10/17/2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State University's debate team received its best finish in team history competing in back-to-back tournaments hosted by the University of Kentucky held Oct. 2-9.
Michigan State's top two-person team of senior Austin Carson and junior Calum Matheson finished first at the Kentucky Round Robin after winning seven of their eight debates. This event is the most prestigious early season intercollegiate policy debate, featuring the nine best teams in the county. Matheson was recognized as the best individual speaker at the tournament, a feat that has never been accomplished by an MSU debater.
"Carson and Matheson are widely considered among one of the three best teams in America," said Jason Trice, director of debate. "Winning their first tournament is certainly an indication that they are contenders for the national championship."
In the second tournament, an open invitational with 130 collegiate teams from across America, the sophomore duo of Greta Stahl and David Strauss upset an undefeated team from University of California-Berkeley to finish in the final four of the invitational. Their only loss was to a Dartmouth College team that was the overall winner. Carson and Matheson finished in the top 16 after being defeated by the top team from Emory University.
"We have been to the Kentucky invitational for six years straight and have never been to the semi-finals before," Trice said. "It is a rare accomplishment for sophomores to finish this high."
A third event held was the Freshman Pre-Season Breakout for rookie college debaters. The team of MSU freshman Gabe Murillo and Lansing Community College freshman John Gongillenwater reached the final eight in the competition.
Trice has been with the debate team for six years and has a staff that includes head coach William Repko and assistant coaches Michael Eber and Alison Woidan.
Each year starting in June, the coaches and team members begin researching a given topic to prepare for mock practices that start in August. When the research has been compiled, the team takes a weeklong retreat in mid-August to develop strategies and arguments for the coming season.
"Over the summer the debaters have six waves of assignments to research and collect into files," Trice said. "Then during the tournaments the coaches will stay up through the night to help prepare the team for new arguments that were presented."
This year's debate topic is to resolve whether the U.S. government should significantly increase federal control throughout Indian country in one or more of the following areas - criminal justice, environmental protection, resource management, taxation, gaming and child welfare.
"This win and top four finish early in the season raises the possibility that MSU has not one, but two teams that are considered among the 10 best in the country," Trice said. "So far, no team has won two tournaments in the nation, which means the field is wide open."
The debate team is now developing new strategies for a tournament to be held at Harvard University in late October. The team is housed under the auspices of MSU's Honors College.