The John C. Stennis Center for Public Service will hold its Novice Speech and Debate Tournament at Mississippi State University, starting Friday [Sept. 12] at 1:30 p.m. and ending at 6 p.m. on Saturday [Sept. 13].
Approximately 200 high school students from Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee will come to campus to participate in debates and public speaking.
In 1995, the Stennis Center established the John C. Stennis Novice Speech and Debate Tournament at Mississippi State University. The tournament organizer since 2010 has been Scott Waldrop, director of forensics at Hattiesburg High School and the Mississippi High School Activities Association coordinator for speech and debate.
One of the missions of the Stennis Center is to encourage young people to consider careers in public service. The center supports speech and debate because it develops skills that students can use to be successful in the future in public office and other areas of public service leadership.
For more information, please contact Brother Rogers at 662-325-8409 or andrea@stennis.gov.