ETSU Speech and Debate Team won 37 trophies at the MTSU PEJAVER Tournament during the weekend of Oct. 25 through 27. This year’s team is one of the largest, with more growth on the horizon.
The team represented ETSU with 18 competitors and won first place debate sweepstakes, second place in the individual sweepstakes and second place overall team trophy. Numerous awards were won individually in categories such as open speaking, communication analysis and impromptu.
Speech and Debate Team Public Relations Officer Ipinola Akintola shared aspects of the competition. In the final round for the impromptu speaking category, five of six finalists were ETSU students. “It was a full circle moment,” said Akintola. “I remember the times we practiced on days apart from our main meetings.”
A highlight of the competition for Akintola was a moment shared with the judges. “They told us that we made judging difficult for them,” said Akintola. “It was anyone’s game at that point, we did our best and we did it confidently.”
This year is different because of the large number of new members and the approach to competitions. “We went in with goals we wanted to accomplish,” said Akintola, “and funny enough, we’ve achieved more than half of those goals now.”
Akintola shared that their increase of members is due to the work they did last year of getting their name out there at events. Membership of the team has almost tripled, including competing and noncompeting members. Throughout it all, the values of the team have been upheld. “It’s just grown so beautifully,” said Akintola. “As our team grows, we’ve continued to build that dynamic and uphold those standards.”
The team will be reflecting on the feedback they have been receiving to strengthen their performances. “The goal will be to foster a collaborative environment where everyone feels encouraged to grow and where we can maintain a strong sense of team cohesion and community as we evolve,” said Akintola.
With the competitions of this semester behind them, the next big event for the team is the national tournament. “I’m also thrilled to see how many of our team members will qualify for the national tournament in their individual events,” said Akintola. “It’s a great opportunity for everyone to showcase their hard work on a larger stage, and I’m excited to celebrate those milestones as a team.”
More information about the trophies earned by the team is available on their Instagram page or at https://www.instagram.com/p/DBrygA-xmxt/?igsh=d3hudDI5N2FheWdy.
