Debate team preparing for national tournament

The Emporia State University debate team will takes its recent junior varsity success to the varsity level as it prepares for the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) National Tournament to be held in Dallas March 31 - April 4. 

The team is presently ranked 24th in the nation by the CEDA organization and is coming off a fifth place finish at the Junior Varsity National Tournament held at the University of West Virginia March 11-13.

 A team of Joelle Jasper, freshman political science major from Queen Creek Ariz. and Paul Mose, freshman, communication major from Emporia took fifth place honors at the Junior Varsity National Tournament going undefeated in preliminary rounds. 

They defeated teams from Baylor University, the United States Naval Academy,

James Madison College and Georgetown University in the preliminary rounds. 

Mose was ninth speaker while Jasper was the 16th speaker out of almost 200 debaters competing.

"This was an excellent finish that should propel them into the national tournament, where they will see some of the same teams," said Ken DeLaughder, Director of Debate.  "This is a young team, and they are showing tremendous leadership and poise under pressure, we expect good things from them."

A team of Kelly Thompson, sophomore speech and theater education major from Topeka and Anthony Dubin, sophomore computer science major from Shawnee reached the elimination rounds and placed in the top 32 teams.

Thompson was 17th speaker overall.  The junior varsity tournament is only open to students in their first 2 years of competition.

"To have both of these teams doing well means the future is bright for ESU debate, we only have one senior on the team, and the rest are sophomores and freshman.  To be ranked 24th in the nation, while have virtually no upper-class students is a testimony to their hard work," DeLaughder said.

Dustin Rimmey a senior communication major from Lansing will lead the team into their last competition of the season in Dallas.  ESU will be battling with over 250 teams from over 50 different schools.  Rimmey was recently honored at the Northwest CEDA championships in Spokane, Wash. for his team leadership and service to the debate

community.

ESU debate competes will all levels of college and universities in debate, which has no division distinction like athletics.  Ivy League schools as well as most of the Kansas Regents universities will be in attendance.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>