buck Institute in 2017.  • In this episode, Robert and heather discuss The People vs. Laron, the benefits of project based learning, and how to avoid tabbing at all costs.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Blake Longfellow's journey through forensics has taken him across the country with stops at major collegiate programs along the way. A bay area native, Blake began transitioning from theatre to forensics in high school when a teacher forced him to try duo interpretation. Three years later Blake moved to southern California to attend and compete for Orange Coast College, picking up several community college national titles along the way. In 2009 Blake was one of the top community college competitors in the country, which earned him a small scholarship to attend Bradley University. During his time in Peoria, Illinois Blake won the 2011 NFA Informative speaking championship and two team sweepstakes titles. Then after completing his masters degree at Western Kentucky University in 2014 he left the activity all together. But forensics slowly pulled him back in from the wilderness and in 2016 he became the ADoF in his hometown's high school and community college teams concurrently. He's since help establish Diablo Valley College as one of the nation's premier community college teams, and launched the forensics judging services company Hired Judge. His company has connected hundreds of judges nationwide with tournaments in their local area, and has big plans for the future of forensics.  • In this episode, Robert and Blake discuss the power of community college competitors, the finer points of Reader’s Theater, and the goal of winning forensics as a team.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

An accomplished public speaker for many years, Mike began his competitive speaking career at the age of 12 when he was invited to attend a high school speaking competition on behalf of South Salem High School (even though he was still in junior high!).  Mike won first place in both the Novice division of Humorous Interpretation and junior division of Lincoln Douglas Debate.  From then on and throughout high school, Mike went on to win 78 times, taking home 117 trophies along the way. Mike was awarded a debate scholarship to Arizona State University and continued winning speech and debate tournaments in college, in both NDT and CEDA formats. Graduating Magna Cum Laude from ASU with a B.S. in Engineering, Mike also became a notable and sought-after public speaker in the Printing and Marketing industry, speaking at industry events such as VUE Point and PODi. Mike began realizing his dream of mentoring students in speech and debate in 2011, and began Nova 42 Academy in 2012. Nova 42 now helps guide close to 300 students, including several from all around the world. In 2019 Nova 42 Academy, adding to its offerings, became a private high school and was able to join the NSDA. • In this episode, Robert and Mike discuss the guilty pleasures of Monty Python, how to make money through printing, and the impact of teaching students by focusing less on winning.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Wei Wang is currently a co-founder of QD Learning and Gateway Academy. He is passionate about Speech,Debate,  Leadership, College Admission and anything in between to get students in K-12 ready for college and career. His previous career was in IT consulting/sales specializing in cloud computing & enterprise software. He is originally from Shanghai, China and graduated from UCLA with a MBA degree. He is also a Captain from US Air Force Reserve based in March Air Reserve Base. • In this episode, Robert and Wei discuss Toastmasters, the differences between Chinese and American education, and how the military plays into the speech world.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Lance had a twenty one year forensics career that started with him winning a jr high speech competition sponsored by the Modern Woodmen of America in 1977. Lance competed for two years at the University of Wyoming and then at the University of Colorado, where he was president of the student run team.  He coached at the University of Wyoming as a graduate student and then at Northern Arizona University where his teams won numerous national championships. He was tournament host for the DSR-TKA national tournament in 1997 and then for the AFA NIET in 1998, where he made the mistake that rocked the forensics community. Today he is the host of the YouTube channel The History Guy: History Deserves to be Remembered where he applies the skills learned in forensics on three episodes per week. • In this episode, Robert and Lance discuss the dangers of driving after competitions, the joys of a student-run team, and get into one of the biggest controversies in forensics history.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Ryan is a 16 year old sophomore at California State University, Los Angeles under the Early Entrance Program. As a middle schooler, he primarily competed in Congress and found some success there. Ryan chooses to stay active within the forensics community by volunteering at speech and debate tournaments. • In this episode, Robert and Ryan discuss the joys of being a Parliamentarian in Congressional Debate, dealing with the work demands of college when you’re only 15 year old, and the troubles of transportation in Los Angeles.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Bill Eddy is teaches speech and debate courses at Magnet Learning Academy, in Irvine, California. A graduate student at Gonzaga University, "Coach Bill" as he is known to his students served as a consultant, professor, research fellow and speech & debate coach for several prestigious universities and academies. While working in the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Korea, his students won NSDA-Korea's national tournament three years in a row. He has earned numerous distinctions as both a competitor and as a coach. • In this episode, Robert and Eddy discuss the joys of coaching in another country, dealing with unethical approaches to forensics, and the fact that debate, once in your blood, never truly leaves.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Angela is a recent grad from Cornell University, where she studied Government and European Studies. She started competing in speech and debate when she was in middle school and continued until her freshman year of high school. Her debate career was primarily focused on Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas events. • In this episode, Robert and Angela discuss the benefits of unusual research styles, dealing with crushing competitive losses, and the way in which debate shapes political thinking.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

