Class of 2019
Harry Aaronson—Indiana AD
4x NDT qualifier. 4 different partners. 3rd speaker 2019 NDT. 2019 NDT Elim Participant. 2019 Navy tournament champion. First graduating class of the new Indiana debate program.
Lincoln: I hold folks who are program builders and help take teams to new heights in special esteem. Well done Harry.
Swapnil Agrawal---Georgia AR
4x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid. 3rd in 2019. 3x Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Quartefinalist. 2019 ADA National Champion. 2019 Dartmouth RR Champion.
Hays: Swap/Advait debated together at every tournament during their career except 2016 ADA Nats. Stupek/Advait debated together at BC and almost beat Hemanth/David Herman in the prelims, Jackie Poapst judged it. Yes, Stupek was a 2a that tourney.
Victoria: Most people know Swap as the 2A of Georgia AR (because Swap literally never debated with anyone but Advait in college which is really cool). But Swap is so much more than that. Not only did he win the prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship (the Chinese version of the Rhodes Scholarship and was on the front page of UGA’s website for over a week), he once managed to juggle a full-time ACLU internship, undergraduate research, and earning a first round in a single semester. He’s the smartest person I know and the best multitasker, who always seems to find time for a social life and friends.
Reece Aguilar---UNLV AW
3x NDT qualifier. 2x NDT Elim Participant.
Jake: Reece carved out an interesting niche for himself in this community, and found great success in it. Reece’s flexibility was a huge asset competitively, and it meant he could push himself and those around him to think about arguments in new, unique ways. Some of the most fruitful discussions I’d have about debate theory and practice were with Reece, and I’m sure I’ll be reflecting on some of those things for years. Reece underwent a lot of competitive and personal growth over the years, and I’m happy he got to end this last NDT as a Super Saiyan on his terms.
James Allen---Binghamton AY
3x NDT qualifier. First Round Bid 2019. First in Binghamton debate history. 2019 CEDA Semifinalist. 2018 CEDA Quarterfinalist.
Joe Schatz: They are two of the hardest working students I have come across who both give not only for themselves but for their team. Jefferey has been the team captain for two years and James has served as both the team's president and vice-president. They have both helped navigate conflicts, arrange team-wide prep sessions, and have always given back to the team in meaningful ways.
Sam Basler---Gonzaga BM
2x NDT Qualifier.
Michelle Borbon---Harvard BG
NDT qualifier 2019. NDT Elim Participant 2019.
Gen: Genuinely one of the kindest people I've met. There was never a moment at a tournament when I felt left out when Michelle was there, she always leaned into making friends and including everyone in festivities.
Lincoln: Former labbie! So happy they continued debating in college. One of the nicest people in debate and great Twitter presence.
Kristen: Did college debate in the way many well-rounded people do: successfully but in balance with her other academic and extra-curricular commitments for most of college and then decided to make a strong competitive commitment to it her senior year. I find this monumental. A lot of students feel like they cast themselves into a supporting role on a team and then believe they're stuck there. As a senior, Michelle decided she wanted to be a serious competitor and ended up clearing at the NDT by the end of the year. It's never too late to decide you want to win it, and it doesn't have to come at the expense of being decent. What she did is an impeccable model of that.
Cedric Bonsol---Rochester
Jefferson: He never broke at a national tournament but he has had decent success regionally, I remember that he made it all the way to finals of the Cornell Tournament on the climate change topic with a novice and also while making and learning a whole new set of arguments.
Alex Brown---MSU BP
2x NDT Qualifier.
Gen: I knew Alex would be killer after the several (read: probably close to 100) politics speeches he gave when we were partners at camp. Everything Alex did in college supported that original notion: he was a fearsome opponent and certainly most underrated states cp 2nc of the healthcare topic. Congrats & whatever comes next, I'm sure you'll kick ass!
Nick Charles---WGA CC
4-time NDT qualifier.
Parker Coon---Mary Washington CL
Adrienne: Parker Coon - Bakersfield, CA - 4 time qualifier
Gabe Lewis - Herriman, UT - 3 time qualifier
GDI scholars
Came all the way across the US to debate for a small school in Virginia
Both were primarily K debaters in high school, became top-notch politics debaters in college
Notably have had multiple politics disads and affs swiped by other teams over their time in college
Helped write the executive power topic paper
Had what was probably the biggest upset win of the tourney at this year's NDT
Cameron Dehmlow Dunne---Indiana AD
Delo: Graduating as a junior. While his freshman and sophomore years did not bring nearly the accolades he and Harry obtained this past year, his selfless file production during those early year’s resulted in a high percentage of IU’s neg wins. He’s quirky, loves Deleuze, memes and the politics DA. He’s quintessential IU debate.
