The LSUS Debate Team earned second place overall with several individual awards at the Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) Annual Eddy Shell Invitational Debate Tournament. Despite water, internet, and power complications from severe inclement weather, the team went home victorious on the weekend of February 19, 2021.
In the Team International Public Debate Association (IPDA) portion of the tournament, LSUS brought home three individual awards. Partners Mathew Coleman and Jewel Thomas finished as quarterfinalists, and senior Dominick Mercer was a fourth-place Speaker in Team Debate. Mercer and his partner Ethan Arbuckle advanced to their third-straight finals round and finished in second place.
In the Novice Division, one Pilot earned two awards. Thomas earned the third-place Novice Speaker title, and took her first trip to the elimination rounds in Individual Debate. She advanced to the final round and finished as the Novice Division Champion.
LSUS also fared well in the Varsity Division. Mercer went undefeated in the preliminary rounds and then advanced to the quarter final round in the elimination bracket. He just missed out on advancing out of a challenging and highly-contested round.
In the Professional Division, the Pilots brought home four awards. Graduate student Matthew Gedeon was the second-place Speaker in the division. Gedeon also advanced to the quarterfinal round. Former Director of Debate and LSUS Alumnus Trey Gibson competed and was the fifth-place Speaker. Gibson advanced to the final round and finished second for the tournament.
LSUS will compete next at the University of Central Arkansas virtual tournament on March 13 and 14, 2021. For more information on the Debate team, contact AJ Edwards at 318-751-8350 or AJ.Edwards@lsus.edu. About LSUS
Founded in 1967, Louisiana State University Shreveport offers a wide array of nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including a doctoral degree. The university’s mission is to educate a diverse population of graduate and undergraduate students; engage in regional and global thought leadership through community collaboration and service; and innovate to enhance the application of knowledge and intellectual discovery through faculty and student research and creative endeavors.
