Open to all majors, this year’s Regents’ Cup—a tri-university annual debate competition sponsored by the Arizona Board of Regents—is a great opportunity for students to practice public speaking, critical thinking and organization while engaging with their peers from throughout the state. This year, the debate will center on the importance of the preservation of democracy and for the first time will be hosted at NAU.
The competition will be held on April 30, but training, coaching and preparation begin now. Students earn course credit and can compete for scholarships.
To apply, students must:
- Be full-time undergraduate or graduate students at NAU
- Have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA
- Meet NAU’s expectations for preparation and participation
- Commit to participating in the Regents’ Cup
- Submit application by Dec. 3
Fourteen NAU students will be selected based on the quality of their submissions. Teams will be selected and notified by Dec. 13. No previous debate experience is required.
Sarah Walker, Regents’ Cup coach and director of forensics and debate, said she is excited to work closely with students as they represent themselves and their university.
“I am really looking forward to getting a first-hand look at what our students can learn, research and present with a few weeks of preparation,” she said. “I have been impressed with my students in class and on the speech team, and I suspect the applicants to compete in the Regents’ Cup will make a similar impression on our Board of Regents, president and provosts in the spring.”
Students interested in participating can fill out the application on ABOR’s website.
Read about the preparation for NAU 2019 Regents’ Cup team in Road to the Regents’ Cup.
Learn more about the competition and the students involved in the full-length LumberChats: Inside NAU podcast episode “Conquering the Fear of Public Speaking → The Road to the Regents’ Cup.”