Grant Dillard
Staff Writer
gdillard@murraystate.edu
As of now, Murray State’s Speech and Debate team is undefeated in online debates.
The team’s perfect winning streak is due to the team having only done one debate for the sake of experimentation, Joshua Sanders, junior and head coach, said.
Sanders has been on the debate team for three years now and is the head coach.
“We typically travel to three tournaments a semester and are a really good team,” Sanders said. “The last tournament, at Owensboro, we just took home first in debate as a team, and second in overall, with numerous awards with the individuals.”
The team has been around Kentucky and Tennessee for debates, along with traveling long distances for nationals. Last year, they journeyed to New York where the placed in first at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Pi Kappa Delta Tournament. Later this year they will travel to San Diego for nationals.
“This will be my third year debating, and my first as the head coach for the team,” Sanders said.
On the debate side of the team, there are three varsity debate teams consisting of two people each, and three more novice debaters. On the speech side, there are eight other individuals who only do individual events at tournaments. In terms of what the teams debate, it depends on the tournament itself.
“We are given 15 minutes of prep per topic,” Sanders said. “Topics range from foreign and domestic policy, pop culture, values and current events.”
Online debates are not currently viewable, but Sanders encourages those who would like to see the team debate to attend the Dean’s Debate in Wrather Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7.
As for those who may be interested in joining the team, Sanders isn’t taking on anyone new at the moment. But at the end of the school year, he will begin to contact people who reach out to his email at jsanders17@murraystate.edu about joining the team.