Tucson Standard

University of Arizona student Yvonne Davis is preparing to compete at the 2025 Regents' Cup, an event hosted by the Arizona Board of Regents aimed at promoting civil and respectful public discourse. This competition includes participants from Arizona's three state universities who engage in storytelling and Oxford-style debates for scholarships. This year's event will occur on April 12 at Northern Arizona University, centering around the theme, "The Government and the People: The Social Contract."

Davis is part of the University of Arizona's team, comprising 11 debaters and four storytellers. She will participate in the storytelling segment, drawing from her experiences in law enforcement and banking, as well as her membership in the Tohono O'odham Nation. Davis remarked, "The social contract means how we as a community give up certain freedoms for government protection." She aims to discuss the perception of a broken social contract and the challenges of navigating bureaucracy for benefits.

Although new to public speaking and debate events, Davis finds the competition an opportunity to explore a potential career as a motivational speaker. "Participating in the Regents' Cup, having that platform and impacting people with my story – this is the perfect test to see if I can keep people's attention and influence others," she stated.

Diana Leonard, the storytelling coach for University of Arizona participants, recruits students like Davis through her advanced public speaking course. Leonard emphasizes storytelling that connects with the human condition and carries personal, cultural, and social significance, stating, "I hope that a Regents' Cup story connects with the audience at the level of the human condition."

For the debate segment, coaching is provided by Ted McLoof, director of the UA Discourse Series. He notes the special nature of the event due to its focus on Oxford-style debate, which involves humor and quick thinking. Debates are scored by polling audience opinions before and after the event to determine which side has gained more support.

Judges for the Regents' Cup include Arizona state legislators, elected officials, attorneys, civic leaders, and other professionals. McLoof highlights the importance of such topics for students entering the professional world. "Part of our job as custodians of their education is to train them to not only be experts in their field of study but to be engaged citizens who are aware of how they can actually contribute something to the world," he explained. "The social contract discusses all of that: It reminds you that as a citizen of the world, you are meant to give back."