End of Year Squad Dinner, April 30, 2014

Roger Copenhaver

Krystal Lynes & SamRichardson

Anne Johnson & Zach Sayles

Sam Richardson, Logan, and Robyn Hemmert

Kendra Doty & Sarah Partlow Lefevre

Thanks for a great year!  

See squad award winners here.

Examples of the word cloud recognition for the debaters. 

ISU Squad Award Winners: 2013-2014

Kendra Doty, ISU Debater of the Year.

Matea Ivanovic, ISU Debater of the Year.

Samantha Richardson, ISU Squad Spirit Award.

Roger Copenhaver, ISU Squad Service Award.

Mike Eyre & Sasha Ivanovic, Most Improved Debate Team.

Robyn Hemmert & Anne Johnson, ISU Novice Debate Tea of the Year.

Brock Sondrup & Jakob Meng, ISU Junior Varsity Debate Team of the Year.

Kendra Doty & Matea Ivanovic, ISU Senior Debate Team of the Year.

Congratulations to all our debaters!
See pictures from the dinner here.

Debate Video Shoot - Set Up

We are looking forward to our new debate video.  Stay tuned.  We should have it posted in a couple of weeks.

Krystal Lynes

Ryan Barber and Krystal Lynes Checking the Lights.

Ryan Barber, Krystal Lynes and Travis Williams Setting Up.

Robyn Hemmert & Anne Johnson

Robyn Hemmert & Anne Johnson

Debaters Competed at the College of Southern Idaho on March 8-9, 2014

The James M & Sharon E. Rupp debate society competed at the Pi Kappa Delta regional tournament hosted by the College of Southern Idaho on March 8-9.  The team competed in both NPDA style debate and in individual platform speaking events including communication analysis, extemporaneous, and impromptu.  This was the last competition of the 2013-2014 season for the NPDA debaters.  The policy team will compete twice more at the CEDA and NDT national tournaments at the end of March.

Highlights of the weekend included:   

* Anne Johnson and Robyn Nicole Hemmert having a winning record but missing clearing on points. Anne and Robyn won 75% of their debates and were the 5th seed.  Anne and Robyn have competed at several tournaments this year - always against much more experienced teams.  It was a great opportunity for them to see what they could do when pitted against teams with equal experience.  As Robyn stated, "This was an amazing way to finish up our college debate careers.  Anne Johnson you were the best debate partner ever!" Both Anne and Robyn are seniors.  While we are sad to see them go, we wish them luck and many future successes.  Also, a little bird said that the team might see Anne again in the role of assistant coach and/or judge.

Anne Johnson and Robyn Hemmert at CSI.

* Samantha Richardson was ranked as the first speaker in Round 2 of NPDA debate.  She was also ranked as the 12th speaker in her division of NPDA debate.  Sam gained valuable experience giving several platform speeches in both Extemporaneous and Impromptu.  Sam demonstrated enthusiasm, willingness to try everything, and a continually positive outlook.  Sam is a graduating senior.  She will be missed.  In a recent facebook post, Sam said, "I am more than thankful for the privilege of being able to be a part of Idaho State University - Parli Debate.  I'm sad to see the debate chapter of my life go, but I can't wait to utilize the concepts I've learned in life."

* Krystal Lynes was ranked first in Round 2 of Impromptu.  The judge noted, "I can't tell you how much I appreciate that you took the prompt and developed it into your own thesis.  You . . . gave the deepest analysis and the most original presentation."  She was also ranked as the 11th speaker in her division of NPDA debate. Krystal showed a willingness to step in at the last minute and to keep going even when facing adversity.  We are looking forward to seeing great things from Krystal next year.

Krystal Lynes and Samantha Richardson at CSI

* Cody Harrison and Samantha Bollinger were able to join the team for the last day of the tournament and to participate in Impromptu. The coaches were glad they took the time to drive out and spend time with the team on Sunday.  We are happy to have Samantha Bollinger back in the fall.

Anne Johnson, Cody Harrison, Robyn Hemmert, Samantha Bollinger, Krystal Lynes, and Samantha Richardson at CSI.

Anne Johnson, Dr. Sarah Partlow Lefevre, and Robyn Hemmert.

Samantha Richardson, Assistant Coach Ryan Barber, and Krystal Lines.

Debaters Present at Academic Conference.

Robyn Hemmert presenting at the conference.
Photo by Anne Johnson, debate team member.

ISU debaters Matea Ivanovič, Kendra Doty, Roger Copenhaver, and Robyn Hemmert all presented at the Janet C. Anderson Center's 10th Annual Gender and Sexuality Conference. Director of Debate, Sarah T. Partlow Lefevre also participated in the conference. 

• Kendra Doty presented a paper titled Do Stereotypes Regarding Pregnant and Parenting Teenagers Change with an Increase in Education?

• Matea Ivanovic was on a student panel discussing Gender Performance in American Literature.

• Roger Copenhaver presented a paper titled Queering Education: Challenging the Epistemic Privilege Given to Heteronormativity in the Classroom.

• Robyn Hemmert presented a paper titled Moms Rising to Equality: A Movement's Rhetorical Strategies in Context.  

• Sarah T. Partlow Lefevre presented a paper titled (Im)perfecting Princesses: Entelechy and the Comic Corrective in Audience Depictions of Disney Princesses.  

 
 

Dr. Partlow Lefevre & Roger Copenhaver after their presentations.

Idaho State Seniors Win the Mukai Classic at Weber State University

The Idaho State University Debate team finished off the fall semester with another big win. Seniors Matea Ivanovic (Boise, ID) and Kendra Doty (Boise, ID) won The Weber State Mukai College Classic on the weekend of November 23^rd. This was the 3^rd tournament win and the 4^th final round appearance for the Idaho State Debate Team this semester. It was also the second tournament win for the seniors. Additionally Ivanovic was given the honors of the top individual speaker at the tournament, while Doty was honored as the 4^th best speaker.

