The Middle Schoolers' Debatabase: 75 Current Controversies for Debaters
Rhiannon Bettivia began her debate career in England by starting a debate group in Cambridge that earned the right to debate at the famed Oxford Union. In college, she debated for the parliamentary team at Columbia University. Ms. Bettivia carried her commitment to debate into her professional career, helping to start Big Apple Debate League for middle school students in 2006. She currently serves as its president. The National Forensic League and National Junior Forensic League honorary societies recognize participation and achievement in speech and debate activities as a means to develop high school and middle school students' essential life skills and values. Through this, the NFL strives to empower every child in the United States to become an effective communicator, ethical individual, critical thinker, and leader in a democratic society.