How Boise State’s Talkin’ Broncos Had a Rockin’ Start to Their Debate Season – The Arbiter

The Talkin’ Broncos don’t just talk, they talk whatever they want. Boise State’s debate team competed at the College of Southern Idaho (CSI) against Carroll College, Weber State University and CSI.

Ryan Wind, a sophomore and sophomore at Boise State University majoring in communications, shared that the Talkin’ Broncos have made a name for themselves in the debate world.

“Especially in the debate you hear a lot of people [say]“This is the third person from Boise that I’ve competed against…” Wind said. “Plus, our coach talks about how we are setting a precedent – ​​we are known as a school that is good at what we do and when we do things it can set standards.”

Wind said competition days fly by. With 12-hour days, Wind shared that members head out the door to compete almost as soon as they wake up.

Teammate and communications major Chloe Sellers is a junior at Boise State and a first-year member of Talkin’ Broncos. Sellers, a transfer student from CSI, was drawn to the Talkin’ Broncos team after hearing about the team’s successes and positive culture.

Sellers shared some of their individual wins as well as the total points the Talkin’ Broncos received as a team.

“A lot of us were placed multiple times,” Sellers said. “I came second in the after-dinner presentation, which was really great. We also won a competition first, [and] Since we had the team with the most ranked players, we got the most points per person, so we won by a wide margin.”

The competition was divided into a day of speeches and a day of debate. Sellers said that while speech-centered days can be long because they require a lot of practice and switching back and forth between different rounds, debate days are more team-oriented.

“The second day we debate is really a lot of teamwork,” Sellers said. “Go get your round [and] You find out what you are going to discuss. Talkin’ Broncos place great emphasis on team preparation. We try to help each other in the panels, so we work very closely together and help each other out, and then we just hope for the best until the awards are handed out.”

To win as a team, members must train as a team. Sellers explained that Talkin’ Broncos meetings are scheduled to the minute so members can “come together as a team” during tournaments.

“When it comes to debating, we can prepare together. Once we have everything we want to discuss and find a solution to, you get whoever you want, so to speak. Please look it up for me. Find that definition, whatever. And then we help each other as best we can. It’s kind of like a kitchen with a chef and a sous chef,” Sellers said.

When asked what students might know about the Talkin’ Broncos team, Sellers emphasized that many debate topics revolve around pop culture or current issues.

“As a team, we get overlooked compared to sports and stuff like that,” Sellers said. “It’s really interesting and fun and you can bring in a lot of elements of things that interest you. Many of us write speeches about pop culture or celebrities, and for many people it’s a really fun activity. And the same goes for the debate, it’s technical but honestly, anyone could do it. I think a lot of people would be surprised to know that they would probably actually enjoy it.”

Ari Ashby, a freshman at Boise State and first-year member of the Talkin’ Broncos, echoed that sentiment in an email to The Arbiter.

“It’s pretty niche, but most people are surprised when I tell them what I’m actually discussing. In the IPDA (International Public Debate Institution) there is a different topic each round, and while it can certainly be more serious, at this last tournament I debated whether we should normalize eating bugs in the US. A debate is so much more than boring political talk (despite what most people think), and the issues are definitely out there sometimes!” said Ashby.

Aside from the rigorous training and preparation that the Talkin’ Broncos undergo, Ashby said there is also a strong emphasis on organizing team bonding events and lower-stakes meetings.

“I’ve talked about this many times, but one of the most enticing parts of this team is the environment. Since I was new to the team, I was definitely worried about fitting into the dynamic that had already been established, but I was quickly reassured that that wouldn’t be a problem. We often go out to dinner as a team (Red Robin is definitely a favorite), plan outdoor activities (like picnics, watch parties, etc.), or just talk to each other before classes and workshops. Most of the time it’s pretty simple, but the little things definitely added up,” Ashby said.

Stay up to date with the Talkin’ Broncos on Instagram via their social media @talkinbroncos as they head to their next contest at the Mahaffey Memorial Tournament at Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon on November 15th.