The UCA Debate and Competitive Speech Team won a second place debate sweepstakes and third place overall sweepstakes recently at the Eddy Shell Invitational Speech and Debate tournament held at Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City, LA.
Leading the team was Lynsie Johnson who won first place in Poetry Interpretation and sixth place in Impromptu Speaking in addition to her 4-3 record in the Varsity debate division. Also earning key points for the team was Varsity semifinalist David Saterfield with a 5-2 record and Varsity quarterfinalist Jerry Garner with a 6-1 record. Garner also won a secnd place speaker award in Team Debate and Saterfield teamed with Ashley Hale to be quarterfinalists in Team Debate. Hale also helped pace the team with a 5-2 record and a semifinalist finish in the Professional division along with co-coach Mark Lowery with a 4-3 record. Desiree Garrison made her mark in her first debate competition with a 5-2 record and an octofinalist finish in the Novice division. Garrison also won third place speaker honors for the division.
Also winning an award in individual events was Christina Huynh with a fifth place finish in Impromptu Speaking along with a 3-4 record in the Novice division of debate.
Last month, the team had a successful outing at the Southern Forensic Championship held at the University of Mississippi by finishing in fifth place in overall sweepstakes and fifth place in debate sweepstakes.
Highlighting the Southern Forensic Championship was a second place finish by Varsity debater David Saterfield. Saterfield also teamed with Ashley Hale to advance to semifinals in Team Debate. Also finishing high was UCA Debate co-coach Mark Lowery with a semifinal finish and a second place speaker award in the Professional division and Novice octafinalists Dustin Crow and Christina Huynh. Crow also was the top Arkansas speaker in the Novice division and placed second overall.
Winning awards in individual events were Keenan Adams, Amanda Coppock and Christina Huynh. Adams was the Arkansas champion in Poetry Interpretation and finished sixth overall. Coppock was the Arkansas champion in Prose Interpretation and finished sixth overall and Huynh was the Arkansas champion in Impromptu Speaking.
The UCA debate team is coached by Anthony McMullen, an adjunct instructor in the College of Business and Lowery, a Department of Speech and Public Relations instructor. The debate team is an approved university activity of the Department of Speech and Public Relations.
IPDA promotes public forum debate, a format that uses public speaking skills and logic to build persuasive argumentation aimed at a general audience. IPDA (www.ipdadebate.org) focuses on enhancing education, rhetorical skill building and the development of fellowship. It is meant to apply critical thinking and oratorical skills in developing persuasive arguments with real-world applications on a broad range of interesting and timely topics.