The DU Debate Team is looking for more success this year after winning the Steve Hunt Classic Tournament at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore. Two members won top honors at the tournament.
The tournament was held Oct. 11-13 with over 60 teams competing from states throughout the Northwest. Partners Gabe Rusk, a senior philosophy and religious studies major, and Cameron Hickert, sophomore physics and international studies major, won the British Parliamentary (BP) Debate category. Hickert and Rusk earned the debate “triple crown,” winning first seat in finals with the best score in preliminary rounds, honors as best speakers and ultimately winning finals in a unanimous decision by the judges.
Rusk won honors as “first speaker,” or the speaker with the best score of the tournament, while Hickert was named “fourth speaker” out of the 120 speakers present at the competition.
Fellow team members Dana Kiel and Austin Richards made it through to the semi-final round, while Garret MacDonald and Megan Wilson made it to the quarterfinal round, with MacDonald earning the title of third speaker. Teammates Cody Walizer and Meredith Tolleson also made it through to quarterfinals, with Walizer winning fifth speaker. They all also participated in BP debate.
This marks the team’s first championship at a major national tournament, according to Rusk, who also serves as under-chairman for the team.
“We were one of the largest groups to break at the tournament,” he said. “We took a lot of the top seats.”
According to Rusk, the team owes its success so far to their coaches Kaleb Brooks and communications studies Professor Darrin Hicks. Brooks joined the team last season, while Hicks has been involved for many years, but began running the program full-time last year.
“I think our coaches came on board last year and kind of revitalized the program,” said Rusk.
Rusk, who has been on the team for four years, says he has seen numerous changes take place in the past two years after Brooks and Hicks joined the program, including more consistent practices, held twice a week and lots of reading material distributed to team members to help them prepare for competitions.
According to Rusk, the team has grown from having only five members his junior year to now having approximately 20 members. Rusk says the varsity debate team spends roughly 16 hours weekly practicing, reading and researching for their topics, while other debaters spend closer to 10 to 12 hours weekly.
Now that the hard work is starting to show, Rusk says the team is aiming to continue their success.
“There is a little more pressure in a good way,” he said. “We want to continue to excel, and we are excited to show these skills are consistent and something we’ve built up.”
The team still has about six tournaments left this year, according to Rusk, including the biggest tournament of the year, the World University Debating Championships in India, which features schools from all over the world.
“I am the only senior on the team, so I want to see the team do really well,” said Rusk. “In terms of the West, we’re one of the best teams. I’d like the team to be the best that it can be.”
