The Butler University Speech and Debate Team

Pi Kappa Delta, a national honorary society for intercollegiate forensic programs, has chartered the Butler Speech and Debate Team as its new IN Zeta chapter.

Members Marcus Harvey, Ciara Williams, Maggie Smith, and Jeremy Washington, and faculty advisor Janis Crawford represented the team when Butler was inducted during the Pi Kappa Delta (PKD) National Conference Tournament last week in St. Louis. Alumni Lauren Lupkowski ’12 and Greg Moser ‘07 also attended as judges at the society’s 100th anniversary tournament.

Crawford, who is director of forensics in the College of Communication, was nominated and elected as Governor of PKD’s Heartland Province. For the next two years, she’ll oversee communication, leadership, and growth of the province, which includes 22 school chapters in six states.

“I am very excited about the opportunity and national visibility that this position will bring to Butler University,” she said.

PKD is a division of the National Communication Association (NCA). Crawford said that she has already proposed that NCA convene a panel to examine the role of the PKD governors and how they can help expand and develop the organization’s six provinces.

“PKD is committed to ‘Persuasion, Beautiful and Just,’ and, as such, we will be focusing on education and service for our students,” she said. She expects the panel to be approved for action in 2014.

Butler will work with the University of Indianapolis and IUPUI to co-host Pi Kappa Delta’s national tournament in Indianapolis in March 2014.

The Butler Speech and Debate Team travelled to IUPUI again on March 2 to compete in the “Last Words” tournament where Junior, Marcus Harvey took 4th in Poetry and Senior, Molly Kordas took 5th in Programmed Oral Interpretation. The team will be traveling to St. Louis for the PKD National Conference and Tournament during Spring break next week.

The Butler Speech Team travelled to the frigid North for a tournament in February!

Five students presented their speeches at the University of Michigan Tournament on February 9th as a warm-up for the State tournament.

A great time was had by all!

The Butler Speech Team travelled to Ohio University this past weekend. They competed in six events and brought home trophies in each one! Junior, Marcus Harvey took 3rd in Dramatic Interpretation, 4th in After dinner Speaking and Poetry. He also placed as the third speaker overall. Junior, Ciara Williams placed 2nd in Programmed Oral Interpretation and 4th in Dramatic Interpretation. The two placed 3rd in Duo Interp.

The team placed 3rd overall in the small entry division.

The Butler University Speech and Debate Team hosted a High School tournament on December 8, 2012. Eighteen High Schools attended from as far away as Evansville and as close as Fishers. There were 250 students plus coaches, and parents in attendance. Warren Central High School won the large school division and Burris Laboratory School won the small school division.

I would like to thank the College of Communication faculty, Dean Edgerton, Associate Dean Savage, Director of Debate, Dr. Casey Kelly, Mae Pierce, and the Butler Speech and Debate Team for all their support for this exciting event. Faculty and students gave of themselves during the last week of classes and that means a well run tournament and, hopefully, impressed students who will want to come to Butler in the future!

Thank you

The speech team traveled to Transylvania University in Lexington, KY this past weekend. We did very well! Senior, Andrew Wray qualified for finals in Radio Broadcasting and won first place. He also placed 4th in Impromptu Story. Senior, Molly Kordas qualified for finals and then won Programmed Oral Interpretation. Sophomore, Marielle Slagel placed 3rd in Programmed Oral Interpretation and Freshman, Mallory Duncan placed 5th in Impromptu Story. We are very proud of them!

Our next exciting event is the High School tournament we are hosting here on campus on December 8. We will be host to 18 Indiana High Schools and over 200 students.

Five Butler students traveled to Bowling Green State University on November 10. Junior, Marcus Harvey qualified for the final round and placed 6th in Poetry Interpretation. Junior, Ciara Williams placed 6th in Rhetorical Criticism. Maggie Smith, Tammy Nguyen, and Marielle Slagel competed in two events each. Our next trip is Transylvania University on December 1.

This weekend the Butler University Debate Team traveled to compete at Ball State University in Muncie, IN.   Making their way to the final round of the novice division, the team of Anthony Ranieri and Phillip Tock took second place honors losing on a very close split decision (2-1) in front of a panel of three judges. Remarkably, BSU was Tony and Phillip’s first ever college debate tournament and they represented the debate team and university exceedingly well.  Join me in wishing them congratulations!

We traveled to the University of Cincinnati this past weekend. Marcus Harvey, Junior, placed 6th in After Dinner Speaking and Mallory Duncan, Freshman, placed 6th in Persuasive Speaking! GO TEAM!

We are traveling after Fall break to Ball State University for the Age of Aquarius tournament which will include speech and debate.