2008 Woodie Awards
UMKC debate team is second in nation
Danny Mathis
Issue date: 1/23/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
The UMKC debate squad has much to brag about. So far this season they have amassed 73 trophies and awards for their efforts and are currently ranked second in the nation.
"The bragging about stuff is pretty easy," said Linda Collier, director of the UMKC debate program. "In the 20 years that I've been here we've won four national championships."
Collier said the team has been in the national top 10 for 15 out of 20 years and in the national top 20 for 18 of the last 20 years.
"There's no other campus activity that can compare to the success of UMKC debate," Collier added.
In the 20 years Collier has directed the squad, the program has grown into one of the more competitive teams in the nation.
The debate season is a long one which spans from the third weekend in September until the third weekend in April.
During that lengthy season, the team meets unique challenges.
There are no divisions or leagues in debate, except for the qualification process to be a part of the national tournament.
"UMKC competes not only against KU, Missouri State, some of the local schools that are bigger than UMKC, but we also compete against the Ivies [Ivy League schools]," said Collier. "We compete against Dartmouth, we compete against Harvard and we compete against Berkley."
The extended season matches the tournaments.
Tournaments take place over a span of three days: Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Because of this debaters are encouraged to schedule their classes for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Each tournament has eight preliminary rounds before teams are eligible for the elimination rounds.
A preliminary round lasts over two hours. A typical day at a debate tournament consists of the team leaving their hotel at 7 a.m. and not returning until 9 p.m., at which time preparations are made for the next day's assortment of rounds.
Malcolm Gordon and Andrew Culp form the top team in the squad.
"[Gordon and Culp] have one of the best winning records in the nation right now," said Collier. "They have been to five debate tournaments so far this season and have won three of them, and finished third at the other and fourth at the other."
The team ranks 17th or 18th in the nation.
Two other highlights of the team are Gretchen Rix and Amy Foster.
Both have advanced to the elimination round in every tournament they've competed in this season, with one exception.
Foster even won two velvet paintings for being the top speaker at the same tournament for two years. One is a depiction of a Rottweiler, the other, a toreador.
The team will continue to work the tournament circuit until completion of their season in April.
dmathis@unews.com
"The bragging about stuff is pretty easy," said Linda Collier, director of the UMKC debate program. "In the 20 years that I've been here we've won four national championships."
Collier said the team has been in the national top 10 for 15 out of 20 years and in the national top 20 for 18 of the last 20 years.
"There's no other campus activity that can compare to the success of UMKC debate," Collier added.
In the 20 years Collier has directed the squad, the program has grown into one of the more competitive teams in the nation.
The debate season is a long one which spans from the third weekend in September until the third weekend in April.
During that lengthy season, the team meets unique challenges.
There are no divisions or leagues in debate, except for the qualification process to be a part of the national tournament.
"UMKC competes not only against KU, Missouri State, some of the local schools that are bigger than UMKC, but we also compete against the Ivies [Ivy League schools]," said Collier. "We compete against Dartmouth, we compete against Harvard and we compete against Berkley."
The extended season matches the tournaments.
Tournaments take place over a span of three days: Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Because of this debaters are encouraged to schedule their classes for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Each tournament has eight preliminary rounds before teams are eligible for the elimination rounds.
A preliminary round lasts over two hours. A typical day at a debate tournament consists of the team leaving their hotel at 7 a.m. and not returning until 9 p.m., at which time preparations are made for the next day's assortment of rounds.
Malcolm Gordon and Andrew Culp form the top team in the squad.
"[Gordon and Culp] have one of the best winning records in the nation right now," said Collier. "They have been to five debate tournaments so far this season and have won three of them, and finished third at the other and fourth at the other."
The team ranks 17th or 18th in the nation.
Two other highlights of the team are Gretchen Rix and Amy Foster.
Both have advanced to the elimination round in every tournament they've competed in this season, with one exception.
Foster even won two velvet paintings for being the top speaker at the same tournament for two years. One is a depiction of a Rottweiler, the other, a toreador.
The team will continue to work the tournament circuit until completion of their season in April.
dmathis@unews.com
