c/o National Speech & Debate Association

Last month, Eloquence Academy was featured in the November/December edition of the Rostrum Magazine, the flagship publication of the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA).

Founded in 1925, the NSDA is the authority on public speaking and debate in the United States. The association builds the infrastructure for speech and debate competitions around the world by providing topics, educational resources, training for students and coaches, scholarship opportunities, and advanced recognition for 150,000 student members and coaches each year. Additionally, the NSDA brings together thousands of students at the annual National Speech & Debate Tournament in June, the largest academic competition in the world.

Rostrum Magazine

Mailed to all members and published digitally, Rostrum demonstrates how debaters use their voices, talents, and empathy to uplift others and strengthen their communities. The theme of this issue was “a life of service and leadership.” Spencer Chaisanguanthum, Chief Executive Officer of Eloquence Academy and two-time member of the NSDA Student Leadership Council, pens a powerful feature about his founding journey, the mission of Eloquence Academy, and the creative ways he has allowed debate to flourish in underprivileged communities. Spencer notes that “debate can be for everyone, from California to Cambodia” and even shares one of our most popular curricular resources—a lighthearted lesson about argumentation and logical fallacies with illustrative clips from SpongeBob SquarePants, mainstream advertisements, presidential debates, and other media sources. J. Scott Wunn, the publisher and Executive Director of the NSDA, notes in a letter to the community how Spencer “exemplifies the impact of young leaders giving back.”

In addition to the feature, the issue includes a tribute to James M. Copeland, former Executive Director of the NSDA; a feature of Jordan Melamed, back-to-back Congressional Debate top presiding officer; and a spotlight on Ransom Everglades High School in Miami, Florida. Read today by visiting Issuu and searching for “2025 November/December Rostrum by Speech & Debate.”

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Eloquence Academy, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and 509(a)(2) public charity dedicated to increasing equitable academic debate opportunities for rural and historically underserved students. The Academy offers debate classes, summer camps, workshops, tournaments, in-school programs, and online resources for 2,500+ students across 35 states and 17 countries. Ultimately, EA aims to prepare youth for college readiness, career engagement, and community impact through the transferable skills gained from debate. Follow EA on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.