Chris Fry---Kansas FM
Bricker: 2x ndt qualifier, debated w/ will, then nick massa, also debated w/ bradley harris @ ceda, first to cut and read an aff in every area
Gen: shave your beard. But actually, I'm glad that I had your goofy personality and lighthearted comments to keep everything fun this year.
Sean Gaskey—UTSA
Ashley: she began debate as a true novice, won our team's Most Improved award last year for stepping up to get better, has contributed to the team in public debates and recruiting situations, won a bunch of speaker awards, and supported the local high school circuit in San Antonio.
Alex Gazmararian---Emory GS
3x NDT qualifier. 3x First Round Bid. 6th, 6th, 4th consecutively. NDT quarterfinalist 2019. 2019 Julia Burke award winner.
Kristen: Was functionally an Emory student before I was. He showed up to Emory team meetings as a high school student and just nodded every time someone spoke. If the team was disputing something, he would nod his head in vigorous agreement after every point. It was weird and awesome. It's also a testament to his skill that people forget his background: Gaz was one of the worst debaters to show up to Emory during my time there and had never been coached. He was not a natural, and his growth also wasn't a result of being tossed into a big team with lots of coaches. He owns ALL of his success. Every ounce of it. Whoever the kid on your team is who wants it the most, they don't want it as much as Gaz did. He got it because he wanted it, he humbled himself for it, and he earned it. Awesome stuff.
Liliana: Anyone and everyone can speak to Gaz’s limitless work ethic — he works harder at debate than anyone else, period. I want to talk about Gaz as a teammate. Always friendly, always beyond kind, and always willing to go so far out of his way to help the people around him. In his own words (repeated at every squad meeting and tournament), “get hyped, stay hyped.” Gaz is what debate should be.
Jonathan Gibson—Georgetown
Mikaela: Jonathan Gibson, graduating senior, represents everything that is good about Georgetown Debate. He has quietly been an indispensable pillar of Georgetown's research efforts for the past 4 years. We could not have functioned without him, and he has set the bar for future Georgetown debaters incredibly high. He also improved more in the 2 years that I had the pleasure of coaching him than most people do in their entire college careers. It pains me to no end that he did not get to debate at the NDT his senior year, but he took it in incredible stride and even turned down the opportunity to debate at ADA because he felt that his debates at the D7 tournament, while just missing the mark of qualification, represented his best work (beating several higher-ranked teams who would go on to qualify for the NDT; winning debates on work that he did; defeating kritiks that had been his nemesis). He absolutely crushed the NDT as well, cranking out file after file without blinking or missing a beat. Jonathan is also just a wonderful, kind, thoughtful person. He will be working for Bryan Stevenson's Equal Justice Initiative next year (https://eji.org/) and we couldn't be prouder of him.
Jacob Goldschlag---Michigan GW
3x NDT qualifier. 2019 First Round Bid. 2x NDT Elim Participant. 2018 NDT Semifinalist. 2x Hoosier Invitational Champion.
Val: Jacob is really the heart and soul of Michigan debate. Caitlin and I often joke that Jacob is "whatever the opposite of toxic masculinity is." He's sweet, honest, caring, empathetic, hilarious and insanely hard-working. He's the exact kid that every coach wants on their team - he really genuinely cares about everyone and wants to make sure they feel comfortable, safe and can be their best. His ability to somehow stay calm under pressure is something I just will never fully understand but I deeply envy. GW has had a lot of success over the years and I think as a result people have really slept on just how much Jacob has improved as a debater - like he was always good but watching him prepare for the NDT, I was blown away by how hard he worked to improve and be at his best for his last tournament. GW's aff win record was something that any team might envy and Jacob's mastery over the affs he wrote or prepped is a huge part of the reason.
Gen: One of the most laid back people I've met in debate -- he is super easy to talk to, enjoyable to debate, and brought a level of even-headedness to debate that I aspire to have.
