As a high school debater I participated in numerous debate competitions hosted by colleges. A majority of tournaments were moved online due to the pandemic and ceased to operate in-person afterwards. College tournaments were the exception to this trend. In-person tournaments were always more engaging and fun and really fueled my passion for debate. In fact, during the college selection process I researched university’s forensics programs as a determinant of my choice. I was thrilled when I saw Oregon had a robust forensics program. As an out-of-state student, I didn’t attend UO competitions in high school, but the fact that Oregon’s program caught the attention of a high school senior from Kentucky gives me confidence that the pipeline from students who participated in UO-hosted competitions is strong.