The International Public Debate Association world is well aware of LSU Shreveport’s brand and strength, particularly after the Pilots claimed three national titles this past season.
But the entire debate world took note as the Pilots were ranked No. 10 in all styles of debate by American Liberty Media, which published their Top 50 college debate programs.
“My students work hard, and they do much of that work outside of the spotlight,” said Lindsay Duede, debate director. “It means something not only to me but to the entire team to see that their work is recognized and that they are ranked above schools like (No. 13) Harvard and (No. 20) Princeton.
“I’m still in total awe of their commitment to the craft. The best part? We kept almost everyone with very few students graduating, meaning we’ll be coming back at nearly full power from the jump.”
LSUS is the only public regional university in the Top 20, sitting among programs like No. 1 Kansas, No. 3 University of Chicago, No. 6 Rice, No. 7 Yale, and No. 8 Michigan.
The Pilots are the second-highest IPDA squad behind No. 5 Mississippi State.
The rankings include debate teams from the IPDA, American Debate Association, American Parliamentary Debate Association, British Parliamentary, Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, Cross Examination Debate Association, and the National Parliamentary Debate Association.
The rankings are based not only on competitive success but a combination of competitive opportunity, coaching staff, resources, competitive success historically, and program prestige.
Lindsey Brown claimed two of LSUS’s three national titles this past season, winning a varsity debate championship and a varsity speaking championship. The duo of Heidi Tyler and Kaleb Schmidley captured a team title at a separate national tournament.
Duede is continuing the legacy of LSUS Debate as she heads into her second season.
“Last year was a whirlwind. From the moment I got to this campus, we hit the ground running and just never stopped,” Duede said. “I’m really excited for what this season has in story and really grateful to have some pretty awesome students.”
Interested in joining the fun?
Swing by interest meetings on Aug. 27 and Sept. 1 in Bronson Hall 310. Meetings last from 6-9 p.m.
No previous debate experience is needed as LSUS has historically built its powerhouse program by fishing students from the halls and from speech and communication classes.