The University of Central Arkansas Debate and Forensics Team won the Arkansas Championship and placed second overall at the Southern Forensics Championship, held at Mississippi State University. This is the team’s fifth Arkansas Championship in the last seven years.
The Southern Forensics Championship is a regional debate and forensics event that serves as the intercollegiate debate and forensics state championship for the states of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Others outside of the tristate region are invited to participate as well. This year’s competition attracted 195 competitors from 27 different colleges and universities.
UCA team members included Jayce Burney, Jacob Holland, Cagney Kilgroe, Aurora King, David Lee, Lauren McHenry, C.J. Parrish, Marco Ramirez, Eli Stroud and alumna Autumn Wilson. The team is coached by Anthony McMullen, associate professor of business law and director of forensics.
Several members of the team earned accolades at the event. King was the tournament runner-up in the novice division of the International Public Debate Association (IPDA) debate. All three junior varsity debaters — Burney, McHenry and Parrish — reached the elimination rounds, with Parrish reaching the quarterfinals. Wilson competed in the professional division and reached the quarterfinals. In other individual event accolades, Lee was fourth overall in communication analysis and informative speaking, while Ramirez was fifth in communication analysis and sixth in prose interpretation.
Students were also named Arkansas Champion in various events. These included:
- Burney: Junior Varsity IPDA Speaker and Impromptu Speaking
- Burney and King: Duo Interpretation
- Holland: Arkansas Champion in Individual Event Sweepstakes and Individual Overall Sweepstakes
- King: Novice IPDA Speaker and Informative Speaking
- Parrish: Editorial Impromptu and Extemporaneous Speaking
After traveling to Bossier Parish Community College and Arkansas Tech University in February, UCA Debate and Forensics will then compete at IPDA National Championship at Tennessee Tech University in March.
For more information, contact McMullen at (501) 852-0695 or AMcMullen@uca.edu.
