When the Hillsdale College debate team traveled to Butler College last weekend for its first tournament of the semester, four of the six team members were seeing their first round of academic debate.
“It was a real learning experience for all of us,” junior Bryan Brooks said. “We were going up against some of the best teams in the region and our novices held their own extremely well.”
The team won three awards — two in the open debate division and one in the novice division. Bryan Brooks won second-highest speaker points in the open parliamentary category, and his teammate, sophomore Ian Hanchett, won fifth-highest speaker points.
In the novice division, freshman Kittie Helmick won third-highest speaking points.
Speaker points are given to the debaters on a scale from one to 30 based on the individual’s ability to create arguments, and to deliver them in a pleasing way, said Matthew Doggett, assistant professor of speech and debate coach.
“The high speaker points that we received show that we adapted well to a style of parliamentary debate that we are not used to,” Brooks said. “We had two objectives this tournament: for our novices to gain experience — which they did and they had a blast doing — and to prepare ourselves for the upcoming Gorlock Gala,” Brooks said.
Doggett said the Gorlock Gala in St. Louis next weekend is one of the semester’s biggest tournaments.
“I had a great time this weekend,” freshman Christina Bolema said. “Along with learning, it is an awesome adrenaline rush, and I’m looking forward to leaving for the Gorlock Gala.”