Ļć½¶Ö±²„Speech and Debate Council hosts regional tournament, nets big awards
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.āMississippi State is the first-place winner of the Southern Forensics Championship for the Debate Team Sweepstakes and is third-place champion in the Overall Team Sweepstakes.
MSUās Speech and Debate Council recently hosted the regional speech and debate tournament, which included nearly 200 college students from 27 public and private colleges and universities in nine states. The tournament also serves as the championship for Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Speaking events range from memorized and performed informational or dramatic speeches to one-on-one International Public Debate Association debate. The tournament concluded with an awards ceremony in Lee Hallās Bettersworth Auditorium.
Ļć½¶Ö±²„Speech and Debate adviser Cheryl Chambers, an instructor in the Department of Communication, serves as one of two Mississippi representatives on the Southern Forensics Championships Board. MSUās Nirmal Bhatt, a junior mechanical engineering major from Collierville, Tennessee, was elected to start the new term, while Alicia Brown, a senior chemical engineering major from Petal, ended her term as student representative to the SFC Board.Ā
MSUās 2020 debate team award winners include (by hometown):
BALDWYNāDawn M. Jackson, a senior business economics/international business and foreign language/Spanish double-major, fourth place and Mississippi Champion, Informative Speaking.
HATTIESBURGāJoshua T. āJoshā McCoy, a senior chemical engineering/biomolecular engineering major, along withĀ Alicia Brown, semi-finalists in Partner DebateĀ (TIPDA).
PEACHTREE CITY, GeorgiaāAmanda G. Kronenberger, a freshman political science major, octo-finalist in Novice Debate and fourthĀ place Speaker Award.
PETALāAlicia D. Brown, a senior chemical engineering major, octo-finalist in Varsity Debate and Mississippi Champion, and fourth place Speaker Award.
POOLER, GeorgiaāTyler J. Melvin,Ā a sophomore history major, quarterfinalist and fourthĀ place Speaker Award, JV Division.Ā
STARKVILLEāMia C. Robertson, a sophomore political science major, first place Persuasive Speaking, fifth place Extemporaneous Speaking, and Mississippi Champion for both categories.Ā
For more information about MSUās Speech and Debate Council, visit or contact Chambers at cchambers@comm.msstate.edu.
Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiās leading university, available online atĀ .