Sam Gustavson---Iowa GL
Rubaie: National Champion and 5th Speaker, CEDA 2018. Semifinalist CEDA 2019. Reached the semifinals of half the national tournaments while going 24-5 on the neg. No one did more to take fiat away from teams with plans or to somehow win PICs against those who didn't. He did all of it while going 5 miles per hour. Sam has a heart of gold and a strategic mind like no other.
Michael Harrington---Liberty HT
Hagwood: Michael Harrington - Started as a novice debater. Won ADA in both JV and Novice. Won JV Novice Nats in JV (Co-Champ) and Novice as well. FRALB. 2X Octa-finalist at the NDT. 2019 CEDA Quaterfinalist. 3rd speaker CEDA 2019. Brick City RR Champs. Took a ballot off BT
Gen: I have only really known Mike for a couple of months, yet he is the single most inspiring and upbeat person I have ever met. Watching him debate gives me energy on long elim days, and he is endlessly reminding the people around him that they kick ass. We need more people like that in the community.
Cecilia: I met Michael during his freshman year at West Point. We bonded while grabbing breakfast, and bonded even more watching JMU vs Liberty in the finals. Michael pushes the bounds of argumentation, while always having a kind word to say to everyone he meets. Michael is hilarious and has a phenomenal sense of style, and I am proud to call him best friend.
Jacob Hegna---Kansas FM
3x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid. 2x NDT Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Semifinalist. 2019 NDT Top Speaker.
Bricker: loves math.
Katz: likes anime (almost as much as he likes math).
Jeffrey Horn---UNLV HS
4x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid. 3rd place in 2018. 3x NDT Elim Participant. 2018 NDT Quarterfinalist.
Kristen: Hold a special place in my heart as debaters from Nevada. A lot of people don't know what it's like to try to fight to keep debate a live in a state where it's dying. It's really hard just to get the chance to debate. It's such a feat to do it successfully. Their success and what they did at UNLV is cool in its own right, but it also will help keep debate alive in a place where a lot of smart, coach-less kids never get a chance. It makes me tearful saying that - what an important impact to have.
Jake: Jeffrey was a 4-time NDT qualifier, 3-time NDT elim round participant, 3rd place prebid and quarterfinalist in 2018. To this day, I could not tell you how Jeffrey Horn does what he does. His energy and drive are boundless. From the first day I worked with him my first year of being UNLV’s ADOD, he would always take his research assignments, and come back with twice the strategies he was supposed to come up with and want to talk through 3 more that were half-done. Jeff’s intellectual curiosity and creativity are unmatched. For every convoluted, irrelevant (albeit academically thought-provoking) rabbit hole there was at least one major argument innovation. The most obvious ones are his absolute counterplan supervillainy- the man had an absurd win-rate having the states do everything under the sun, pioneered the 2NR counterplan, and concocted the treaty counterplan. But he was also the driving force behind the sanctions good affs, the twist of turning our DAs into additional counterplans, and adding the depth to most of anything we had serious depth on. Jeff made history for our squad, and left an indelible mark on the intellectual development of strategic debating. Wherever he sets his sights next, I’m sure he’ll have just as much of an impact if not more. Working with Jeff has been a privilege of the highest order, and I’ve learned a tremendous amount from the experience.
Nicolas Juarez---OU JS
3x NDT qualifer. 2x First Round Bid Team. 3x NDT Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Octafinalist. 2019 + 2018 CEDA Octafinalist
Ryan Katz---Pittsburgh
Calum: Ryan Katz was Pitt’s only senior. He improved dramatically in his four years, and is volunteering for the team next year despite also enrolling in a rigorous science grad program.
Cole Kostelny—Minnesota
DCH: Cole is the heart of Minnesota Debate, and has been for several years. He is a D4 champion, a three-time NDT qualifier, and once you crack his brusque, blue collar exterior, one of the kindest people in debate. He has always volunteered to take the toughest assignments, has given innumerable practice speeches, and selflessly gives his time to helping less experienced debaters on both the Minnesota debate team and as a coach for the MNUDL. His presence will be missed, and the Gopher coaches and debaters hope that he bags his deer early next fall so that he will be able to travel as a judge with us to a few invitational tournaments.