For years, Israel Beltran was just another Chicano from East LA, who loved to daydream, until he discovered the world of forensics. He has been blessed to receive awards from national forensic tournaments such as Phi Rho Pi and NFA. Israel strives to teach his students how to better understand who they are, share their stories, and master the power of rhetoric. • In this episode, Robert and Israel discuss the differences of small teams and big teams, moving out of Phi Rho Pi and into NFA, and the struggles of getting English lessons from New York rappers.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Paul Davis is a multiple Arizona high school state champion and Humorous Interpretation champion at the prestigious Harvard tournament. During college he was a ten-time national finalist and four-time national champion, including the 2006 NFA Pentathlon Top Speaker. He coached multiple high school and college students to various state and national final rounds and championships. While coaching at LA Valley Community College, he helped lead the team to their first two consecutive national championships. He is currently working on writing and directing films in the Los Angeles area. • In this episode, Robert and Paul discuss performing in front of your parents, making waves in the speech community, and the problem with speaker points.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Anika is a sophomore at Williams College and has been involved in speech and debate for over eight years. She is a former middle school state champion and an NSDA octa-finalist for Public Forum. As a high schooler, she dabbled in Original Oratory and Public Forum, but chose to stay involved in the forensics community by teaching elementary and middle school students. • In this episode, Robert and Anika discuss the heartbreak of defeat, the problems with not getting enough sleep at nationals, and the fear that comes with doing an interp when you were born to debate.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Danny Cantrell is a professor and forensics coach at Mt. San Antonio College. He started competing in high school before debating at UC San Diego as a part of a student-run debate team. He helped create ForensicsTournament.net and other apps for the forensics community. He's married to his one-time debate partner Jennifer and has four children. • In this episode, Robert and Danny discuss teaching community college students, the problems that come with a student-run team, and the power of wearing blue shirts.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Amanda Samoyloff, a Cal State University Long Beach alumni, won Prose at HFO and placed 4th in Poetry at AFA during her first year of competition. She and the rest of CSULB would soon place 5th in the nation at AFA-NIET. In 2009, Samoyloff won 1st place in Prose at NFA. After graduation, she made her way into Hollywood, taking the skills and work ethics she learned from her time in speech and debate and became an actress and filmmaker. She's produced, written, and performed in multiple films over the last decade. Currently, she's the CEO + founder of the PR firm, Samoyloff PR, and is set to publish her first poetry book in Spring 2020.• In this episode, Robert and Amanda discuss how to continue during interruptions, the annoyance of high heels, and the endurance needed to be successful at nationals. Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Gordon Ip is an Asian-American poet, teacher, performer, and actor that focuses on speaking about Asian-American issues in an explicit, unashamed fashion. His achievements include an AFA 4th place in Duo Interpretation, and several finals in and semi-finals multiple events at HFO and AFA. He is a proud East Los Angeles College Husky, and alumnus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.•In this episode, Robert and Gordon discuss what it means to be a Hong Konger, playing a public piano a little too long, and the challenges of coaching elementary students. Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Matt Grisat has the rare combination of proven successes both as a competitor and coach in debate and individual events. As a competitor he was part of a team that won both AFA and NFA sweepstakes. As a coach/ DOF he has mentored students to become national champions in performance pieces, LD, and Parliamentary Debate among others. • In this episode, Robert and Matt discuss sacrifices for the team, moving from Toastmasters to forensics, and how much sweat a tournament can cause, literally.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Ryan Ohanessian is a former debater for Glendale Community College and Cal State Northridge. While at GCC, Ryan went to a National Tournament where he competed in Public Forum Debate. Afterwards, he did two semesters of policy debate at CSUN where he came in 1st place (2nd place speaker) at the Hornet Invitational policy debate tournament and 2nd place (3rd place speaker) at the Robert Barbara Intramural public forum debate tournament in 2018. Nowadays, Ryan likes to give back to the community by judging both speech and debate. • In this episode, Robert and Ryan discuss the differences between debate styles, the pressure of going to nationals for the first time, and what it’s like to come back to the community after taking off for a year or so.