Debate team sweeps competition

By Seth Brown     10/8/09 7:00pm

The George R. Brown Forensics Society, Rice's speech and debate team, won first place in sweepstakes over the weekend at the Top of the Rockies Invitational tournament at the University of Wyoming.Director of Forensics David Worth said the team was pleased to have put up a strong showing.

"It's really important that we won this thing, as it's the traditional season-opener for some of the best teams in the country," he said.

Worth, who said last year was a rebuilding year for the team, was especially pleased given the team's composition.

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"This is also a big deal because this is a pretty young team," Worth said. "Last year, 75 percent of the team members were freshmen, and this year, 90 percent are either freshmen or sophomores."

In winning the tournament, Rice defeated some of the teams cited by Worth and Assistant Director of Forensics Glenn Prince as its biggest competitors.

"Our competitors change every year, but ... Wyoming, Texas Tech University and the University of Colorado at Boulder are very good this season," Prince said.

Worth agreed, adding that the United States Air Force Academy is especially good in Lincoln-Douglas debates, in which students debate policy issues one-on-one.

"Air Force Academy is, in terms of peer institutions, our biggest competition," Worth said.

Two big debates remain for the Forensics Society this semester, at Creighton University in Omaha from Oct. 23-25, and at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., from Nov. 6-8.

"Both of these tournaments give students experience with the best competition, and that helps us develop as a program," Worth said.

Both Worth and Prince believe the team has reached an important point in its development.

"We're only getting beaten at this point by the best of the best, people with substantially more experience," Prince said.

Last year, the team hosted a public debate at Rice that drew a standing-room-only audience.

The team will repeat this event in a public debate against Trinity University Wednesday, Oct. 28. Although this debate will not factor into the national standings, Worth said he hoped turnout from the Rice student body would be high.

"We want everybody to know what we do," he said.

Hanszen College freshman Jarvis Sam placed first in Impromptu Speaking despite this having been only his third college-level tournament. He said debate is not just law-school résumé-padding for him.

"I can engage in something I enjoy," Sam said. "We hope people will continue to support the debate team, because we work hard to represent Rice.

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