he debateand forensic teams enjoyed successful seasons in 1997-98.The two intercollegiate speech teams competed againstcollegesacrossthe nation. Team members spent hourseachweekresearchingand writing speeches,then sacrificing their weekends to travel to tournaments. While the rest of the campus goes out on Friday nights and sleeps late on Saturday mornings, these dedicated students traveled across the country,competing late into the nightonFridaysandrising early on Saturdays. Debaters prepared cases to address each semester's topic. This fall they debated the resolution,"Casino gambling is detrimental to U.S. society." The winter topic was "Resolved: that the United States should abolish the use of peer jurors." The debate teams placed among the top eight teams in each division and won top speaker awards at every tournament.They won the novice division at the Western Illinois University tournament, one novice team broke semifinals against open division debaters, and teams nearly swept a tournament at Anderson,taking second, third, and fourth places.They competed at the national debate tournamentin Illinios during the 1998 Spring Break. Forensics teams competed in several types of events, including public address, oral interpretation, limited preparation events, and Lincoln-Douglas debate. The season began early in the fall and culminates in the Ohio state novice and varsity tournaments. The novice team had the most successful state tournament ever,taking home 21 outof63total trophies.The varsity team placed second in individual events behind The Ohio State University. by Joy Wickholm Blackburn Dusty Hansen makes eye contact during a debate (above). 140 campus life
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