Hillsdale College’s debate team opened the season winning the top three competition spots and walking away with the sweepstakes award at its most recent tournament. 

On Feb. 4, the team attended a virtual National Parliamentary Debate Association tournament hosted by Saint Cloud State University in Saint Cloud, Minnesota.  

Debate Coach and Visiting Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Public Address Blake Faulkner said he views the team’s wins as a good start to the season and preparation for nationals. 

“The granddaddy award, the one we really care about above everything else, is what we call the sweepstakes,” Faulkner said. “That is a team award, demonstrating which school overall has the most wins across the board, and we won that.” 

Team Manager and senior Frank Vitale, the secondary coaching authority for the team, was also pleased with the members’ performance at the tournament.

“Overall, it was the most success we’ve seen in a while, which was very exciting,” Vitale said. 

Vitale and his younger brother Luca, a transfer student this semester, also competed in the tournament, taking the second spot in the overall competition. 

“We have always had this thing — some siblings may understand — where we always have almost a way to read each other’s minds when we are doing something together,” Frank Vitale said. “So being able to do that and understand immediately what the other was trying to say was super helpful in this tournament.” 

Junior Emma Sanders won the overall speaker award, which often serves as a tie-breaker between teams, according to Faulkner. 

Sophomore Vivian Turnbull, who finished fourth place in the speaker awards, said the judges determine the speaker winners on in-round eloquence. 

Faulkner attributed the success of the team, especially with the changes in rules for this tournament, to both the skills of the students and the quality of a Hillsdale education. 

“This tournament accepted all of the national organizations rules, but added some more,” Faulkner said. “They cut out cross-examination, the use of the internet, and prepping with anyone else except your teammate.” 

Despite these difficulties, both Faulkner and Vitale were pleased with the team’s success at the competition and are excited for the future. 

“Given our historical success at nationals, I am hopeful that the team will continue to perform well,” Vitale said. “Nationals tournaments have been some of my favorite memories at Hillsdale, and I am so excited that some of the students will have the opportunity to experience what those tournaments are like.”