Talkin’ Broncos president charts unique course with custom major

Interdisciplinary Studies senior Allie Hampton had her first encounter with competitive debate in grade school.

"In 5th grade I had a teacher who did a debate unit," Hampton said. "She told me, 'you have to take the debate class when you sign up in high school. You can't take speech. You have to take debate.'"

Hampton followed that advice and joined the speech and debate team at Rocky Mountain High School. She liked it so much that she stuck with the team and made speech and debate an important factor when she started applying for college.

"I met with [Boise State debate coach Manda Hicks] and the debate coach of another team. It was a stark difference," Hampton said.

For her, the decision came down to team culture. "In the past four years I've been on the team, the culture has not changed. We've always had the same standards and the same respect for each other."

Now Hampton is in second year as president of the Talkin' Broncos, Boise State's national championship-winning speech and debate team. The team has excelled under her leadership, going undefeated in the 2024-2025 competitive season, but debate is only a small part of Hampton's Boise State experience.

Hampton is an Interdisciplinary Studies major in Boise State's new School for the Digital Future. The program, which predates the school's founding, lets students blend three different academic minors to create their major. This customization helps students create a curriculum that supports their interests and leads to a career they can get excited about.

Never content to do the bare minimum, Hampton worked with her advisor to choose four disciplines for her Interdisciplinary Studies degree: English literature, communication, creative writing and environmental studies.

Hampton got the idea from a previous Talkin' Broncos president, who was also an Interdisciplinary Studies major with four disciplines. She wants to use the broad base of expertise she's building in the program to work in environmental communications after graduation.

"You need a really strong background in science to understand what [environmental scientists] are saying," Hampton said. "I think if I can get in a room with them, I can figure it out and communicate it in a way that makes sense to people who don't know the science."

Hampton recommends that new and undeclared students think critically about their interests and how those match up with the academic programs available. "If they're all over the place, that could be an Interdisciplinary Studies major in the making."

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