On the University of Texas Speech Team, students are well aware of how lucky they are to be working with the important issues of today in a progressive world. In light of this, many on the team insist upon using the tools at their disposal to create a more perfect world in which to live. Many team members on the University of Texas speech team have decided to use the skills at their disposal to create a lasting change in the world around them. They are well aware that the work they put in today can snowball into real world solutions to some of the most pressing issues of the day.
This notion appears most prominently in the persuasive public address platforms (Persuasive Speaking and After Dinner Speaking) where our team members encounter the true issues in the world, brainstorm creative and innovative solutions, and begin to implement these ideas. While the nature of the issue begins within the realm of competitive forensics, it does not end there. Many of the teammates have become activists for such issues as women’s rights, immigration detention reform, anti-rape advocacy, and the epidemic surrounding LGBTQ assault and harassment. The competitive forensics season becomes one of many outlets of activism for these students who enter the community and seek to help alter the problems surrounding the issues they address. Through the intensity of their work it has become apparent that the team has offered a place to explore their personal callings so that the callings can become life-long missions.