Gabe Lewis---Mary Washington CL
Adrienne: Parker Coon - Bakersfield, CA - 4 time qualifier
Gabe Lewis - Herriman, UT - 3 time qualifier
GDI scholars
Came all the way across the US to debate for a small school in Virginia
Both were primarily K debaters in high school, became top-notch politics debaters in college
Notably have had multiple politics disads and affs swiped by other teams over their time in college
Helped write the executive power topic paper
Had what was probably the biggest upset win of the tourney at this year's NDT
Sam Leyba---Kansas State EL
2019 NDT Qualifier. 2019 CEDA double-octafinalist
Mcvey: Sam went to High School in Kansas, debated in college at Weber for a while before transferring to K-State. He qualified for the NDT the first time as a senior. Sam likes to pretend that he never actually cared about qualifying for the NDT. His K-Debate Cool Kid credentials made him all about that CEDA life. But his work effort before the district tournament gave lie to that idea that he didn't care about the Big Dance. Sam worked his ass off, pulled off some big wins at Districts, climbed the rankings from the 21st team in the pre-tournament district rankings to the 8th team to qualify out of D3, helping K-State return to the NDT after a three year hiatus. Sam's the president of both the Debate Team and Philosophy Club, and also works a part time job as a Barista to help put himself through school. He's also the debate community's preeminent meme dealer, although he does like to get high on his own supply. He's really funny, kind, intelligent, and cares deeply about philosophy and the arguments that he makes in debate.
Geordano Liriano---Iowa GL
Rubaie: National Champion, CEDA 2018 and 6th Speaker, Northwestern 2019. 2019 CEDA semifinalist. Reached the semifinals of half the nationals while going 20-13 against First Round applicants. No one introduced more "new sheets" or did more to mess with the other team's CX. Geo is a walking encyclopedia, a born leader, a loyal friend, and (by a good margin) the funniest person in debate.
Jesse Love---Michigan LR
ADA double octafinalist.
Val: Jesse started college debate as a novice and over four years developed into an outstanding debater as well as an amazing teammate. He loves debate and he wanted to go to as many tournaments as possible with whoever needed a partner, regardless of argument preferences. He wanted to experiment with arguments all over the argumentative spectrum and constantly innovate and try new things. I was especially impressed with the fact that Jesse was the top speaker of an open tournament (Wayne State), his junior year, which I think encapsulates how far Jesse came from starting college as a novice. Jesse is also just an outstanding teammate and an incredibly positive presence on the team who always has his teammates' backs, is always willing to help out and always has an encouraging word for everyone.
Lauren Luciani---Cornell LT
Armands: They went to the NDT twice - their junior and senior year. Both times they qualified for the NDT via directly qualifying from the districts tournament in D8. In CEDA 2017 they were in octafinals. In 2019 CEDA double-octafinalists.
Lincoln: I will always remember Cornell LT for GSU on healthcare and popping BT on medicalizaton and demonstrating Truf did not know how K Affs worked until after that debate.
Ayush Midha---Harvard CM
3x NDT qualifier. 3x First Round Bid. Copeland winner 2017, 2nd in 2018, 2nd in 2019. NDT semifinalist and 2x quarterfinalist. Won 6 tournaments in college.
Kristen: When I coached him he said thank you for everything. It is one of the most memorable parts of my time working at Harvard. I would do the thing I was literally getting paid to do and he would say thank you no matter how small. As a coach, that type of gratitude makes a world of difference. He's the best human I know with talent of that caliber.
And also managed to win the Dartmouth RR like 3 days before taking the MCAT and crushing it.... which is insane.
Isabella Minter---USMA
Patrice: Isabella Minter never debated in her life until she showed up as a first year at the U.S. Military Academy. She proceeded to win Novice Nationals her first year and her only reward was to replace the most successful Army debater in half a century on the top team. She qualified for the NDT that year and went out in Doubles of CEDA. Then, when she was the anchor of the top team, she qualified again and lost in Doubles again. This year, partnership changes kept her from applying for a second round and she failed to qualify out of Districts by one runoff ballot. The region honored her with the Michael K. Davis Award as the most successful varsity debater who began their career as a novice.
Cecilia: Bella is a delight to interact with. She cares about each member of her team, and has worked tirelessly to support black women at West Point and especially increase the participation of black women at West Point debate. She is fiercely intelligent, and always gives the best hugs. Her smiling face lights up a room. It was a joy to face her, judge her, and be her friend.
