After losing their long-time head coach and much of their roster, the Ferris State speech and debate team is rebuilding, alongside searching for a permanent coach, yet they are still finding momentum.
The team began the academic year with just three returning members and no permanent coach after its previous coach departed last spring. Despite those challenges, the team has grown its roster this semester and continues to compete in tournaments across the region.
Information security and intelligence program senior Seth Brott and physical sciences senior Rose House are among the team’s returning members who have taken on expanded leadership roles this season. They are each serving as the team’s co-presidents, mentoring novice members and helping guide the team through the transition.
Brott and a few others on the team described the current season as a rebuild year, a period he said is focused on recruiting new members and helping them gain experience before moving into more competitive settings.
“Starting this last semester, we went from three members, and now we’re right around nine members,” Brott said. “We’ve taken quite a few people to their very first tournaments this last semester, and hopefully will take them to some national tournaments later this semester.”
Brott said this year there have been some challenges with the sudden departure of the team’s previous coach, who he described as a central figure in the program. The team also lost more than half of its members to graduation, leaving few returning competitors to carry the program forward.
Stepping in as interim coach is Dr. Kristi Scholten, a Ferris communication professor with over 20 years of experience in speech and debate coaching.
Scholten previously coached the team from 2013 to 2019 and has returned temporarily while the team prepares to conduct a national search for a full-time coach.
Balancing a full teaching load and family responsibilities, she said her goal is to support the team in whatever ways it needs while the co-presidents help guide new competitors.
“I’m happy to fill in and help keep the program moving forward,” Scholten said. “But the team deserves a full-time coach who can give them the attention and energy they need.”
Despite a rebuilding year, Ferris State’s speech and debate team is already making its mark. On Nov. 15, varsity members House and Brott earned 2nd place in the Duo event, which was a two-person dramatic performance, at Marshall University. At Saginaw Valley State University on Dec. 6, House placed 2nd in Informative Speaking, 2nd in Duo, and 6th in Impromptu Sales, while Brott earned 2nd in Duo and 5th in Impromptu Sales. House also captured a 2nd place individual award, recognizing top performance across all three competition genres.
“These are great varsity members,” Scholten said. “They’re go-getters, encouraging, motivating, and selfless, so not only are they focused on their own events, they’re mentoring novice students. It just goes to show that success isn’t only about the accolades, that it really is a team endeavor.”
House, who serves as co-president alongside Brott, said leadership this year has meant helping the team relearn the basics and guiding new members through competitions.
“Speech and debate is still very important to all of us, and it’s helped so many of us and past members who’ve graduated in so many different ways, and we want to be able to keep that going for others,” House said. “Even though we don’t have a permanent coach, we remaining members from previous years know enough that we can help out where our coach is not able to at the current moment.”
She emphasized that the team’s success this year isn’t just about competition results, but about growing the supportive culture they’ve continued to build off of.
“We’re all friends, and everyone trusts each other. If someone needs help, they know they can come to us. It’s not just about winning, and it’s really about helping people get better and amplifying the messages they care about.”
With a growing roster and a culture built on mentorship and support, the Ferris State speech and debate team is proving that a rebuilding year can still be a successful one.
The team is still in season, looking forward to finishing the year strong. With the spring semester starting, they will begin preparation for their national tournaments.
“Right now, we’re preparing for two national tournaments,” Brott said. “We want everyone to feel confident and ready, whether it’s their first tournament or they’re veterans like Rose and me. We’re also making sure the team is set up for success next year, with a plan for finding a new coach and a strong leadership structure so everything can keep running smoothly.”
Anyone who is interested in joining the speech and debate team can attend their weekly meetings on Thursdays in Johnson Hall, room 102, at 7 p.m. No previous experience in speech and debate is required. Students can also reach out to Dr. Scholten, Brott, or House for more information.