The Emporia State debate team of Arriq Singleton and Kalese Warfield narrowly missed making the “Sweet Sixteen” cut of the 72nd National Debate Tournament.
From March 22 to March 26, the top 78 policy debate partnerships in the country converged on the Wichita State University campus for the tournament. Often referred to as the “Big Dance,” the NDT is the most competitive tournament of the season, due in large part to its rigorous qualification process.
The preliminary round of competition took place over the course of three days. Every partnership competed in eight debates, each lasting over two hours in length, in hopes of achieving the baseline five victories necessary to advance to the single elimination round. Emporia State SW rose to the occasion by earning victories over students from Georgetown, Indiana, Louisville, Baylor and Wake Forest. With a final record of 5-3, they advanced to the single-elimination round as the No. 27 seed.
In the “Round of 32,” the Hornets drew the No. 6 seed from the University of Oklahoma. Five esteemed judges observed the debate and took almost an hour to render a decision independent of each other. When the final result was announced, two of the judges voted in favor of Emporia State, while the remaining three voted in favor of Oklahoma. Although this 3-2 decision ultimately eliminated the hornets from the tournament, it demonstrated just how close Singleton and Warfield were to advancing to the “Sweet Sixteen.”
The 2017-2018 season has concluded for ESU Debate but there is always work to be done. The debaters already have their sights set on next season, and will continue to complete research and hone their persuasive skills throughout the rest of the school year.