Idaho State University Debate takes second in parliamentary debate competition

Idaho State University sophomores Samantha Bollinger and Andrew Hoth took second place in the Junior Varsity division at the Lewis and Clark Debate Tournament in Portland, Ore., on the weekend of Oct. 12-13.

Bollinger was recognized as the top speaker at the tournament, while Hoth was recognized as the third speaker.

The sophomore team entered the tournament that hosted 250 debate entries from 47 different schools in 13 states. Bollinger and Hoth finished preliminary debates with an undefeated 6-0 record and entered single elimination debates as the top seed. Their wins were against teams from The University of Washington, Western Washington University, The University of Nevada at Reno, and Boise State University. Their one loss came in the final round against Whitman College.

This tournament marked a first for the Idaho State Debate Team. They were new to competing in parliamentary debate sanctioned by the National Parliamentary Debate Association. This type of debate requires broad knowledge of current events and debate skills. It is particularly challenging because there is a different topic in each debate.

Debaters must also be prepared to debate all sides of any given topic. Over two days, the Idaho State students debated the government shut down, the federal minimum wage, U. S. military presence in Africa, the Iranian nuclear program, undocumented immigrants, the Employment Non Discrimination Act, the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, and National Security Agency surveillance programs.

The James M. and Sharon E. Rupp Debate Society fielded four teams in three different divisions. In addition to Hoth and Bollinger, the following students participated: Aljosa Ivanovic, Mike Eyre, Robyn Hemmert, Anne Johnson, Zach Sayles and Samantha Richardson.

“We were nervous trying out a new form of debate,” said Sarah Partlow Lefevre, Director of the Rupp Debate Society. “But, this early success bodes well for our ability to be competitive in the parliamentary format. All the debaters did a great job and learned a lot about many topics.”

“This was the season opener for many of our teams and our first time attending the Lewis and Clark Tournament,” said assistant debate coach, Roger Copenhaver. “Our success at this tournament shows promise for another successful year for ISU debate. Our team values a tradition of excellence and I am excited to see the debaters continue in their success.”

The team will travel to the University of Puget Sound, Wake Forest, and Weber State University over the remainder of the fall semester. The next tournament is at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. Oct. 25-28.

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