Debate Club hosts largest college debate tournament in history of Georgia
Matthew Laraway
Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: News
The Gainesville State College Forensics Interpretation Club hosted a tournament on January 15-16, 2010. The event, known as the Chicken and the Egg, hosted at least 15 colleges. This included 12 speaking events.
The Chicken and the Egg was the largest parliamentary debate tournament held in the state of Georgia. Parliamentary debates are debates where the debate subject is different every time.
GSC could have taken first place in the sweepstakes portion of the tournament, but because it was the host school it chose to not compete for awards.
GSC had a higher total of points out of all the other schools. Students from GSC were aloud to compete for individual awards. First place in community college sweeps went to NW Florida State. First in debate went to University of the Cumberlands KY.
Tom Preston, former debate coach at the University of Missouri St. Louis (Director of Forensics), is a volunteer club adviser for the Debate Forensics Interpretation (DFI) club. "I do it for the labor of love, the team is completely student driven," Preston said. When asked about how he felt about GSC's performance Preston said, "Tremendously."
"It was courteous not to take place in the sweepstakes because of home-field advantage and we want schools to come back" said Preston.
GSC won a total of 16 awards. This debate brought in new members to the club including GSC student Matthew Witanis. Witanis said, "I joined because I like to argue, and it was entertaining to watch and be apart of the arguments also to observe the different skill levels of the speakers." "I hope to better my speaking abilities and learn how to always get what I want in an argument," states Witanis
The tournament was held at GSC because of a ban on GSC clubs traveling in the fall of 2008 . Primarily because the school did not want to take traveling expenses out there budget. The ban was lifted in spring 2009.
The Chicken and the Egg was the largest parliamentary debate tournament held in the state of Georgia. Parliamentary debates are debates where the debate subject is different every time.
GSC could have taken first place in the sweepstakes portion of the tournament, but because it was the host school it chose to not compete for awards.
GSC had a higher total of points out of all the other schools. Students from GSC were aloud to compete for individual awards. First place in community college sweeps went to NW Florida State. First in debate went to University of the Cumberlands KY.
Tom Preston, former debate coach at the University of Missouri St. Louis (Director of Forensics), is a volunteer club adviser for the Debate Forensics Interpretation (DFI) club. "I do it for the labor of love, the team is completely student driven," Preston said. When asked about how he felt about GSC's performance Preston said, "Tremendously."
"It was courteous not to take place in the sweepstakes because of home-field advantage and we want schools to come back" said Preston.
GSC won a total of 16 awards. This debate brought in new members to the club including GSC student Matthew Witanis. Witanis said, "I joined because I like to argue, and it was entertaining to watch and be apart of the arguments also to observe the different skill levels of the speakers." "I hope to better my speaking abilities and learn how to always get what I want in an argument," states Witanis
The tournament was held at GSC because of a ban on GSC clubs traveling in the fall of 2008 . Primarily because the school did not want to take traveling expenses out there budget. The ban was lifted in spring 2009.
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