Ivanovic and Doty continue to show that they are among the best in the nation. Currently, Ivanovic and Doty with an overall win percentage of 78.4% have the fifth highest win percentage in the nation. In single elimination debates they have a win percentage of 88.9% and are the third most winning team in elimination debates in the nation. This puts them above teams from Harvard, George Mason University, Georgetown University, The University of Michigan, The University of Kansas, Wake Forest University, and California State University at Berkley, to name a few.

The team as a whole has had an outstanding semester with three tournament wins and several speaker awards.  In September, Doty and Ivanovic won the Jesuit Debates at Gonzaga with a 90% win percentage.  Ivanovic was also named the top speaker at Gonzaga. 

Kendra Doty, Lindsay Vanluvanee, & Matea Ivanovic.  Photo by Sarah T. Partlow Lefevre.

In October, the Junior Varsity debaters had strong showings at both Lewis and Clark College and The University of Puget Sound.  Sam Bollinger (Pocatello, ID) and Andrew Hoth (Boise, ID) took second in the Junior Varsity division at Lewis and Clark College where there were 250 debate entries from 47 different schools from 13 states. Bollinger was recognized as the top speaker at the tournament, while Hoth was recognized as the third speaker.

Also in October, debaters Brock Sondrup (Idaho Falls, ID) and Jakob Meng (Idaho Falls, ID) won the Junior Varsity division at the University of Puget Sound Logger debate tournament.  Sondrup and Meng did not lose a single debate on their way to victory.  Also in Tacoma, Meng was recognized as the 2^nd best speaker. Sondrup was awarded the 3^rd place speaking award. 

Other students representing the James M. & Sharon E. Rupp Debate Society this semester included: Mike Eyre (Boise, ID), Anne Johnson (Pocatello, ID), Robyn Hemmert (Soda Springs, ID), Samantha Richardson (Boise, ID), Zach Sayles (Rupert, ID), and Sasha Ivanovic (Boise, ID).

“I keep thinking the team can’t get any better.  But, the debaters always seem to exceed my expectations with one more win or another speaker award.  I could not be happier with the effort and dedication put forward by each and every member of the team this past semester,” said Sarah Partlow-Lefevre, Director of the James M. & Sharon E. Rupp Debate Society. 

“The team had such an impressive first semester,” said assistant coach Roger Copenhaver. “I can’t wait to see the extraordinary things the debaters will do in the spring.”

Currently, the debaters are heading to finals and winter break.  But, competition will resume next semester as the team travels to tournaments at the University of North Texas, The University of Utah, Weber State University, Whitman College, The University of Texas at Austin, the District 2 Tournament hosted by Idaho State University, and CEDA Nationals & the National Debate Tournament at The University of Indiana, Bloomington.

Kendra Doty.  Photo by Sarah T. Partlow Lefevre.

Matea Ivanovic.  Photo by Sarah T. Partlow Lefevre.

Idaho State Takes Second Place at Lewis and Clark

Idaho State University sophomores Samantha Bollinger and Andrew Hoth took second place in the Junior Varsity division at the Lewis and Clark Debate Tournament in Portland, OR on the weekend of October 12-13, 2013. Bollinger was recognized as the top speaker at the tournament, while Hoth was recognized as the third speaker. 

The sophomore team entered the tournament that hosted 250 debate entries from 47 different schools in 13 states. Bollinger and Hoth finished preliminary debates with an undefeated 6-0 record and entered single elimination debates as the top seed. Their wins were against teams from The University of Washington, Western Washington University, The University of Nevada at Reno, and Boise State University. Their one loss came in the final round against Whitman College.

Andre Hoth & Samantha Bollinger at Lewis and Clark.  Photo by Sarah T. Partlow Lefevre.

This tournament marked a first for the Idaho State Debate Team. They were new to competing in parliamentary debate sanctioned by the National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA).  This type of debate requires broad knowledge of current events and debate skills.  It is particularly challenging because there is a different topic in each debate.  Debaters must also be prepared to debate all sides of any given topic.  Over two days, the Idaho State students debated the government shut down, the federal minimum wage, U. S. military presence in Africa, the Iranian nuclear program, undocumented immigrants, the Employment Non Discrimination Act, the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, and National Security Agency surveillance programs. 

The James M. & Sharon E. Rupp Debate Society fielded four teams in three different divisions. In addition to Hoth and Bollinger, the following students participated: Aljosa Ivanovic, Mike Eyre, Robyn Hemmert, Anne Johnson, Zach Sayles, and Samantha Richardson.

“We were nervous trying out a new form of debate,” said Sarah Partlow Lefevre, Director of the Rupp Debate Society.  “But, this early success bodes well for our ability to be competitive in the parliamentary format.  All the debaters did a great job and learned a lot about many topics.”

“This was the season opener for many of our teams and our first time attending the Lewis and Clark Tournament. Our success at this tournament shows promise for another successful year for ISU debate. Our team values a tradition of excellence and I am excited to see the debaters continue in their success,” said assistant debate coach, Roger Copenhaver.

The team will travel to the University of Puget Sound, Wake Forest, and Weber State University over the remainder of the fall semester.  The next tournament will be held at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA during the weekend of October 25-28, 2013.

Front Row: Sasha Ivanovic, Zach Sayles, Samantha Bollinger, Andrew Hoth, Roger Copenhaver.  Back Row: Anne Johnson, Robyn Hemmert, Samantha Richardson, Mike Eyre.  Photo by Sarah T. Partlow Lefere.