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UCA Debate and Forensics Finishes its Virtual Season

UCA Debate and Forensics concluded its 2020-21 season by competing at the IPDA National Championship on April 9-11. Members of the team include seniors David Lee, Greta Hacker, Lauren McHenry, and Eli Stroud; junior Adam Cox; and sophomores Jayce Burney, Sian Fox, Aurora King, and C.J. Parrish. Additional support was provided by Nicole Vincent, Gavin Mattox, and Isaiah Williams. The team is coached by Associate Professor of Business Law and Director of Forensics Anthony McMullen.

At the Championship, Varsity debaters Lee and Parrish both reached the elimination rounds with a 6-2 preliminary round record. Both were eliminated in the octafinals. Varsity debater Burney barely missed the elimination rounds with a 4-4 record. In addition, at the Team IPDA portion of the event, which took place March 27-28, the team of Burney and Parrish reached the quarterfinal round.

For the season, UCA Debate and Forensics finished sixth in the Varsity division and eighth and the Team IPDA division. The team of Burney and Parrish finished ninth in the Team IPDA division. Burney finished tied for 15th in the Varsity division. Lee finished in 19th place, and Parrish, Hacker, and McHenry all placed within the top 30 competitors in the division.

These accolades are in addition to those earned through the semester. Most prominent is UCA Debate and Forensics repeating as Arkansas State Champion at the Southern Forensics Championship last January. Cox was the Arkansas Champion and overall tournament runner-up in the Varsity IPDA division. Burney was a varsity IPDA semifinalist and took second in the individual overall sweepstakes. Parrish was recognized as the top Arkansas speaker in the Varsity IPDA division, the Arkansas Champion in impromptu speaking, and placed third in the individual overall sweepstakes. Lee was the Arkansas Champion in extemporaneous speaking and poetry interpretation.

The team will be having its final meeting of the semester on Monday, April 19 to discuss plans for next year. While the team appreciated having a virtual forum to compete this year, it looks forward to returning to travel in the 2021-22 season. The goal will be to travel to at least four events each semester, concluding with the 2022 IPDA National Championship, which will be hosted by Abilene Christian University. Those interested in joining the team should contact any member of team or Director McMullen at AMcMullen@uca.edu.

Posted in: Communication, Public Relations, Student Organizations, Students on April 12, 2021 Tagged:

Students win awards at Southern Forensics Championship

Several students from the School of Communication won awards at the Southern Forensics Championship, which was held online Jan. 29-31, 2021.

  • Adam Cox, public relations major and communication minor: Varsity International Public Debate Association, SFC Tournament Runner-Up and Arkansas Champion
  • Jayce Burney, public relations minor: Varsity IPDA Semifinalist; Extemporaneous Speaking Third Place; Impromptu Speaking Fourth Place; Second Place Individual Overall Sweepstakes
  • Greta Hacker, professional writing minor: Varsity IPDA Octofinalist
  • CJ Parrish, public relations and communication double major: Varsity IPDA Third Place Speaker and Arkansas Speaker Champion; Extemporaneous Speaking Fourth Place; Impromptu Speaking Third Place and Arkansas Champion; Third Place Individual Overall Sweepstakes
  • David Lee, communication minor: Extemporaneous Speaking Second Place and Arkansas Champion; Poetry Interpretation Sixth Place and Arkansas Champion

UCA Debate and Forensics

  • Third Place and Arkansas Champion: Individual Events
  • Arkansas Champion Overall

Participants

  • David Lee, Adam Cox, Lauren McHenry, Greta Hacker, CJ Parrish, Jayce Burney

Judges

  • Aurora King, Eli Stroud, Sian Fox
Posted in: Awards, Student Organizations, Students on March 12, 2021 Tagged:

Congratulations, fall 2020 graduates!

COMMUNICATION

Savannah Bell
Timothy Clay
Amelia Mackey*

JOURNALISM

Kierre Crossley
Dahlia Davis
Emma Fodor
Ashley Luningham
Marcus McClain

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Jacob Carter
Spencer Casavechia
Lindsey Chaplin
Shelby Grimes
Payton Hamric
Amelia Mackey*
Natalie Pierce
Emma Scott
Sarah Ward
Rachel White

WRITING

Caroline Harrod
Britney Wells

*double major

Posted in: Students on December 9, 2020

PR, the Press & Public Affairs class reports on BLM protests in central Arkansas

This semester COVID-19 prevented our PR, the Press & Public Affairs class from holding a campus/community event as we have in past years. Nevertheless, the class knew what they wanted to focus on from Day One – the summer Black Lives Matter protests in central Arkansas. So, students did original reporting to capture the protests through the eyes of activists, aid workers, police, journalists, small business owners, educators, and more.
Their work is published here: https://ar2020protests.wordpress.com/
–Dr. Dylan McLemore
Posted in: Faculty, Journalism, Public Relations, Students on December 9, 2020

Tim Wise visits UCA as Artist In Residence Nov. 16-17

Posted in: Artist in Residence, Faculty, Students on October 27, 2020 Tagged: , , , , ,

Echo editor-in-chief elected to SPJ Arkansas Pro Chapter board

Ronak Patel, editor-in-chief of The Echo, UCA’s student newspaper, was elected to the board of directors of the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists during the organization’s annual membership meeting in July.

Ronak Patel

Also during the meeting, Lauren McCabe, a recent UCA graduate and former Echo editor, was elected secretary, and Rob Moritz, Lecturer I in the journalism department, was also re-elected treasurer.

Patel, an English major and journalism minor, has previously worked as photo editor, online editor, social media editor and associate editor for The Echo. McCabe, who recently received a B.A. in English, was editor-in-chief of The Echo in the fall of 2019.

The Arkansas Pro Chapter is an affiliate of the national Society of Professional Journalists, whose mission statement states that it is “dedicated to the perpetuation of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and our liberty.”

A UCA campus of SPJ was recently created and about 15 students are members. For more information about joining the campus chapter email Rob Moritz at rmoritz@uca.edu.

–Rob Moritz

 

Posted in: Alumni, Faculty, Journalism, Student Media, Students on August 13, 2020 Tagged: , , , ,
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