Debate Team Places 3rd at Kansas Tournament

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Photo by Eric Bell

Deep Stuff - Sam Bailey of the University of Louisiana at Shreveport finds humor in the antics of veteran debater Bob Alexander from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Bailey won the match and the Open Division Championship with a 3-0 decision.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello's debate team brought home 11 awards, including third place overall at “Debates on a Plain” held at Sterling College, Sterling, Kan. Sept. 28-29.

Brian Rauls of Bearden finished second in the varsity debate division, earned a third place individual speaker award and placed sixth in prose interpretation.

Joel Brown of Monticello reached the quarterfinals in varsity debate and earned a first place speaker award. Brown also placed fifth in impromptu speaking, sixth in informative speaking and placed fifth in individual sweepstakes after losing a tiebreaker for fourth.

Brown and Rauls combined to take sixth in duo-dramatic interpretation.

Lauren Raynor of Covington, Tenn., won a sixth place varsity speaker award. Also contributing to the effort were Rebekah Heflin of Russellville and Chip Davis of Bentonville.

“The weekend seemed to go well,” assistant coach Jim Evans said. “Everyone did their part, and as a direct result we were able to place in team sweepstakes with a very small squad.”

The team’s next tournament will be the Lower Mississippi Pi Kappa Delta Province Tournament at John Brown University in Siloam Springs Oct. 19-20.