Debate places first in national tournament
Cody Ewers
Issue date: 4/2/09 Section: News
The Hillsdale College debate team placed first out of 57 teams in a national debate tournament, winning the overall sweepstakes award for debate at the Pi Kappa Delta National Honorary Organization for Collegiate Forensics tournament, hosted at Louisiana State University in Shreveport March 19-21.
The team's performance improves its ranking to sixth, up from last year's ninth place finish, out of all Pi Kappa Delta honoraries in the nation and 14th out of 245 schools rated by the National Parliamentary Debate Association.
Sophomore Olivia Wolcott, who won the international public debate portion of the tournament, said she enjoyed the competition but she doesn't consider her first place finish that big of a deal.
"[Assistant Professor of Speech and Debate Jeremy Christensen] puts us in a ton of different forms of debate," Wolcott said. "I usually do parliamentary style - I just had a good day."
The Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament is one of the three largest national debate and forensics competitions available to the college's debate and forensics program, Christensen said.
Christensen said the competition tired his team out. Jason Carr '08, a former team member and current marketing assistant for External Affairs, said that doesn't surprise him.
"The kids there now work so much harder than I did," Carr said. "The team is now so much more prepared and if you've ever talked to [Christensen] you'll know he knows what he's talking about."
Wolcott agreed, adding that the program got lucky by hiring Christensen.
"He really teaches you how to look at something from all angles and think on your feet," she said. "Once you learn how to analyze things you can do any kind of debate."
Although the Pi Kappa Delta competition marked Hillsdale's first success on this level, Director of Forensics James Brandon said the team does not compete for the glory of winning.
"We don't exist to bring home plastic trophies," Brandon said. "We are doing [debate and forensics] for the education. I believe it makes students better communicators and better thinkers."
The team's performance improves its ranking to sixth, up from last year's ninth place finish, out of all Pi Kappa Delta honoraries in the nation and 14th out of 245 schools rated by the National Parliamentary Debate Association.
Sophomore Olivia Wolcott, who won the international public debate portion of the tournament, said she enjoyed the competition but she doesn't consider her first place finish that big of a deal.
"[Assistant Professor of Speech and Debate Jeremy Christensen] puts us in a ton of different forms of debate," Wolcott said. "I usually do parliamentary style - I just had a good day."
The Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament is one of the three largest national debate and forensics competitions available to the college's debate and forensics program, Christensen said.
Christensen said the competition tired his team out. Jason Carr '08, a former team member and current marketing assistant for External Affairs, said that doesn't surprise him.
"The kids there now work so much harder than I did," Carr said. "The team is now so much more prepared and if you've ever talked to [Christensen] you'll know he knows what he's talking about."
Wolcott agreed, adding that the program got lucky by hiring Christensen.
"He really teaches you how to look at something from all angles and think on your feet," she said. "Once you learn how to analyze things you can do any kind of debate."
Although the Pi Kappa Delta competition marked Hillsdale's first success on this level, Director of Forensics James Brandon said the team does not compete for the glory of winning.
"We don't exist to bring home plastic trophies," Brandon said. "We are doing [debate and forensics] for the education. I believe it makes students better communicators and better thinkers."
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