Jim Menick from Hendrick Hudson High School has announced in his blog, Coachean Life, that it is time to get serious about Public Forum Debate. Mr. Menick is bullish on the future of Public Forum Debate:

Pffft is still young, and still growing, and often we can’t get the numbers up much at tournaments, but I think its inherent value to the participants is high, plus it gives our parents something useful they can do comfortably. Whether we’ll still be doing it much in 5 years remains to be seen, but I’d put my money on it being, if not as big as LD, then certainly viable on its own. I, for one, would like to see it work.

I was a high school debater when Lincoln-Douglas was introduced and no one took it very seriously in the beginning. It was pseudo-debate. It was Learning Disability Debate. My, how things have changed.

I think the establishment of a topic committee in January 2006 was a positive first step for the growth of Public Forum Debate. As a result, in December 2007 we are debating military options in Iran. In December 2005, we were debating the NBA dress code.

As a student of communication and rhetoric, here is my suggestion for the next step: If you want to get serious about Public Forum Debate, stop calling it Pffft (and PuF).