Jazmine Pickens—OU PW
2019 CEDA champion (27 out of 29 ballots), 3x NDT qualifier. 2019 First Round Bid. 2x NDT Elim Participant. 2018 NDT Quarterfinalist. 2019 USC champion. 2019 and 2018 Weber champions.
Jyleesa: A fierce competitor with a wit and sharp tounge that will have you shaking. Always bringing great looks and always looking out for the black woman around her. I Stan and I thank you for your time in collegaite debate.
Advait Ramanan—Georgia AR
4x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid. 3rd in 2019. 3x Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Quartefinalist. 2019 ADA National Champion. 2019 ADA Nationals Top Speaker. 2019 Dartmouth RR Champion.
Hays: Swap/Advait debated together at every tournament during their career except 2016 ADA Nats. Stupek/Advait debated together at BC and almost beat Hemanth/David Herman in the prelims, Jackie Poapst judged it. Yes, Stupek was a 2a that tourney.
Nathan Rice—Georgia RS
4x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid. 3x NDT Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Finalist.
Gen: I could write paragraphs about Nathan to demonstrate how genuinely kind he is and how much he supported the small school community in Georgia. From the second I met Nathan, it was all support and kindness, with no hesitation to share the immense amount of work that he did with us, despite the high probability that we would debate one another. Perhaps that was because he knew he would kick our ass regardless (true), but more likely it was because Nathan cared deeply about our success equally as much as he did his own. I could never suggest I didn't have a big team in high school, because even though the number of people who debated for my high school was small, the number of people who showed up, cut cards, supported us, and worked with us without asking for anything in return was enormous, and Nathan was an integral part of that feeling.
Lincoln: he read like 4 Affs over the course of 4 topics. A visionary.
Kristen: Just feel the need to say this dude should make everyone's All Time Draft list. He's certainly high on mine. I've got some serious love and respect for him AND Johnnie.
Hays: Nathan Rice won the following ADA tournaments in his career - Vandy (frosh), Liberty (soph), Navy (soph), Miami twice (soph and junior). Two-time third place finisher at ADA Nats (soph and senior). Unsure who else can match that kind of success in the ADA (at least at the varsity level).
Jacinda Rivas---Kentucky HR
2019 NDT Qualifier
Lincoln: Jacinda made great strides as a debater. Humble beginnings to beating first round teams and being in contention to clear at the NDT. The way Kentucky runs is unique and requires unique debaters and Jacinda was just the debater we needed when she stepped onto the team. New perspective, new skills, new needs all helped me grow as a coach. Ambition like Jacinda’s is infectious and she kept her head down and kept working. With a debater like that, you feel bad when they don’t achieve everything they want, and I wish I could have helped her more. I hope she is proud of the way she left UK debate.
Gen: Despite this being the fourth time that I have written something about your career in debate, I still don't feel like I've emphasized enough the influence you've had on me as a person and debater, or on Kentucky as a squad. There will not be a place I go in Lexington that we don't share an awesome memory, and there won't be a debate function where I don't think about the things missing because you aren't there (for example: no la croix at work week, no one passed out for the entire drive to tournaments, something something the procurement cp). Regardless of where you end up next year, they will be lucky to have you.
Christine Rogers---Michigan LR
ADA Double-Octafinalist
Val: Christine has developed over four years from debating in JV to having winning records at majors and clearing at the ADA championship. She's a brilliant and deep thinker who is incredibly fun to talk through and innovate arguments with. Her approach to debate has always been on her own terms, which I respect so much. She never wanted to just copy what other people were doing but instead to develop and deploy arguments her way. She's sweet and funny and a great teammate as well.
Cecilia: Christine and I met when she was assigned to ride with me as I drove to the WDI (she didn’t die but we came close). Christine is wildly intelligent, and is a wonderful presence to be around. I love seeing her at tournaments, and I know she will be successful in any avenue she pursues.
Kris Samuels---Liberty MS
2x NDT qualifier. 2018 NDT Octafinalist.
Gen: Underrated kick ass debater and lowkey hilarious person. From the list of things Kris shared that he might be doing next year, I have no doubt he is also brilliant in school.
Cecilia: Kris is literally one of the kindest human beings on the planet. He genuinely cares about each person he interacts with, and will remember details that you forgot you told him. It has been a joy to see him on the circuit, and I know he will go on to accomplish great things.
