Three members of the Hillsdale College debate team competed March 2 and 3 at the Otterbein University Spring Fiesta, a small tournament in preparation for upcoming nationals and Pi Kappa Delta tournaments.
Senior Bryan Brooks and freshmen Emily Runge and Kevin Ambrose each competed in the events in which Runge won fourth speaker overall and made it to the quarterfinals, and Brooks made it to the octofinals.
“The tournament went fairly well, we had a strong showing in the preliminary rounds, as Emily and I went 6-3 against Western Kentucky University, our biggest competitors,” Brooks said. “This bodes well for both Pi Kappa Delta and the National Forensic Association National Tournament.”
With only three members of the team present for the competition, the team did not meet the same success as the last several tournaments, but the second half of the team will be competing in the Michigan State University Championships on March 9.
“I was very excited to get fourth speaker because this season has been going a lot better than last semester, and it had been great to get into the elimination rounds at every tournament this semester,” Runge said. “I was very close to the top debater in the whole circuit, but a small error on my part cause me to lose 2-1.”
The tournament, though not as evidently a success as the last several, achieved the necessary goal of challenging the team to stay sharp, Runge said.
“Kevin had his first real experience meeting the Western Kentucky University machine, and he held his own pretty well,” Brooks said.
On account of an administration mistake in the score room, Brooks did not compete in the elimination rounds.
“Next weekend we will send the other half of the team to Michigan State Championships,” Brooks said, “where Junior Lauren Holt will defend her title in both Parliamentary and Lincoln-Douglas debate.”
