Topic: College of Communication Information and Media
April 6, 2011
For the fourth year in a row, the Ball State debate team won the overall team championship title at the 2011 National Education Debate Association (NEDA) tournament on March 18-19 at Ball State.
Additionally, Ball State seniors Nick Shipe and Joel Franz were named two of the three All-American Debaters at the competition. Shipe was also a quarterfinalist in the team varsity crossfire division and fourth in the speaker varsity crossfire division. Franz placed fifth in the team varsity policy division and tied for fifth in the speaker varsity policy division.
Students with top performances at the national championships included sophomore Kassie Markovich and graduate student Shawna Vertrees, who both earned first place in the team novice crossfire division; junior Alysha Hoffa and sophomore Mark Rose, who both earned first place in the team novice policy division; Alysha Hoffa, who earned first place in the speaker novice policy division; and sophomore Luke Blauvelt, who earned first place in the speaker varsity crossfire division.
Other students qualifying for honors included Nicole Fortunato, Alyssia Haymond, Jessica Johnson, Christian Villarruel, Rachel Harned, Cassie Lovitt, Kellie Snyder, Stephanie Amato, Elizabeth Hibbler, Lauren Bade, Ky'lea Wright, Mark Rose, Shawna Vertrees and Katee Higginbotham.
NEDA is a collegiate association emphasizing typical public forum debate. Colleges compete at eight tournaments each year: four in the fall semester and four in the spring semester, including the national tournament.
For more information about NEDA, visit www.neda.us. For more information about the Ball State debate team, contact Mike Bauer, instructor of communication studies and director of forensics, at 765-285-1956.
By Chanel Richards