Randolph-Macon College students in the RMC Franklin Debating Society had a stellar year, winning the overall yearlong top award for competing in the Collegiate Forensic Association’s (CFA) virtual tournaments as well as numerous individual year-long titles.

“These students triumphed, in this most unique and challenging year, through their resilience, perseverance and hard work,” says Communication Studies and English Professor Ted Sheckels, who coaches the Franklin Debating Society. “I am exceedingly proud of these individuals who represent a wide variety of majors and minors. They are a strong, passionate and supportive team.”

CFA featured four tournaments in 2020-21, not the usual six, and they were all online. RMC swept all four.

RMC thus won the overall virtual CFA Tournament in March 2021  and regained the coveted Welch-Strine trophy, which is awarded to the college with the most outstanding debate and forensics team for the entire season. This trophy, which is again proudly displayed outside the Campus Store, has been awarded to RMC’s team eight out of the past eleven years.

Congratulations to These Individual Winners

CFA also presents year-long awards in the various competition categories:

Dramatic Interpretation: Runner-up Emily Villacrusis ’23  
Declamation: Winner: Brianna Tsitsera ’22; Runner-up: Emma Reilly ‘22  
Persuasive Speaking: Winner: Matthew Delancey ’21; Runner-up: Emma Reilly ‘22
Communication Analysis: Winner: Emma Reilly ’22; Runner-up: Briana Tsitsera ‘22
Extemporaneous Speaking: Winner: Matthew Delancey ‘21
Impromptu Speaking: Winner: Matthew Delancey ’21
Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Winner: Brianna Tsitsera ’22

Pentathlon: Winner: Emma Reilly ’22; Runner-Up: Brianna Tsitsera ‘22

Strong Leadership

Sheckels credits four outstanding student leaders for the major role they played in providing leadership and ultimately, contributing to the debate team’s success:

Emma Reilly ’22, President

Majors: Political Science and Communication Studies

Matthew DeLancey ’21, Vice President

Majors: History and Communication Studies; Education minor

Melissa Pritchard ’21, Secretary
Majors: Economics and French

Brianna Tsitsera ’22 , Historian
Majors: Environmental Studies, Communication Studies

Interestingly, the quartet hails from four different states: Minnesota, Vermont, Virginia and New York.

Sheckels also acknowledged a large network of engaged alumni who played a critical role with the team’s success by judging at the four CFA events. “Ordinarily, they give up their weekends and travel to the events,” says Sheckels. “This year, they ‘zoomed’ in. Some have been serving in this valuable support role for more than a decade.”

The Franklin Debating Society
The Franklin Debating Society competes in a variety of events, including debate and forensics, in the College Forensics Association circuit. Debate includes both parliamentary debate and Lincoln-Douglas debate. Forensics events include informative speaking, persuasive speaking, after dinner (humorous) speaking, impromptu speaking, extemporaneous speaking, communication analysis, declamation, poetry interpretation, prose interpretation, single dramatic interpretation, and duo dramatic interpretation. Most students compete in several events, often combining public policy categories with the more theatrical.