Randolph-Macon College’s Franklin Debating Society triumphed at the Collegiate Forensic Association’s Spring tournament March 1-2, 2019 in Ocean City, Maryland. The team retained the coveted Welch-Strine trophy, which is awarded to the college with the most outstanding debate and forensics team for the entire season. The team has won the trophy, which is again proudly displayed outside the Campus Store, seven out of the past nine years.

Communication Studies and English Professor Ted Sheckels, who co-coaches the team, says, “Randolph-Macon continued its collective domination of the Collegiate Forensic Association, but, more important to me, are the number of year-long honors our students won. Those honors reflect a lot of hard work on these students’ parts.”

Communication Studies Professor Ruth Beerman co-coaches the Society. “I’m extremely proud of all our Franklin Debating Society students,” says Beerman. “Our veterans and newcomers (novices) put in the time, energy and practice to perform at high levels, and these awards represent the culmination of those efforts.”

These students won individual year-long honors:
Prose: Year-Long Runner-Up – Brianna Ciuffo ’19
Drama: Year-Long Champion – Amanda Baumgartner ’19Declamation: Year-Long Champion – Caroline Kouneski ’19
Persuasive: Year-Long Co-Champions – Sean Gordon and Amanda Baumgartner 
Extemporaneous: Year-Long Champion – Sean Gordon; Runner-Up – Matthew DeLancey ’21
Impromptu: Year-Long Champion – Sean Gordon 
Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Year-Long Runner-Up – Melissa Pritchard ’21
Parliamentary Debate Year-Long Champion – Caroline Kouneski  
Pentathlon Year-Long Champion – Sean Gordon; Runner-Up – Caroline Kouneski

The winner of the Pan-Interpretation Award, named in memory of former RMC faculty member John Mingus, was Amanda Baumgartner. Her win marks the first time an RMC student has won this award.

Outstanding Novice 2018-2019: Hannah Gutzwiller ’22, Lorin Johnson ’20, Briana Tsistera ’22 and Emma Reilly ’22.

Three seniors were dominant:
Amanda Baumgartner: 2nd in prose; 4th in drama; 5th in dramatic duo; 1st in declamation; 2nd in persuasive; and 1st in pentathlon
Sean Gordon: 6th in dramatic duo; 4th in declamation; 3rd in persuasive; 1st in extemporaneous; 2nd parliamentary debate speaker; 3rd parliamentary debate team
Caroline Kouneski: 6th in dramatic duo; 3rd in declamation; 2nd in communication analysis; and 3rd parliamentary debate team

The following seniors were recognized for completing at least two years of competition at a high level: Amanda Baumgartner, Brianna Ciuffo, Chris Cox, Sean Gordon, Brianne Habit, Sommer Jordan, and Caroline Kouneski

Other Franklin Debating Society members excelled as follows:
Hannah Gutzwiller: 6th in persuasive; 3rd in communication analysis
Brianne Habit ’19: 5th in persuasive
Matthew DeLancey: 1st in impromptu
Emma Reilly: 4th in persuasive
Brianna Ciuffo: 5th in dramatic duo
Brianna Tsitsera ’22: 6th in communication analysis

The Franklin Debating Society
The Franklin Debating Society competes in the Collegiate Forensics Association circuit.

Students compete in a variety of events, including debate and forensics. Debate includes both parliamentary debate and Lincoln-Douglas. 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.