Debate squad rocks the 'Big D'
Nick Barron
Issue date: 1/10/05 Section: News
As most students were busy stuffing stockings and opening gifts, the UMKC debate squad readied for the start of what looks to be another successful semester.
Two tournaments, the William R. DeMouget Debates and the University of Texas-Dallas Fear and Loathing in Dallas, kicked-off the squad's winter semester activities between Jan. 4-9.
As of press time, third-year debaters Malcolm Gordon and Austin Case took first place in the DeMouget tournament, winning all 10 of their debates, and were poised to finish first or second in the second debate.
"I can't predict how it's going to turn out, but we're [Gordon and Case] either going to wind up first or second," Linda Collier, debate squad director, said by telephone Sunday night.
Gordon and Case finished all six preliminary rounds of the DeMouget tournament with a perfect record and sailed through the four elimination rounds undefeated to take the top prize.
The team with the best combined record of both tournaments will be awarded the Best Two Stepper Trophy, which Gordon and squad coach Bryce Dietrich, a former member, won last year. Collier said the Two Stepper Trophy was set to be awarded at the completion of the second debate on Monday.
Gordon was named Fifth Best Speaker at the DeMouget tournament.
The Dallas tournaments were the first competitions for the squad since a tournament at Wake Forest University in November, but the break didn't mean time off for squad members, who have spent the past month preparing for the new semester.
Members were given assignments at their final meeting last semester in early December and were asked to research and prepare arguments prior to leaving for Dallas, work that appears to have paid off.
"I feel really good [about the results] because it was the fact that they did their assignments...over the break," said Linda Collier, debate squad director. "They take a tremendous amount of personal responsibility."
Two tournaments, the William R. DeMouget Debates and the University of Texas-Dallas Fear and Loathing in Dallas, kicked-off the squad's winter semester activities between Jan. 4-9.
As of press time, third-year debaters Malcolm Gordon and Austin Case took first place in the DeMouget tournament, winning all 10 of their debates, and were poised to finish first or second in the second debate.
"I can't predict how it's going to turn out, but we're [Gordon and Case] either going to wind up first or second," Linda Collier, debate squad director, said by telephone Sunday night.
Gordon and Case finished all six preliminary rounds of the DeMouget tournament with a perfect record and sailed through the four elimination rounds undefeated to take the top prize.
The team with the best combined record of both tournaments will be awarded the Best Two Stepper Trophy, which Gordon and squad coach Bryce Dietrich, a former member, won last year. Collier said the Two Stepper Trophy was set to be awarded at the completion of the second debate on Monday.
Gordon was named Fifth Best Speaker at the DeMouget tournament.
The Dallas tournaments were the first competitions for the squad since a tournament at Wake Forest University in November, but the break didn't mean time off for squad members, who have spent the past month preparing for the new semester.
Members were given assignments at their final meeting last semester in early December and were asked to research and prepare arguments prior to leaving for Dallas, work that appears to have paid off.
"I feel really good [about the results] because it was the fact that they did their assignments...over the break," said Linda Collier, debate squad director. "They take a tremendous amount of personal responsibility."
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