Concordia’s forensics spring semester debate tournament began at Spring Camp Concordia on Sat., Jan. 3, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Speech team began on the same weekend.

Dr. Konrad Hack, Director of Speech and Debate, said,  “There are 20 students in the forensics team this semester. We get in the van by 7 a.m., depending on individual tournaments, and tournaments start around 8 a.m., and a lot of them run until around 8 to 9 p.m.” Hack added, “We go back to the hotel, then we do day two and sometimes day three.”

It takes Anna Shatte, a Communication Studies major, typically a month to become familiar with the research topic and proposal while drafting her speech. She participates in the forensic side of Speech and Debate.

Shatte said, “Whenever I’m faced with an argument that I disagree with, it is important to keep a level head and remember that you are doing a debate that is not meant to be emotional. You are here to argue your case with a fact; back it up with all the research that you have done.” She continued, “If you have done good work, then your case will shine through, and you will obviously win the argument.”

Overcoming tournament fatigue isn’t easy for Shatte. “I think it is really important to keep team morale up, just, like, if the team continues to build each other up and just have a good community, then we can get over the fatigue of having long tournament days together,” she said. 

Benjamin Zoff is a freshman majoring in History and Political Thought and is on the CUI Debate team. He competes in the International Public Debate Association (IPDA) and the National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA). His next debate is at the Golden Gate Invitational on Jan. 24 through Jan. 25.  

Zoff’s viewpoint after taking the Debate class altered his train of thought. “It has made me realize how easily, frequently, people can say something that is not the truth. Because in debate, there are a lot of people out there who can very persuasively articulate an argument,” said Zoff. He continued, “That is not truthful, and they might not even believe it. So, it has made me realize what is or is not true because I know how easily it can be twisted and manipulated.” 

Concordia’s Speech and Debate program has evolved significantly since its founding in 2007. It all started with one student who had never competed in the tournament before. The club later found five to six students. Concordia won the national championship in 2013. 

Hack emphasized, “It is not easy to manage the personalities of different people on different things. There are long days,” Hack said. “There are logistics, there are a lot of things. At the end of the day, what students get out of it makes it worth it.”

Despite the logistical juggling, Hack is optimistic about the team and talent lined up for future years. “There are a dozen freshmen on the team. They are good. They are really good,” he said, “We got some juniors and seniors. But this incoming freshman class is very good. The returning folks are excellent. Every year, we get really good quality competitors.” 

“Two years from now, I would not want to be in another speech team in the country competing against these students,” Hack said.

Students can find more about participating in the forensics team by contacting Professor Konrad Hack at konrad.hack@cui.edu. This year’s competition schedule continues through the end of March.

Tags: Forensics, speech, debate

---

About Timothy Wu

More articles by Timothy Wu