Welcome to Laird Lewis

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Myers Park Speech and Debate team, we would like to thank you for considering participating in the 52nd Laird Lewis Invitational. We will be using the September/October topics in all debate events. Congressional legislation and round themes for extemporaneous speaking and impromptu are posted as web pages.

We at Myers Park are excited to be partnering with the Harvard Debate Council and the International Speech & Debate Initiative (ISDI)in promoting their new program to expand access to debate and speech education, nurture sustainable debate ecosystems throughout the world, and to build a globally connected community of students, educators, and institutions committed to public discourse, advocacy, and leadership (https://sites.google.com/view/isdiworld/home?authuser=0). The Student Ambassador Program allows for a unique opportunity for students to foster team building across cultures, and to join a network of young advocates committed to expanding access to speech and debate: I encourage your students to explore joining this leadership opportunity. The Harvard Debate Council will be awarding $250 scholarships to each winner in the Varsity Public Forum division as a part of the outreach effort. We also invite you to attend our World Schools Debate Tutorial on December 20, 2025. Details forthcoming!

A few pieces of information to help you planning your journey:

1. Registration will be held in the ART GALLERY off the front circle entrance at 2400 Colony Round. Buses can be parked in the ADMIN/BUS LOT that is located off this circle.
2. There is a football game on campus at 7:00pm Friday night. We expect a large crowd. The STADIUM parking lot is reserved for Booster supporters and will be off limits. There will be students posted at entrances to help you navigate the campus to find parking.
3. If you arrive after 4:00pm Friday, you will need to enter via the Runnymede Rd entrance as Colony Rd entrances will be gated. There is plenty of parking on the back side of campus and on Mustang Way.

As we close, we would like to thank you for your consideration of our invitation to attend the Laird Lewis Invitational on October 24-25, 2025. We know you have a lot of choices when it comes to tournament attendance, and we are glad you have selected to visit Charlotte.

Most sincerely,

Lynne Coyne, Coach

Selby Knowlson, Student Laird Lewis Director

Ginevra Voltolina, Student Ambassador, ISDI

Robert Folk, Principal

campus map: https://mphsptso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Myers-Park-Campus-Map-2022-2023-7.23.22.pdf