John R. Park Debate Society to Host Beehive Bonanza HS Tournament - Debate - College of Humanities

The Department of Communication’s John R. Park Debate Society will host the 22nd annual Beehive Bonanza on October 7th-8th, 2022 on the campus of the University of Utah. The event will feature competition in 4 debate events and 8 individual public speaking events. In addition to scholarships at the University of Utah, top competitors will earn bids to prestigious end of season tournaments like the Tournament of Champions (hosted by the University of Kentucky) and the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions (NIETOC).

Prior to the COVID-19 shutdowns, the Beehive Bonanza was the largest tournament in Utah, hosting over 1,000 students, coaches, judges and parents for two days of competition. In addition, the tournament provided the first full-service tournament of the HS season in Utah, kicking off the competitive year. Alongside this opening competitive opportunity, the Beehive Bonanza offers free clinics providing instruciton to novice debaters. These clinics often support the first debate tournament experience for over 200 students per year.

In addition, the return of the Beehive Bonanza signals a return to normal for the Debate Society following the pandemic. As the year unfolds, the Debate Society will also revive the over 50 year old, Great Salt Lake Invitational in January for college competitors, the Utah Tournament of Excellence for high school students in April, and the Beehive Forensics Institute in July 2023, offering one week of low-cost training in academic debate for local high school students.