Editor,
As the year winds down and the Daily Lobo is nearing its final week of publication, UNM finds itself without a president. In search for a new president, I hope that person will have an active interest in the activities of our students.
One such activity that is in great need of help is the recently cancelled Speech and Debate program. Perhaps this issue does not seem grand enough to devote an entire letter to, but the University is setting a dangerous trend.
Every state university that borders New Mexico with comparable size and funding has a competitive Speech and Debate program, including Arizona State, Colorado State, Southern Utah University and the University of Texas. Get this: even Eastern New Mexico State in crappy Portales has a program that competes nationally.
So what happened here? Obviously, UNM's program has not been worth funding. However, just in the past six years, UNM has had a first place national champion in debate. And the UNM program has had a long history of doing great things. Scott Momaday, the highly celebrated American Indian philosopher and author was a member of our very own UNM Debate program back in the early 1960s.
Well, perhaps there is not an interest anymore? However, 33 percent of all regents' scholars at UNM have Speech and Debate experience. So, not only is there interest, UNM would have great success. UNM now has nationally recognized competitors who have no program to represent.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Who is to blame for this? Just a few years ago, Judith Hendry was brought to UNM from out of state to be the director of Forensics, also known as Speech and Debate, by the Communication and Journalism Department.
After a year in the position, Mrs. Hendry was informed that she would only be teaching regular classes from now on because the Speech and Debate program was being cancelled.
The program has not been forgotten. A small group of individuals have chartered the Speech and Debate Society for UNM. However, with very little funding, they can do very little.
Speech and Debate has much to offer students. Many turn away from UNM knowing that it no longer offers a speech and debate program. Most universities have questions on their applications for those with debate experience.
So, if the Daily Lobo is searching for an important story to end the year on, how about an investigation of the Communication and Journalism Department on why it offers no Speech and Debate program? Why was Judith Hendry reassigned? Where is that money going that used to be for Speech and Debate?
Instead of giving so much attention to our mediocre basketball program or the losing records of many of our sports programs, how about a program that can bring UNM positive national recognition for an important academic event?
Trey Smith
UNM student and Manzano High School Speech and Debate coach
