The winning tradition continues for the 2022-2023 Marian University Speech and Debate Team, so much so that Program Director and Assistant Communication Professor Drew Stewart says this is his best speech and debate team thus far. “I expect us to remain in a top 10 program by the end of our competitive year, with more regular season successes,” Stewart said.
Marian’s Speech and Debate team won first place and beat out 12 other schools in the Marks Invitational hosted by the University of West Florida last month. The team, which returned most of the team members who were part of the fourth-place finishers at last year’s nationals, also got new talent who also impressed. Including first year team member Charles Russell III ’25. “I'm filled with joy! I knew we were good; but not THIS good, Russell continued. The team has a consistent work ethic and we all care about each other's work. It's the second part that makes us stronger than some of our opponents.”
Stewart reiterates those thoughts and more. “The team has a history of success due to three items: strong focus on inclusiveness, clarity of competitive goals, and to put it plainly, we've always been able to recruit folks who are equally very kind and intelligent.”
And those qualities have strengthened team members, including Russell. “Speech and Debate has expanded my knowledge in different areas and has developed my critical thinking beyond just my major or my class.”
The Speech and Debate team members included the following along with their strong competition results:
- Nate Rosenberg ‘23 - Champion, Poetry Interpretation
- Lydia Shock ’24- Fifth place in Prose Interpretation,
- Jojo Estrada ’24-Champion, After-Dinner Speaking and Novice Impromptu Speaking
- Jeff Martin ‘23 – Third place Impromptu Speaking and fourth place Informative Speaking
- Jules Frisby ‘23 - Champion, Programmed Oral Interpretation
- Timothy Hosford ‘23- Champion, Rhetorical Criticism,
- Mariangel Morales-Aparicio ‘24 - Fourth place, Dramatic Interpretation and Fifth place, After-Dinner Speaking
- Olivia Swalley ‘23 - Third place, Poetry Interpretation
- Sophomore Charles Russell III ‘25 - Third place, Novice Impromptu Speaking
- Allie Buntin ‘24 - Third place, After-Dinner Speaking