Since 2006, WSU Vancouver has been without a collegiate Speech and Debate team. The team was reinstated by Colten Sullivent, a junior computer science major, in 2018. However, Jan. 12 marked a significant step forward for the current Speech and Debate team, as they hosted a tournament on campus.
“It was kind of spur of the moment. I hadn’t intended to hold any tournaments this year,” Sullivent said. Sullivent added that the tournament idea was introduced by Mark Porrovecchio, an Oregon State University Speech and Debate coach.
The tournament, called the Greater Portland Speech and Debate Tournament, consisted of competitors from WSU Vancouver, Mt. Hood Community College, Lower Columbia College and Oregon State University.
Sullivent, who is chancellor of the WSU Vancouver Speech and Debate team, said this tournament will be one of many to come and that he hopes to hold a more thorough one next year. In being the chancellor of the team since its return in 2018, Sullivent has been planning the event for nearly two months. In his role as chancellor, he represents the president of the team, plans events, coaches team members and manages funds.
“When I was here a few years ago, we didn’t have a debate team”
Kristanna Eveland, WSU Vancouver alumnus and tournament judge
WSU Vancouver student Kay Hall took home gold in the Open Division category of the tournament, which has three rounds and a finals round.
Hall, who is a sophomore history major and anthropology minor at WSU Vancouver, has been involved in speech and debate since she was 16. So far she has participated in three tournaments with the WSU Vancouver team.
“It [the tournament] went really well,” Hall said. “All the things that could have gone wrong didn’t and that’s really impressive.”
Kristanna Eveland, a judge for the tournament and WSU Vancouver alumnus, expressed excitement for the event.
“I’m excited for today. I’m really excited because Colten [Sullivent] started a team,” Eveland said. “When I was here a few years ago, we didn’t have a debate team. One of the things I missed out on was [speech and] debate.”
Eveland, who has a bachelors in English Literature from WSU Vancouver and teaches middle school English in the Kelso School district, feels that this is a great opportunity for students attending WSU Vancouver now.
“When we [people in speech and debate] talk about it [college experiences] we talk about how speech and debate was the place where we learned the most important things out of our college experience,” Eveland said. “It’s also, from a practical standpoint, a really great way to network and develop relationships with people at other colleges, including coaches.”
The tournament, which lasted most of the day, was a limited prep event, giving competitors 30 minutes to prepare their argument and strike off topics that the competitor would prefer not to argue.
“One of the things we practice a lot is striking strategically,” Hall said about the workings of the team. “Knowing which resolutions are going to be good for us and which ones we’re going to have a hard time with.”
The team meets to practice every Monday and Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. in VECS 104.
“Public speaking is America’s number one fear,” Hall stated. “This is the best possible place to develop communication skills that will be absolutely vital for your personal, professional and academic career.”