Debate visits first national competition in 20 years

 The Prairie View A&M University Speech, Forensics and Debate team sent two members to nationals for the first time in 20 years.
Competitors senior civil engineering major Issa Joseph and Cedric Lamb qualified to go to San Marcos, Texas for the American Forensics Association national competition, and placed in the top 15 percent of their individual events.
Prior to nationals Joseph placed second, Lamb placed third and senior Amanda Hygh placed fourth in their individual events in the district competition.
Prairie View competes in the third district which includes University of Texas at Austin, Texas State University, Rice University and the University of Houston.
According to Donnie Moreland, sophomore sociology major and team captain, “the third district is the toughest district in collegiate forensics.”
The team, which consits of 12 members, compete in an array of events such as extemporaneous speech, persuasion, dramatic duo interpretation, poetry, prose, impromptu, informative, dramatic interpretation, after dinner speaking, oral interpretation, rhetorical criticism, and parliamentary debate.
Joseph Carver, director of forensics, applauds his team for their dedication. “All of the time they spend in my office and with each other, is equal to the amount of time spent at a part time job,” Carver said.
The Speech Forensics and Debate team competed on Thursday, Sept. 28, in the Collier Patton Memorial Swing, and will prepare for competition on Oct. 19 in the Bayou City Swing, and Nov. 2 in the Fall Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association.