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Robert Thomas '11 |
The
Franklin Debating Society completed its 2010-11 season at the Collegiate Forensic Tournament in Ocean City, Maryland by winning the year-long top school award. The win makes R-MC the first-place school in three of the five Collegiate Forensic Association (CFA) events. The R-MC team won the year-long championship award and the coveted Welch-Strine Cup.
On March 15, the Debating Society presented President Lindgren with the Welch-Strine Cup. Click on Award Presentation to view a slideshow of photos.
The CFA is a 20-school league. Its members include Cornell, Penn, Bowling Green, Bloomsburg, Morgan State, Hampton, Ursinus, Alderson-Broaddus, and R-MC.
In parliamentary debate, R-MC teams won 1st (Robert Thomas '11 and Jessee Perry '11), 3rd (Crystal Thomas '13 and Hayley Williamson '13), and 5th (Kat Bundy '14 and Matt Launderville '13). The combined record was 11-2. They also won five of the six individual debaters awards: Kat Bundy 1st, Robert Thomas 3rd, Crystal Thomas 4th, Jessee Perry 5th, and Hayley Williamson 6th. In Lincoln-Douglas debate, Ethan Franz '12 finished 4th.
In the forensics events, R-MC students were strong in a variety of events:
Poetry Reading: Franz 1st, Robert Thomas 3rd
Prose Reading: Williamson 1st, Franz 2nd
Dramatic Duo: Franz & Williamson 4th
Informative Speaking: Robert Thomas 2nd, Crystal Thomas 4th, Allison Tames '13 6th
Persuasive Speaking: Bundy 4th
Communication Analysis: Williamson 5th, Crystal Thomas 6th
Extemporaneous Speaking: Crystal Thomas 5th, Robert Thomas 6th
Impromptu Speaking: Franz 3rd, Bundy 4th, Williamson 5th
Four students won pentathlon awards for competing in five or more events: Franz 2nd, Williamson 3rd, Robert Thomas 4th, Crystal Thomas 5th.
Year-long awards are also given at the CFA event. Franz was the top competitor year-long in three events: poetry interpretation, prose interpretation, and impromptu speaking. Crystal Thomas was top in communication analysis, and Robert Thomas was top in parliamentary debate.
Ted Sheckels, the A.G. Ingram Professor of
English, coaches the R-MC Franklin Debating Society students. Sheckels is a
communication studies and English professor and the director of speaking for the
Higgins Academic Center. He is assisted by part-time communication studies instructor John Mingus.