Brennan Schartz---UMKC
2018 NDT qualifer. UNI Champion
Ember Smith---UNLV HS
2019 NDT Qualifier. 2019 First Round Bid. 2019 NDT Elim Participant.
Kristen: Hold a special place in my heart as debaters from Nevada. A lot of people don't know what it's like to try to fight to keep debate a live in a state where it's dying. It's really hard just to get the chance to debate. It's such a feat to do it successfully. Their success and what they did at UNLV is cool in its own right, but it also will help keep debate alive in a place where a lot of smart, coach-less kids never get a chance. It makes me tearful saying that - what an important impact to have.
Jake: If one were to devise a blueprint for the perfect debater to work with, I think the prototype would end up pretty close to Ember Smith. She was always committed to growth, improvement and self-reflection in debate and in life. Her stunningly fast journey through all the stages of debate life (frosh finding her place on a new squad, 4-4 sophomore hungry for the 5th win, taking some time off to study abroad in Spain, all the way to safe first-round all-star) wouldn’t have been possible without her willingness to not take success for granted and ability to bounce back and learn from mistakes. Ember was always looking to make sure she knew what was and wasn’t working so she could make the necessary changes. She took advice readily and quickly from other debaters, judges and coaches. I am so proud to have seen her grow in to the ruthlessly efficient, smart, funny debater other first round teams were stealing advantages from. Every step of the way, she deserved to be there and more. On top of all that, she’s been an outstanding team leader and friend to all of our squad and to me. She has great things ahead of her, and I’m excited to see them.
Jacob Smith---OU JS
2x NDT qualifier. 2019 First Round Bid. 2x NDT Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Octafinalist. 2019 + 2018 CEDA Octafinalist.
Johnnie Stupek---Georgia RS
3x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid. 3x NDT Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Finalist.
Gen: Johnnie has always been above the fray of debate, just chill, level-headed, and ready to get shit done (One might describe his personality similar to that of a whale. Idk. Lots of things to say about Whales and Johnnie, from everyone). I admire that immensely.
Hays: Stupek went 2-6 at Wake as a frosh. Finished as an NDT finalist. Mic drop.
Bri Thomas---Liberty HT
Hagwood: Bri Thomas - Startef as a novice debater. Co-Champion of JV/Novice Nats in JV. FRALB. Octa-finalist at the NDT. 2019 CEDA Quaterfinalist + Top Speaker. Top 10 speaker at every national. Brick City RR Champs. Took a ballot off BT
Cecilia: Brianna is fierce in all aspects of life. She has an impeccable sense of fashion, and a magnetic personality. She makes everyone feel welcome in the community, and no matter how well she is doing at a tournament she always has a kind word for a friend. She also has a multitude of talents, and it is a joy to hear any argument or song to come out of her mouth.
Nicholas Tilmes---Cornell LT
Armands: They went to the NDT twice - their junior and senior year. Both times they qualified for the NDT via directly qualifying from the districts tournament in D8. In CEDA 2017 they were in octafinals. In 2019 CEDA double-octafinalist.
Adam Tomasi---Wake MT
JGreen: Adam is the hardest working people to ever walk in Carswell Hall; along with Reed Van Schenck, the two of them far exceeded our definition of success: "set high goals for yourself and in the process of giving it all you got, make yourself a better person". They not only made themselves better, but made everyone who walked into the doors our squad better people as well. Adam has always been the first to volunteer to help when we host, the first to help find great evidence for other teams on any argument, the first to volunteer for practice debates. His boundless optimism was never built upon reciprocation, but upon a true love for the game and more importantly, the people in it. He's directly off to PhD school in History next year at Northeastern. #tomasiswagalwaysinthebuilding
Ethan Uhlig---UCF CU
Seth: While Ethan made it to open for the first time in his college career this season, this did not hold him back from accomplishing some pretty wild things while on the UCF debate team. Last season he went 4-4 at CEDA and saw much success in the JV division. Due to the seasons of change which have existed at the University of Central Florida over the past few years he has had the opportunity to compete in every format of collegiate debate except BP. He has been a joy to work with, and his wealth of knowledge will be missed by the team.
