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The Rice Thresher
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by Mark Berenson Thresher Staff The George R. Brown Forensics Society has had a successful first semester, winning the Texas State Championship for the 5th consecutive year and placing second out of 47 schools at the Air Force Academy Invitational Nov. 17-20 while defeating schools such as the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Notre Dame. The debate team has won three of the 10 tournaments they have competed in this semester. In addition to winning the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association State Championship in early November, the team won the Sam Houston State University Forensics Tournament Oct. 13-15 and the Bayou Bucket Swing Tournament at the University of St. Thomas Sept. 29-30. Rice students were recognized as four of the top five speakers at the state championship. Lovett College junior Jitu Sardar placed first, Brown College junior Chas Cahn took second, third place went to Brown senior Rifi Newaz and Hanszen College junior Brook Ames took fifth place. The team competes in two forms of debate, parliamentary debate and individual events. In parliamentary debate, teams of two are given a topic and 15 minutes to prepare to speak. This style of debate requires competitors to be knowledgeable about current events. "If you debate, you really have to know a lot about what is going on in the world and be able to talk about it very fluently," team captain Ames said. The team also competes in 11 individual events, categorized into three general formats. These formats are limited prep time, where a contestant is given a topic and then gives a speech on it, prepared speeches, in which a debater gives a speech from memory, and acting events, in which a contestant gives a practiced speech in a particular style, such as poetry. Of the 22 team members, almost half are freshman and only seven are from last year's team. Debate team head coach Dan West said the large number of freshmen is exciting for the team. "They are awesome," West said. "Some came in with lots of experience, some with none, but they are all really hard-working." Ames said the team of Sid Richardson College freshman Becca Schendel and Wiess College freshman Brett Murphy has already qualified for the national tournament, doing so in the shortest time possible. "They have shown an amazing capability for parliamentary debate," Ames said. The spring semester should be equally busy for the team. Before next semester, eight debaters will go to Hell Froze Over at the University of Texas, Austin, an individual events tournament. Ames said the competition will be stiff, since 15 of the top 20 teams in the country will be there. "It's a good chance to see where we stand in relation to everyone else," Ames said. In March and April, the team will compete in four national tournaments, including a new national tournament directed by West. Also during the spring semester, the team will aim to accrue their 4,000th trophy since West began his career as head coach at Rice eight years ago.
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