Debate team remains sharp, looks to future

By Scott Norgaard     3/18/10 7:00pm

Not up for debate: Rice Forensics has once again succeeded in qualifying students for national competition. The George R. Brown Forensics Society, Rice's speech and debate team, is fresh from recent successes in its two past tournaments, the Sunset Cliffs Invitational and the American Forensics Association District III Invitational, where it qualified to move on to nationals April 2-5.

Southwestern College and Pt. Loma Nazarene University held the Sunset Cliffs Invitational Feb. 5-7, where Rice's team received fourth of 172 in overall sweepstakes. Hanszen College freshman Jarvis Sam was a semifinalist in Junior Parliamentary Debate, and his teammate, Jones College senior Aparna Bhaduri, received first place in Extemporaneous Speaking and third place in Informative Speaking, earning fourth place in overall sweepstakes.

The team also competed in the American Forensics Association District III Invitational March 5-6 in Norman, Okla., hosted by the University of Oklahoma. Martel College sophomore Katie Donovan received second place in Persuasive Speaking, Jones College freshman Katharyn Jia placed second in Extemporaneous Speaking and Sam placed first in Extemporaneous Speaking and fourth in Informative Speaking.

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This competition was key in determining the qualifications for selective national tournaments, George R. Brown Forensics Society Director David Worth said. In order to participate in the speech national tournament, competitors must place in the top three or higher in the final round for their particular event.

This weekend, the team will compete in the National Parliamentary Debate Association Tournament at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Worth pointed out that competitors in this weekend's competition would be sacrificing Beer Bike to compete.

"Our kids work really hard," Worth said. "They give up a lot of things to go to nationals and represent Rice."

The following weekend, four members of the team will travel to Azusa Pacific University near Los Angeles, Calif., to compete in the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence, which is an invitation-only tournament. Rice is sending two debate pairs: Bhaduri and her partner Jones College sophomore Kern Vijayvargiya, and Lovett College junior Julie Duong and her partner Will Rice College sophomore Paul Ernster.

The team's final national tournament is Speech Nationals, where only national qualifiers compete. Rice's competitors will be Donovan in Persuasive Speaking, Jia in Extemporaneous Speaking and Impromptu Speaking and Sam in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Rice's team will be matched up against rival schools such as University of California - Berkeley, Southern Illinois University, Washburn University, the University of Nevada-Reno and Pepperdine University, Worth said.

"We understand that this is the culmination of our efforts," Sid Richardson College freshman Eric Li said. "Let's go out with a bang.

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