Published on Dec. 6, 2023
Updated on Dec. 8, 2023
Congratulations to MU’s Forensics and Debate team on a winning performance this past weekend. Our team traveled to St. Louis for the C. Thomas Preston Study Break and the Gateway Swing Tournaments hosted by Webster University. This event attracts participants from schools from all over Missouri. Our students competed in a variety of events in divisions above their typical level of competition, and the Talking Tigers continued their trajectory of success.
What did they speak about? While the topics are varied, each event looks for a certain skill in the speaker. This weekend our students competed in the following tournaments:
Persuasive speaking – Topics include student credit card abuse, food irradiation, regulation of casinos, and infrastructure improvement. You have to be persuasive, inspire the audience, and change the attitudes and beliefs of the audience. Certainly not an easy task. And Catelynn Liniger did it – she won 1st place (Gateway Swing Part 1) and Top Novice (Gateway Swing Part 2).
Informative speaking – Topics include scientific innovations and handwriting analysis, to name a few. While the topics are non-controversial, students are judged on their ability to inform and expand the information set of the audience. Madison Ade won 3rd place in the Gateway Swing Parts 1 and 2, and also took the Top Novice spot in Gateway Swing Part 1.
Communication Analysis – Topics included AIDS commercials, church statements, social movements, campaigns, and popular books. The student is expected to deliver an original speech designed to offer an explanation and/or evaluation of a communication event such as a speech, speaker, movement, poem, poster, film or campaign through the use of rhetorical principles. And Emma Knudson won 1st place (Gateway Swing Part 2) and Top Novice (Gateway Swing Part 2).
After Dinner Speaking – Topics range from religious dogma to criticism, objectification of women, and homophobia. Students are evaluated on humor, speech composition and coherence, and direct speaking skills. Emma Knudson won 4th place (Gateway Swing Part 2).
Extemporaneous Speaking – Topics included welfare reform and the influence of the U.S. on Cuba, to name a few. Students are given three current events topics, are asked to pick one, and are assigned 30 minutes to prepare a 7 minute speech. They are judged on persuasive ability and cohesion of their talking points.
Mizzou had multiple 1st place finishings, took 2nd Place in Debate Sweepstakes, and took 3rd Place in Speech Sweepstake. We brought home 24 awards, increasing our total for the 2023-2024 competition to 63! A full list of awards is shown below.
As their faculty coach, John Wallis describes it, “This team’s passion for this activity is unmatched. Their drive to get events prepared is amazing, and their dedication to this team is an incredible example of why it is so important to have opportunities like this for students at Mizzou.”
Congratulations to all our students and to Coach Wallis. Stay tuned for more to come in the spring semester.
Here is a comprehensive list of awards from this weekend:
Team Awards
2nd Place – Debate Sweepstakes (Study Break Tournament)
3rd Place – Individual Event Sweepstakes (Gateway Swing Part 2)
Madison Arenaz
1st Place – Junior IPDA Debate (Study Break Tournament)
1st Place – Junior IPDA Debate Speaker (Study Break Tournament)
2nd Place – Junior IPDA Debate Showcase (Study Break Tournament)
Ace Roach
3rd Place – Novice IPDA Debate (Study Break Tournament)
Madison Ade
3rd Place – Informative Speaking (Gateway Swing Part 1)
Top Novice – Informative Speaking (Gateway Swing Part 1)
3rd Place – Informative Speaking (Gateway Swing Part 2)
Catelynn Liniger
1st Place – Persuasive Speaking (Gateway Swing Part 1)
Top Novice – Persuasive Speaking (Gateway Swing Part 2)
Jude Wheatley
Top Novice – Impromptu Speaking (Gateway Swing Part 1)
Tragan Chambers
4th Place – Informative Speaking (Gateway Swing Part 2)
Emma Knudson
2nd Place – Novice IPDA Debate (Study Break Tournament)
4th Place – Novice IPDA Debate Speaker (Study Break Tournament)
2nd Place – Novice IPDA Debate Showcase (Study Break Tournament)
3rd Place – Extemporaneous Speaking (Gateway Swing Part 2)
Top Novice – Extemporaneous Speaking (Gateway Swing Part 2)
4th Place – After Dinner Speaking (Gateway Swing Part 2)
1st Place – Communication Analysis (Gateway Swing Part 2)
Top Novice – Communication Analysis (Gateway Swing Part 2)
4th Place – Impromptu (Gateway Swing Part 2)
Top Novice – Impromptu (Gateway Swing Part 2)
2nd Place – Quadrathon (Gateway Swing Part 2)