John R. Park Debate Society Finishes Strong at Western States Communication Association Invitational Tournament

The John R. Park Debate Society traveled to Reno, NV for the Western States Communication Association Forensics Tournament on February 23-24. The tournament, which is part of the Western States Communication Association Conference, allowed students to engage in both forensics competition in a swing tournament and conference presentations. Between the two tournaments, the team had 26 final round appearances, winning several individual events and closing out the final round of Open NPDA debate to secure a second-place finish as a team. Senior Meredith Jenkins also won the Forensics Service Award for the tournament. In addition to graduate coach, Averie Vockel, serving as the Forensics Activity Coordinator for the conference and tournament, undergraduates Brinley Kemp, Meredith Jenkins, and Javier Tejeda, and graduate coaches Damon Lawson and Ashton Poindexter, presented at the conference.

The team will begin its series of international and national championship tournaments to close out its season on March 8 by traveling to Dublin, Ireland for the International Forensics Association Championships. 

COMPLETE RESULTS

Overall Awards

2nd Place - Tournament Sweepstakes (4-year division)
Forensics Service Wizard Award  -Meredith Jenkins

Day 1 Individual Event Awards

1^st Place Communication Analysis – Willow Wilson

1^st Place Informative Speaking – Meredith Jenkins

1^st Place Persuasive Speaking – Meredith Jenkins

2^nd Place Impromptu Speaking – Meredith Jenkins

2^nd Place Informative Speaking – Adelyn Kobe

2^nd Place Junior Prose – Sage Allred

2^nd Place Persuasive Speaking – Adelyn Kobe

2^nd Place Extemporaneous Speaking – Meredith Jenkins

3^rd Place Extemporaneous Speaking – Adelyn Kobe

3^rd Place Persuasive Speaking – Courtney Hardie

3^rd Place Impromptu Speaking – Adelyn Kobe

3^rd Place Informative Speaking – Brinley Kemp

4^th Place Program Oral Interpretation – Meredith Jenkins

5^th Place Dramatic Interpretation – Javier Tejeda

6^th Place Program Oral Interpretation – Sophia Smith

6^th Place Extemporaneous Speaking – Sage Allred

Day 2 Individual Event Awards

1^st Place Impromptu Speaking – Meredith Jenkins

1^st Place After Dinner Speaking – Javier Tejeda

1^st Place Persuasive Speaking – Meredith Jenkins

1^st Place Communication Analysis – Willow Wilson

1^st Place Extemporaneous Speaking – Meredith Jenkins

1^st Place Informative Speaking – Meredith Jenkins

3^rd Place Dramatic Interpretation – Javier Tejeda

3^rd Place Persuasive Speaking – Willow Wilson

Day 2 Individual Event Awards

Final Round Close-out – NPDA Debate – Courtney Hardie/Adelyn Kobe and Izzy Chick/Sophia Smith

4^th Place NPDA speaker – Adelyn Kobe

5^th Place Speaker NPDA – Sage Allred