Junior Connor Rada (Lakemoor) took first place in novice speaking and semifinaled in the 2022 Missouri Mule Tournament hosted by the University of Central Missouri on October 21-22nd. Freshman Taylor Perteete (Chicago) took ninth place speaker in novice.
Freshman team member Franco (Chicago) also competed in the tournament in the varsity division. This was all three members’ first time competing in college debate.
“I was excited that I was able to advance to the semifinal rounds. I haven’t competed in a college debate tournament before and it was exciting to make it that far,” said Rada.
“I am very proud of the debaters that competed this weekend. They worked hard as a team ensuring that everyone had the best chance to win in every round,” said Director of Debate Shanna Carlson, “They kept a positive attitude despite the long tournament on Saturday.”
The team stayed in Warrensburg, Mo. for the tournament, traveling over six hours by van.
“It was great traveling to my first tournament! The car ride was fun and it was a great way to bond with my teammates,” said Rada.
“Seeing Connor debate was great. That was my first time watching him and I felt like a proud mom.”
Taylor Perteete
The team used their time together to learn from the competition and encourage one another through their rounds.
“It was interesting being able to hear the arguments presented by other schools. They presented plans I had never even thought about before and I think it’ll help me strengthen my own arguments,” said Rada.
“Seeing Connor debate was great. That was my first time watching him and I felt like a proud mom,” said Perteete.
The team is looking ahead to their next big tournament, the Redbird LD, which will be hosted on the Illinois State campus and through Zoom on November 5-6. This will be one of the first full hybrid tournaments associated with the National Forensics Association-Lincoln Douglas (NFA-LD) circuit and the team is excited to offer the chance for debaters and judges from around the country to participate remotely as well as in-person.
“I’m looking forward to the Redbird tournament we’re hosting at ISU in a couple of weeks,” said Rada.
The ISU Forensics Union, the oldest and most successful registered student organization on campus, boasts over 93 individual national champions and 10 team national championships. The team competes at tournaments in Lincoln-Douglas debate, public speaking, and oral interpretation events.