Happy New Year! In this article, founder Ananth Veluvali reflects on the success of the Extemper’s Bible in 2021, while also highlighting new leadership opportunities that have opened up. This is a MUST READ!
2021 was another momentous year for the Extemper’s Bible. Our team grew to over 20 members, we had nearly 60,000 website visits from almost 12,000 unique visitors, and we published roughly 130 posts!
These accomplishments have gone beyond my wildest dreams, and it’s equally gratifying and humbling to know that the Extemper’s Bible has been able to make such a meaningful impact in the extemp community.
As our organization has grown, though, my understanding—and our team’s understanding—of the role of the Extemper’s Bible has evolved.
With it, there are some truly important updates that I’d like to share.
Update #1: Less Frequent Posting
As our organization has grown, so has our stockpile of articles. Indeed, our website now has articles on subjects ranging from substructure to practice routines to reading sources.
While it’s a blessing to have been able to produce so much content, it’s also slowed down our article writing process; there are only so many articles you can write about extemp without being repetitive.
We will still post articles in 2022 (including, at the very least, weekly practice questions you can find on the site), but we will be posting at a less frequent rate than we did in 2021. Instead, we’ll be placing a focus on other extemp-related items: running free extemp seminars, shoring up our podcast, highlighting special extemp opportunities, analyzing successful extemp speeches, sending out a weekly newsletter with useful articles from the news, and more.
Most importantly, we’ll focus on making our site more navigable. After nearly 18 months of hard work, a lot of the content extempers need to succeed is on our website—now it’s merely a question of making that content easy to locate.
Update #2: Leadership Changes
My high school experience was largely shaped by my experience in extemp. It has meant so much to me. But while I hope to remain connected to the extemp community and this organization, as I embark on the next chapter of my educational journey—college—younger extempers will need to take the reins and help manage this organization.
That includes finding a successor for the most important role in this organization: the Managing Director. Over the coming months, extempers who show a commitment to the health, growth, and quality of this organization will be in-line for the opportunity to become the next Managing Director of the Extemper’s Bible.
With this role, you can become someone who manages a website visited by thousands of extempers, and you can help steer the extemp community in the direction you want.
If you would like to assume that role, don’t hesitate to reach out as soon as you can and contact us at outreach@extempers.org! The next Managing Director will take control by the end of August 2022.
Update #3: More Community Input
We want to hear from you! What are the most confusing parts about extemp? What would you appreciate reading or hearing about as a novice? As a captain?
We’re hoping to extend our community engagement beyond social media, so it’s easier for members of the extemp community (coaches included!) to share their suggestions about how we can improve.
Update #4: A Board of Members
Beyond staff writers, I would like to have the opportunity to recognize certain extempers with leadership positions.
By the end of January, I hope to solidify a new roster of board members. This includes directors of content, technology, outreach, equity, copy editing, and more. I encourage you to apply by reaching out to outreach@extempers.org!
Whether or not you have been involved in the organization in the past will not impact the outcome. Current holders of these positions are also welcomed to apply!
Concluding Thoughts:
The New Year is a time of celebration—an embrace of metamorphosis. While I hope that the Extemper’s Bible can retain many of the elements that make the organization unique—our weekly questions, our national points race, strategy pieces, and more—I hope that we can also evolve and find new ways of engaging the extemp community. That requires help, though. I truly hope that this organization can remain a part of the extemp community beyond my graduation—and beyond the graduation of other extempers. To help ensure that, please reach out to outreach@extempers.org if you’re interested in helping this organization continue to grow!
Thank you all so much for your support, and happy New Year!
