Tag: united states universities national debating championships

Spring break is usually reserved for vacation, but instead of beach umbrellas and surf boards, the University of La Verne debate team competed in the 2009 United States Universities National Debating Champion­ships.

Seven teams from the University of La Verne battled against 48 teams from schools throughout the nation, including Harvard and Yale, in early April at the U.S. Universities Debating Championships, held at Claremont McKenna College.

The University of La Verne debate squad confidently stepped up to the lectern to oppose and support issues including recreational drug use, U.S.exemption from international agreements and political assassination during the U.S. Universities National Championship Tournament.

At the National Debate Championships two weeks ago in Lubbock, Texas, the University of La Verne debate team failed to qualify past the preliminary round, and had other problems throughout the trip.

Finishing the year with another trophy to add to its rapidly growing collection, the University of La Verne Debate Squad’s first team of freshman Shannon Beets and sophomore Scott Mac Kay converted the National Debate Championship into a landmark by becoming the highest-ranked parliamentary debate team in California and the first team in ULV history to qualify into the octa (eighth round) finals in a competition of this magnitude.