Summer Ridge Forensics Speech & Debate Institute Dates Announced

The Ridge Forensics Team, the state championship interscholastic speech and debate team for Ridge High School, Basking Ridge, is excited to announce their 2020 Summer Institute in Speech and Debate. The institute will continue offering two separate institutes. The institute for incoming 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students will be July 20th through July 24th, while the institute for incoming 7th, 8th, and 9th graders will take place on July 27th through July 31st. Both will take place at Ridge High School and will be taught by the Ridge High School and William Annin Middle School (WAMS) coaching staffs along with members of the Ridge High School state championship team.

David Yastremski, director of the Ridge Forensics Team, states, “the institute is growing and changing every year. This year, we are featuring two new faculty members to bring their expertise to the students’ experience.” Ms. Natasha Doski is a Language Arts teacher at Ridge who has been working with the Public Speaking events of the Ridge High School team. Yastremski states, “she has judged some of the most prestigious final rounds in the country and seeks to bring her knowledge to our camp participants.” In addition, Mr. Dan Norris, AP social studies teacher at Ridge will be working with the debate students this year. Yastremski states, “Mr. Norris will be working with our competitive summer debate program, aimed at students who are seeking to compete at the middle-school and high-school levels during the school year.”

“This year, with our new faculty, we will offer a greater variety of experiences based upon students’ individual needs,” Yastremski states. “It's not just about speech and debate competition; Whether the most outgoing or the most shy, we want our camp participants to leave feeling more comfortable and more confident in their own communicative skills and abilities.”

The workshops will focus on developing confidence in a variety of speaking situations. Jessica Lynch, Language Arts teacher and WAMS debate coach states, “In our fifth year, we are developing some interesting and fun activities so our students of all age and ability levels can become more confident speakers and communicators. We have welcomed over 400 students over the past several years; we hope they all continue to build their confidence as communicators, both in the classroom and their social circles.”

The institute will feature lectures, workshops, individual coaching sessions, and social activities that will help students practice and polish their skills in all three genres of forensic speaking: debate, public address, and interpretation. William Annin Middle School Science teacher and debate coach, Dr. Vivekanand Balija, states, “We guide students through the various types of speaking and debating events. After the week, they will have a great introduction to the various activities that students across the state can participate in during the school year.”

Stephanie Fletcher, assistant coach of the team, adds “middle school forensics programs continue to grow and develop in our area. For those students who are interested in competing, the institute will provide an opportunity to work with the Ridge team to help develop a competitive edge. Whether competing or not, all students will have the opportunity to develop their skills as confident communicators in a fun and exciting environment!”

The workshop will run between 9:00am and 2:00pm each day with an after-care option available.

Details and registration information can be accessed at http://www.ridgeforensics.com/summer-institute.html.