EWC Hosts 1st Annual Lancer Invitational Debate Tournament

Left to right: Kenna Noble, Haley Lauze, Amber Snyder, not a EWC student but assisted with the debate, James Schock, and Justin Griebe.

The Eastern Wyoming College competitive speech and debate team hosted the first annual Lancer Invitational October 7-8 on the EWC campus in Torrington.

More than seventy students from The Colorado College, Colorado Christian University, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Black Hills State University, Northwest College, Casper College, Western Nebraska Community College, as well as students from EWC competed at the event, with Colorado Christian University winning the event overall.

The Lancer Invitational offered both debate and individual events. Although, both competitive opportunities were provided, EWC students focused on International Public Debate Association (IPDA) style debate, in which students are challenged to select a proposition prior to each debate round and prepare arguments for or against it within thirty minutes.

EWC’s Kenna Noble, freshman, LaGrange, WY and James Schock, sophomore, Yoder, WY, competed in the novice division of the event, and Haley Lauze, sophomore, Green River, WY, and Justin Griebe, sophomore, Torrington, WY competed in the open division. Noble compiled a 3-2 preliminary round record and advanced to quarterfinals against Northwest College, losing the round on a 2-1 decision against the eventual tournament runner-up. Lauze and Schock compiled 2-3 records, losing their final preliminary debates, missing the elimination rounds by one ballot, although Schock earned recognition as the eighth ranked speaker in his division.

The EWC administration, faculty, staff, and students, as well as a number of community members worked hard to facilitate the tournament and judge the events. This dedication sets up the potential for a larger and more competitive 2^nd Annual Lancer Invitational for October 6-7 of 2017.

EWC will next travel to the prestigious “Al Johnson Memorial Tournament” held at Colorado College on October 28-30, where Noble and Lauze will compete against the top teams in the nation from Rice University, Washburn University (reigning squad national champion and three time winner of the squad national championship), Lewis and Clark, Texas Tech University (three- time national championship winners), the United States Air Force Academy, as well as a number of regional and national powerhouse programs.

For more information about the Speech and Debate program at EWC, please contact Jeremy Christensen, Communications Instructor/Forensics Director at 307.532.8367.

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