UWG Debate Brings Home Win After Win in Debate Competitions Share this page
The University of West Georgia Debate Team is celebrated for its dedication on solidifying a rich body of student debaters and has managed to be recognized as one of the most elite programs in the country. Throughout the team’s history, they have brought home awards and achievements that furthered the improvement of the team – along with two recent wins.
In September, the team traveled to Lexington, Kentucky, to compete in the 55th Annual J.W. Patterson Debate. Hosted by the University of Kentucky, the team consisted of UWG students Mason Bell, Brycen Rotell, Edward Handley and Hannah Hansen. At the competition, the debaters competed against a field of other college students from different areas of the country, including institutions like the University of Miami and Indiana University.
Handley and Hansen successfully completed the tournament as the second-seeded team with a 5-1 record and advanced through the elimination rounds to finals. Following this, they were awarded eighth- and sixth-place speakers awards in the novice division, respectively.
Additionally, Bell and Rotell completed the tournament tied for fifth place in the novice division following wins over teams from Indiana University and the Naval Academy. Bell was awarded fifth-place speaker, joining his fellow teammates on being awarded for their debate efforts.
Director of Debate Justin Kirk oversaw the competition and prepped the students on what to look forward to competing at the novice level.
“Novice debate shows that intercollegiate debate has an important impact on the students across the university system,” Kirk said. “Without their hard work and training, novice competition would not be possible, and the critical thinking and evidence-based research skills that debate provides would be lost at a time when students need it most.”
If that wasn’t enough, the debate team also travelled to Evanston, Illinois, to compete at the Owen L. Coon Memorial Debate Tournament, which was held at Northwestern University and served as their season opener. During this tournament, the debate team defeated the fifth seeded Georgetown University debate team.
“The Northwestern season opener is a measure of how well entire debate teams have prepared over the summer for the new topic and how much they have integrated new students into their squads,” Kirk concluded. “Finishing in the top 16 in the season opener is a massive achievement and a testament to the hard work of the coaching staff and all members of West Georgia.”