Reed Van Schenck---Wake HV
JGreen: Reed is one the hardest working people to ever walk in Carswell Hall; along with Adam Tomasi, the two of them far exceeded our definition of success: "set high goals for yourself and in the process of giving it all you got, make yourself a better person". They not only made themselves better, but made everyone who walked into the doors our squad better people as well. They are an all star academic headed directly to PhD school at Pittsburgh in Communication, were heavily involved in campus and local activism, successfully argued for the Wake Administration to change oppressive practices, and brought more smiles to members of Wake Debate than could ever be counted. Somehow they managed to also do countless redos, waves upon waves of evidence, while serving as a team captain for the 2018-2019 season. Reed proved to all of our debaters, it is not about where you start your debate career, but how you finish it! #laborforloveloveforlabor
Brian Warren—UNLV AW
2019 NDT Qualifier. 2019 NDT Elim Participant.
Jake: Brian Warren's story in debate is one of the most inspiring I could imagine. Brian went from a spring semester walk-on to the team to debating in the elimination rounds of the NDT. Brian walked on to the team with no high school experience, fresh out of COM 217, "Argumentation and Debate" class with Jacob Thompson. Brian thought debate and its challenges were fun, and liked doing research and learning- but it was never enough for him to just learn the ropes and “be ok at it.” Early on he set his sights high and wanted to do everything he could to achieve it. In his first semester on the team, Brian and his partner were crowned novice National Champions at the 2016 CEDA Nats. Over time, Brian became one of our team’s best, most prolific researchers through grit and determination. He learned how to keep up with the top tiers of competition, until finally he entered them, and he got there writing his own affs with little assistance. All the while, he was a great guy to be around, always willing to put in extra hours to support his older and younger teammates and being genuinely appreciative of all the help he would get. And, of course, his positivity and goofiness lightened the atmosphere and made it easier to get through the hard slog debate and academics can sometimes be.
Caitlin Walrath---Michigan GW
3x NDT qualifier. 2019 First Round Bid. 2x NDT Elim Participant. 2018 NDT Semifinalist. 3x Hoosier Invitational Champion.
Val: Caitlin is a natural-born leader and has been an outstanding one for the Michigan team. She both has the biggest heart imaginable and refuses to take shit from anyone, which makes her an outstanding leader of the team - it's like having another coach who can help keep people in line and mediate problems between people on the squad. That would be enough to make any debater insanely valuable, but Caitlin's outstanding talent, argumentative brilliance and hard work make her a true MVP. She's insanely quick on her feet and can often make something out of nothing in ways I couldn't have imagined. We often joke that sometimes when things go totally off the game plan in a GW neg debate, that bodes well for us because Caitlin can adapt so well on the fly to any situation. She is a deep and critical thinker who cares deeply about engaging in the literature of her opponents both in policy debates and K debates. The combination of the depth of her knowledge about the topic and her confidence made her an unstoppable force in debates.
Gen: Caitlin has the confidence and good sense to call anyone on their bullshit -- even if it's you, thinking bullshit about yourself. She pushes the people around her to be genuine and the best version of themselves, but all the while is kind, caring, and supportive. Her no-nonsense attitude combined with her killer debate instincts and real commitment to innovating (seriously who did more research about the NWFZ's aff) made her one of the best debaters I can think of, and beyond all of that, she is an incredible, life-long friend.
Jamie Welch---Wichita LW
4x NDT Qualifier. 2019 NDT Elim Participant. Bear Shock, Joe Jackson and Pflaum champions (is that the D3 career grand slam?)
Lincoln: so honored to be there to judge your last debate. Clearing with a frosh is incredible. So much improvement over the last three years. All while doing it on the small school grind. We were so happy to debate Wichita State at nationals when I debated because it was the one D3 school that was just going to say heg bad instead of spark or Nietzsche. Thank you for keeping the program going!
Darius White---OU PW
2019 CEDA champion (27 out of 29 ballots), 2x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid Team. 2x NDT Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Octafinalist. 2018 CEDA Octafinalist. 2019 Weber and USC champions.
Jyleesa: A genuine and caring human, about his business debater and argumentative innovator. Thanks for raising the bar and putting on for all of us.
Jeffery Yan---Binghamton AY
3x NDT qualifier. 2019 First Round Bid Team. 2019 NDT Octafinalist. 2019 CEDA Semifinalist. 2018 CEDA Octafinalist.
Joe Schatz: They are two of the hardest working students I have come across who both give not only for themselves but for their team. Jefferey has been the team captain for two years and James has served as both the team's president and vice-president. They have both helped navigate conflicts, arrange team-wide prep sessions, and have always given back to the team in meaningful ways.
