William Carey University’s speech and debate team competed Jan. 29-31 in the Southern Regional Forensics Championship, featuring students from colleges and universities in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas.
“I am very proud of our team. They have worked hard despite the craziness of the pandemic and classes moving online, which shows a great deal about their character and discipline. This is by far our best showing at the regional championship during my time at William Carey,” said Dr. Brandon Knight, director of forensics.
This year’s regional contest was a virtual event. More than 200 students competed in team and individual debate, after-dinner speaking, informative speaking, persuasive speaking, impromptu speaking, and extemporaneous speaking.
Here’s a look at WCU award-winners:
- Julia “Galia” Mixon of Hattiesburg won first place overall among competitors from all three states in the “After-Dinner Speaking” category. Mixon’s after-dinner speech was an analysis of Christian stereotypes and how to combat them. She was also named Mississippi State Champion in the “Informative Speaking” category.
- Omar Villarreal of Pascagoula earned the title of Mississippi State Champion in two categories – “Extemporaneous Speaking” and “Impromptu Speaking.” He also had the highest speaker points among competitors from Mississippi in the “Team Debate” category.
- Victoria Byrd of Pascagoula became the Mississippi State Champion in the “Program Oral Interpretation” category. She chose as her subject a landmark civil rights case revolving around the 1958 marriage of Richard and Mildred Loving – an interracial couple whose right to marry was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Dayhath Marte-Herrera of Pascagoula, a WCU freshman, won the Top Novice Award in the “Impromptu Speaking” category. She was also a runner-up in the “Informative Speaking” category for her speech about a phenomenon known as the Mandela Effect.
Several WCU students also distinguished themselves by “breaking through” to elimination rounds in debate. Julia “Galia” Mixon and Lauren Hand were recognized for completing four preliminary rounds with a winning record and high speaker points in “Team Debate.” Additionally, Trent Gilbertson and Lauren Hand completed six preliminary rounds with a winning record and high speaking points in “Individual Debate.”
Knight said the hard work of head coach Joshua Rogers was critical to the team’s success.
“Coach Rogers displays a love and passion for speech and debate that knows no comparison,” Knight said. “He shows that he truly cares about the spiritual well-being of our students, especially as they have faced anxiety during the pandemic and transitioned to online classes and online competition. Without his encouragement and wisdom, the team surely would not have had its recent success.”
The WCU Speech and Debate Team’s next competition is the 13th Annual Eddy Shell Invitational Speech & Debate Tournament, Feb. 19-21, hosted by Bossier Parish Community College. The competition will feature four preliminary rounds of team debate and six preliminary rounds of individual debate.