LSUS Debate Tournament

CHEYANN: EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN OPINIONS. THIS YEAR LSUS HELD THE 44TH ANNUAL RED RIVER CLASSIC DEBATE AND FORENSICS CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT. JAMES BOND: “In addition to the regular debate, we have team debate as well, and then we’ve got individual speaking events such as persuasive events, impromptu, we have poetry readings that are competitive as well as we have extemporaneous speeches.” KAITLYN: STUDENTS FROM 16 COLLEGES COMPETED WITH A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS. JOHN LUKE HUDSON: “You can have anything from about Brett Kavanaugh to like Star Wars. Just anything that can have difference of opinion is up for debate.” CHEYANN: THE COMPETITION IS A FAST PACED ENVIRONMENT. THERE IS ONLY ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR TO PREPARE THEIR DEBATES. KAITLYN: THIS INCLUDES THE TIME IT TAKES TO WALK TO THE CLASSROOM WHERE THE DEBATE WILL TAKE PLACE. SO STUDENTS REALLY ONLY HAVE ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES TO BUILD A CASE ON THEIR TOPIC WHICH THEY MAY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. James Bond: “You get really good at thinking on your feet, doing a lot of research very quickly, making connections from things that you learned previously that might of not of otherwise thought of.” CHEYANN: WHILE THE WHOLE WEEKEND REVOLVED AROUND COMPETETION, IN THE END, ALL THE COMPETEITORS ARE IN THIS SPORT, STRIVING TO BETTER THEMSELVES. James Bond: “Even though we’re competing against each other, even though they are our opponents at times, we’re kind of all in this together.” KAITLYN: A LITTLE FRIENDLY COMPETITION NEVER HURTS. AND NOW YOU KNOW, IM KAITLYN GIBSON CHEYANN: AND IM CHEYANN BORDELON WITH ALMAGEST STUDENT NEWS.