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Jewell debate team captures state championship Contact: Rob Eisele, 816-415-7574 February 20, 2008 William Jewell College seniors James Luce (of Aurora, Mo.) and Rachel Landes (of Lee’s Summit, Mo.) became the Missouri State debate champions February 16 after defeating Truman State University in the finals of the Missouri Association of Forensics Activities championships. Jewell debaters dominated the open division of the tournament, hosted by Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar. Seniors Cameron Armour (Liberty, Mo.) and Eric Myers (Parsons, Kan.) were semifinalists, and first-years Tim Brooks (Springfield, Mo.) and Kyle Hendricks (Kansas City, North) were quarterfinalists. Myers received 3rd overall speaker award, while Landes was 7th and Luce was 10th. Director of Debate Dr. Gina Lane is very proud of the team. “We had a strong core of seniors graduate last year, so the squad has gone through a lot of changes and transitions. Despite these difficulties they have not given up, and their hard work paid off at State.” The tournament completes the pre-nationals competition for the squad. Luce and Landes are currently ranked 44th in the nation out of 880 debate teams. They have qualified for the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence, which will be held March 15-16 at the University of Puget Sound in Seattle. Each year the NPTE invites the top 54 teams in the nation to compete for the national championship. Jewell is the reigning champion of the NPTE. Last year Jewell students Kevin Garner and Luke Landry captured the top two speaker awards and defeated the University of California-Berkeley to win the tournament. All three state debate teams will represent Jewell at the end of the season at the National Parliamentary Debate Association Championships, held at the U.S. Air Force Academy March 27-30. Over 250 teams representing colleges and universities from across the nation will compete, making the tournament one of the largest intercollegiate championships. Associate Director of Debate Dr. Chuck Walts is looking forward to the team’s appearance at both post-season tournaments. “I am very excited about the squad’s performance over the past several tournaments, and I believe we will do well at nationals.” With its challenging academic culture and focus on student achievement, William Jewell College promises students an outstanding liberal arts education that cultivates leadership, service, and spiritual growth within a community inspired by Christian ideals and committed to open, rigorous intellectual pursuits. The college is located in Liberty, Mo.

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