Debate Team Honored in Two Competitions

Courtesy of
Media Services

Courtesy of Media Services

Debate Team - Members of the debate team display trophies won at the ULM Tournament. From left a Assistant Director of Forensics Jim Evans, Lauren Raynor, Chip Davis, Hunter Gillum, Ashley Williamson, Joy Vallas, Chris Halley; (second row) Brian Rauls, Heather Wilkerson, Justin Banks, Joel Brown and Kate Kelley.

      The University of Arkansas at Monticello's debate team brought home 14 awards, including third place in team sweepstakes at the Pi Kappa Delta Bi-Province debate tournament held at John Brown University in Siloam Springs Oct. 19-21.

   Joel Brown, of Monticello, earned second place in the varsity debate division and received a superior award. Brian Rauls of Bearden and Chris Halley of North Little Rock reached the quarterfinals and received excellent awards. Brooke Flemister of Monticello reached the semifinals and received a superior award.

   In the individual events Brown and Rauls received an excellent award for duo-dramatic interpretation. Brown also received ratings of excellent in both informative and impromptu speaking. Chip Davis of Bentonville was named top novice debater and received an excellent rating in oral interpretation.

   Also contributing to the winning effort were Rebekah Heflin of Russellville, Lauren Raynor of Covington, Tenn., and Kate Kelley of Monticello.

   “I am very proud of the team," said Scott Kuttenkuler, debate coach and director of forensics. “They really carried the banner in a tough tournament.”

   UAM will compete in the Red River Classic in Shreveport, La., Nov. 9-11.

Debate Team Wins Top Honors at Louisiana Tournament

   The debate team captured the overall sweepstakes competition and brought home 16 individual awards at the University of Louisiana-Monroe Debate Swing Tournament held Oct. 26-28.

   The competition consisted of two separate debate tournaments hosted by ULM and Lee College of Houston, Texas.

   In the ULM competition, Brian Rauls of Bearden earned first place in the varsity debate division while Lauren Raynor of Covington, Tenn., and Joel Brown of Monticello reached the quarterfinals. Chris Halley of North Little Rock reached the semifinals. Brown also earned a first place speaker award and Halley took fifth. The team won first place overall for the ULM sponsored tournament.

   In the Lee College half of the tournament Rauls reached the quarterfinals while Raynor reached the semifinals. Brown was awarded a fourth place speaker award and Raynor took fifth. In the novice debate division, Ashley Williamson of Monticello reached the quarterfinals. Williamson also earned a third place speaker award while Chip Davis of Bentonville took fifth place. The team finished in second place in the team sweepstakes and secured first place combined for the entire weekend.

   Also contributing to the winning effort were Kate Kelly and Hunter Gillum of Monticello, and Justin Banks of Warren. Heather Wilkerson and Joy Vallas served as judges.

   “The team is really coming together this season,” assistant coach Jim Evans said. “Based on what happened this weekend the future of the team looks bright.”

   The team will compete at the LSU-Shreveport Tournament Nov. 9-11..