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jasmine McLeod, a.k.a The Rainbow of Death, is known for her hair and pens of color. Many think that her wild ballots are color-coded but they are actually a reflection of her eccentric personality: random, honest, and vibrant. Jasmine McLeod competed for CSU Long Beach where she won two national titles in DI and Prose in addition to numerous other national awards. She now coaches for the Mt. San Antonio College forensics team. Jasmine has coached numerous national and state champions in multiple events. At the end of the day, her students continue to believe that she once walked the fiery path to the netherworlds and is the grand master supreme of hell.  • In this episode, Robert and Jasmine discuss the how race, hair, and when (not) to wear a white suit.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Ira Heffler had been a high school and college forensics coach for 35 years.  He coached speech and debate at John Burroughs High School in Burbank for 22 years, from 1971 until 1993.  Many of his students achieved impressive wins at the state level. After a ten-year break from teaching, Ira returned to the classroom as a Professor of Speech Communication at Glendale Community College for 14 years, from 2002 until 2016.  During most of those years, he was the co-head forensics coach, and his team took first place honors in the President’s Division at National Forensic Association. • In this episode, Robert and Ira discuss the how competitions were different in the 1970s, the benefits of coaching at the college level, and how to ‘unleash’ your students.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Daniel Kyle is a senior who competes with Nova 42 High School and Nova 42 Academy. He primarily competes in debate events such as Public Forum and Congress but also does limited prep events like Impromptu. He has qualified to NSDA nationals three times in high school in Lincoln Douglas Debate. Since his introduction to speech and debate in 4th grade, Dan has won over 270 public speaking awards, is rated as one of the top 20 speakers in the NSDA, and has received the prestigious Academic All-American from the NSDA. • In this episode, Robert and Dan discuss the problems with spreading in debate, canning an Impromptu, and conquering the fear of gong to your first competition.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Alex is an eighth grader who is currently part of the IHP program at Walter Reed Middle School. He has and still is actively competing in both speech and debate, primarily in Impromptu, OO, and Public Forum. He was a middle school Nationals Finalist in Impromptu in the sixth grade, and has won the California Orator’s Cup for the middle school division. He has also won the California State and SoCal tournaments, as well as Octa-finaled at state for Public Forum in sixth grade.

Shauhin “Shaw” Davari is best known for his beard and his competitive fire. He competed for three different forensics teams as a competitor, which gave him a unique background in forensics. Now he’s found a home at Orange Coast College as a forensics coach. He has coached numerous national champions in multiple events, but seems to have a soft spot for Reader’s Theater. • In this episode, Robert and Shaw discuss how to cut a POI, things not to do when designing a Duo, and how to love those you hate.  Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Ebru Dogan is the head elementary instructor at Nova 42 Speech and Debate Academy and serves as the Elementary Chair for the Southern California Junior Forensics League. As a competitor, she competed at the NSDA for Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking, and at the California High School Speech Association in Thematic Interpretation. In this episode, Robert and Ebru discuss elementary competitions, how to teach the younger speakers through artwork, and how to deal with disgruntled parents. Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Patrick Kim is a senior at North Hollywood High School and has been involved in speech and debate for four years and counting, primarily competing in Extemporaneous and Impromptu Speaking. He is a middle school NSDA finalist in both Extemp and Impromptu. He is a high school finalist at Arizona State Invitational, Berkeley , and the Jack Howe. Patrick placed 5th at the California High School State Tournament and in the Top 40 at the NSDA. In this episode, Robert and Patrick discuss the current state of Extemp, what high school nationals is really like, and how to cope with high school friends who don’t understand what the forensics-life is like. Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Episode 2: A.J. Moorehead is a college professor and former AFA, NFA and IOC national champion in every genre of speaking event. In high school he reached semis and/or final rounds at the California Invitational (Berkeley), Harvard, and the NSDA. He has coached students to all of the above plus the Extemp TOC and MBA Round Robin. A.J. was inducted into the National Forensics Association Hall of Fame in 2016. In this episode, A.J. and Robert discuss the finer points of writing intros, the best poetry writer in American literature, and how to move with purpose. Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Episode 1: David Hale is the Director of Logistics at East Los Angeles College. He has been involved in the activity of forensics for over 15 years. In this episode, Robert and David discuss getting into forensics, creating Duos the shady way, what to do with your trophies after your competition career is over, and some advice to future speakers.