URDU Has JV Champions At Rutgers

This past weekend the debate union took one team to compete in each division of the Rutgers-Newark debate tournament. Novices Melissa Kagaju and Anthony Pericolo learned the new format and got some experience with the new year’s topic, while Open debaters Cedric Bonsol and Tobi Abubakare tested out some new arguments that they hope to develop as the year goes on. The big victory happened in the Junior Varsity division, with Brianna Terrell and Ben Morbeck finishing as tournament champions.

Brianna Terrell (L) and Ben Morbeck (R) with their JV Championship trophy at the Rutgers tournament

For first year student Brianna – amazingly – it was her first tournament in the format. A successful high school Lincoln Douglas format debater, she adjusted to the new world of college policy debate, learning to work with a partner as well as the other nuances of the format, such as speech times.

Ben Morbeck, also a first year, comes to the URDU with four years of policy debate experience in high school. While he had some more familiarity with the format, he also had to quickly learn about the many different types of arguments that debaters make at the college level, and in this region of the country.

In the end these debaters won it all, taking home first place in JV. We look forward to seeing more great things from them as the year goes on. On to the Hobart and William Smith tournament this weekend in Geneva, NY! Go Yellowjackets!