Speech and Debate take home three awards at Salina Tournament LaTasha Atcity TNE Writer

Kristopher Copeland, director of speech forensics The speech and debate team celebrates winning three awards at competition in Salina, Kan. The team will compete again Feb. 8 in Hutchinson, Kan. The NSU speech and debate team won three awards at a Kansas Wesleyan University tournament in Salina, Kan. Shawna Blake, graduate assistant, Anthony Woodall, Broken Arrow sophomore, Kendrea James, Oologah senior, and Shelby Baker, Siloam Springs, Ark., freshman, competed Feb. 1. Blake and Woodall won second place in exempt. James won fourth place in program of oral interpretation and first place in prose. Most of the teams we see at tournaments are from the surrounding states of Oklahoma, said James. There are some pretty big schools from Texas, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas. Speech and debate is an opportunity for students to learn skills useful for their profession. My philosophy is to foster the development of public speaking skills within the students, said Dr. Kristopher Copeland, director of speech forensics. Students on our team walk away knowing how to research, organize, memorize and deliver a speech for

competition. These are skills that they can utilize in their future careers. State and national tournaments allow students to see a wide variety of talent. At the state and national tournaments we get to meet students from all over the country, said James. It's so inspiring to see such an educational program thriving in our universities. Public speaking, oral interpretation, limited preparation and debate are the four areas in which the team competes. Every competition area has a different focus, but the main idea is to polish one's ability to speak confidently in front of an audience, said Copeland. Preforming in each competition helps participants become stronger in their event. What I enjoy about tournaments is watching students grow as speakers and advance to finals, said Copeland. They represent NSU very well. Each participant has high expectations for themselves and their teammates. Last year, I was a state champion in one of my events, said Woodall. This year, my goal is to be a state champion in three events. As for the rest of the team, I expect the same amount of success I've always seen from them and then some. Students are welcome to meet with the team to discover more about them and consider joining the team. We're always looking for new members, said Woodall. If a student likes speaking in front of people and educating an audience, they should come by a meeting and see if they are interested in joining. The team will compete in their next competition Feb. 8 in Hutchinson, Kan. For more information, email Copeland at copela03@nsuok.edu.