[351] MTSU Blue Raider Debaters capture regional title amid strong season

MURFREESBORO — The MTSU Blue Raider Debaters have backed up their strong fall with an impressive spring season thus far, including winning a regional championship earlier this semester.

The team competed in tournaments that included both National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA) and International Public Debate Association (IPDA) debate formats.

In NPDA competition, two-person teams debate head-to-head in multiple rounds, with a new topic presented each round. In IPDA formats, debaters primarily go one-on-one, with various time limits in effect for both formats.

Here’s a recap of their success, according to debate team coach Dr. Patrick Richey, director of forensics at MTSU:

• The team traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, for the University of Tennessee Volunteer Classic during the last weekend of January. In NPDA parliamentary debate, two out of three teams made it to the out rounds. The team as a whole won second place sweepstakes in NPDA (missing first place by only two points), first place sweepstakes in IPDA, and took home the first place overall sweepstakes award, winning the tournament.

• The next weekend, the team traveled to Sevierville, Tennessee, for the Southeast Regional Championships at Walters State Community College. The team took away second place in IPDA sweepstakes, and once again took first place in overall sweepstakes, making the Blue Raider Debate Team the Southeast Regional Champions. Richey received the Malcolm McAvoy Award for coaching excellence in the southeast region.

• After dominating regionals, the team moved on to the Tennessee Intercollegiate Forensics Association for the state tournament at Tennessee State University in Nashville. The MTSU debaters placed in both NPDA and IPDA, and placed in several different individual forensics events.

As it stands, the Blue Raider Debate Team is fifth in the nation in the novice division, and 11^th in the nation in the varsity division, Richey said.

MTSU’s debate team, founded with the university in 1911, was revamped in 2011. For more information about MTSU Blue Raider Debate, contact Richey at 615-898-2273 or email him at Patrick.Richey@mtsu.edu. You can also visit http://www.mtsu.edu/debate/index.php.