Ending the first half of their season on a high note, four members of the MSU Debate Team secured Top 16 finishes during their largest competition of the semester.
Competing against 140 teams from universities across the nation, the two teams that represented MSU in the octafinals include international relations junior Tyler Thur and math junior Margaret Strong, along with the partnership of international relations seniors Jack Caporal and Quinn Zemel.
“I think it’s a really great testament to the work ethic of the team itself in a narrow context," Thur said. "Coming to MSU, I remember going to all the fairs that showed all the achievements of the university as a whole, and it’s really cool to be a part of that and put on our best Spartan green to other universities.”
Before traveling to Winston Salem, North Carolina for the Franklin R. Shirley Classic Tournament, Thur said the teams prepared by practicing their arguments with the help of their coaches, in addition to individually researching the topics they would be discussing.
“There have been different studies on it, but the average undergraduate debater will do a master’s thesis amount of research in a single year. So through that research and practicing the speeches, we are able to prepare against a wide variety of opponents,” he said.
Based on their previous rankings throughout the semester, Thur said it seems likely that Caporal and Zemel, along with himself and his partner, will be two of the teams that are invited to the national championship located in Iowa in March of 2015.
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