BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY

Why We Think this Series Can Change the World

When BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY premiered five years ago, we were convinced early on that it was an idea that could change the world.

This belief did not come from an inflated sense of importance or the thought that our show was such a genius idea.

The belief came from the fact that putting a spotlight on talented high school students and showcasing truly productive civic discourse couldn’t help but boost faith in our future generation of leaders.

I am very pleased to report that we were right on the money. BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY has shone a bright spotlight on talented high school students and has provided some much needed optimism about our future leaders.

When the students in BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY arrive to the studio, they know what issue they will argue, but not which side of the argument they will defend. This exercise mirrors what they are asked to do on a regular basis on a speech team, thoughtfully consider different points of view.

We didn’t realize how important modeling this ability would be to the future of our society when the program premiered, but we now recognize just how vital this is to our community.

The students not only make effective points and argue well, but more importantly, they show how to treat someone you find on the other side of an argument. The students exchange handshakes, argue effectively with class and walk away from the argument as friends.

I believe that the skill to argue effectively, and in a civil fashion, is not only a critical skill, but one that we need to see modeled more often.

We are very proud to provide this showcase of these talented high school students. We are able to do this through the very generous support of our dedicated funders and fans. Citizens just like you and me have agreed with us that this kind of a program can indeed change the world and they have backed up that faith with their support. On behalf of our entire team at CPT12, we could not be more grateful.

We hope you agree and that you will check out BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY and our new related series, BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY: THE NEXT CHAPTER, highlighting the success of former high school students and how speech and debate helped their blossoming careers.

The series will return with more specials and an expanded tournament in 2020, so stay tuned!