Four students representing two Missouri State debate teams, MoState GR and MoState NW, will compete in the National Debate Tournament (NDT) April 5-8, 2024.

Emory University in Atlanta, GA will host the 78th annual tournament, according to the organization’s website.

Sixth consecutive “double qualification” for Debate Bears

For six consecutive years, MSU’s debate program has sent two teams to the national tournament, according to Dr. Eric Morris, professor of communication and director of forensics.

“Six years is the longest ‘double qualification’ streak in program history, and particularly impressive since none of these four debaters is a previous qualifier,” Morris said.

This year’s debate topic is nuclear weapons, Morris said. Each year, the NDT committee selects one topic and develops a detailed process paper for debaters to follow for the following competition year. This year’s process paper is 650 pages.

Both Debate Bears teams are arguing the position of “No First Use” affirmatives for this topic.

Debater James Granger stays focused

Sophomore wildlife conservation and management major James Granger felt more relief than surprise when he learned his debate team had qualified for national competition, largely because of the intense preparation.

“I might compare it to the way it feels getting back a test you studied hard for,” Granger said. “There was some doubt lingering in the back of my mind about whether we’d make it. When we did, in fact, make it, it was somewhat of a relief—but also solidified the fact that we’d need to gear up to prepare.”

Preparing for nationals includes building up the team’s argument repertoire, Granger said.

“We’re working hard to build up the repertoire of arguments we have in our files,” he explained. “We’re not as big as a lot of the heavy hitting squads we compete against, so we’re honing in on the debates and arguments we know we can win, plus a few more unconventional tricks.”

“The most challenging part of prep is the less tangible parts,” Granger added. “It’s easy to count cards and articles and be able to say that you have the tools at your disposal to win. It’s another thing entirely to have the skills necessary to deploy those tools in the right way round-to-round.”

Granger has been involved in debate since his freshman year in high school.

“Even though I never really had much background or interest in public speaking, it kind of became my ‘thing’” Granger said. “All my teachers knew I was deeply involved in it, [and] I was team captain my senior year.” [Read more…] about Debate Bears qualify for 2024 national competition