Greg Zoda—Baylor TZ
4x NDT qualifier, 2x NDT Elim Participant, 2018 NDT Octafinalist,
Gerber: Baylor has one graduating Senior, Mr. Greg Zoda. Greg was a 4-time NDT qualifier, (Iowa, Bham, Wichita, Minn). Greg has been in elims and won speaker awards at every national tournament throughout his career. He is one of the best researchers on planet earth. I have never coached a debater who was deeper in their own preferred lit base than Greg. He is returning to Baylor as a graduate assistant coach next season.
Lincoln: I judged Greg 11 times in college! Always a pleasure. Attempted to make his arguments sophisticated but understandable. Always love debaters who were in the cards as much as Greg.
4x NDT qualifier. 4 different partners. 3rd speaker 2019 NDT. 2019 NDT Elim Participant. 2019 Navy tournament champion. First graduating class of the new Indiana debate program.
Lincoln: I hold folks who are program builders and help take teams to new heights in special esteem. Well done Harry.
Swapnil Agrawal---Georgia AR
4x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid. 3rd in 2019. 3x Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Quartefinalist. 2019 ADA National Champion. 2019 Dartmouth RR Champion.
Hays: Swap/Advait debated together at every tournament during their career except 2016 ADA Nats. Stupek/Advait debated together at BC and almost beat Hemanth/David Herman in the prelims, Jackie Poapst judged it. Yes, Stupek was a 2a that tourney.
Victoria: Most people know Swap as the 2A of Georgia AR (because Swap literally never debated with anyone but Advait in college which is really cool). But Swap is so much more than that. Not only did he win the prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship (the Chinese version of the Rhodes Scholarship and was on the front page of UGA’s website for over a week), he once managed to juggle a full-time ACLU internship, undergraduate research, and earning a first round in a single semester. He’s the smartest person I know and the best multitasker, who always seems to find time for a social life and friends.
Reece Aguilar---UNLV AW
3x NDT qualifier. 2x NDT Elim Participant.
Jake: Reece carved out an interesting niche for himself in this community, and found great success in it. Reece’s flexibility was a huge asset competitively, and it meant he could push himself and those around him to think about arguments in new, unique ways. Some of the most fruitful discussions I’d have about debate theory and practice were with Reece, and I’m sure I’ll be reflecting on some of those things for years. Reece underwent a lot of competitive and personal growth over the years, and I’m happy he got to end this last NDT as a Super Saiyan on his terms.
James Allen---Binghamton AY
3x NDT qualifier. First Round Bid 2019. First in Binghamton debate history. 2019 CEDA Semifinalist. 2018 CEDA Quarterfinalist.
Joe Schatz: They are two of the hardest working students I have come across who both give not only for themselves but for their team. Jefferey has been the team captain for two years and James has served as both the team's president and vice-president. They have both helped navigate conflicts, arrange team-wide prep sessions, and have always given back to the team in meaningful ways.
Sam Basler---Gonzaga BM
2x NDT Qualifier.
Michelle Borbon---Harvard BG
NDT qualifier 2019. NDT Elim Participant 2019.
Gen: Genuinely one of the kindest people I've met. There was never a moment at a tournament when I felt left out when Michelle was there, she always leaned into making friends and including everyone in festivities.
Lincoln: Former labbie! So happy they continued debating in college. One of the nicest people in debate and great Twitter presence.
Kristen: Did college debate in the way many well-rounded people do: successfully but in balance with her other academic and extra-curricular commitments for most of college and then decided to make a strong competitive commitment to it her senior year. I find this monumental. A lot of students feel like they cast themselves into a supporting role on a team and then believe they're stuck there. As a senior, Michelle decided she wanted to be a serious competitor and ended up clearing at the NDT by the end of the year. It's never too late to decide you want to win it, and it doesn't have to come at the expense of being decent. What she did is an impeccable model of that.
Cedric Bonsol---Rochester
Jefferson: He never broke at a national tournament but he has had decent success regionally, I remember that he made it all the way to finals of the Cornell Tournament on the climate change topic with a novice and also while making and learning a whole new set of arguments.
Alex Brown---MSU BP
2x NDT Qualifier.
Gen: I knew Alex would be killer after the several (read: probably close to 100) politics speeches he gave when we were partners at camp. Everything Alex did in college supported that original notion: he was a fearsome opponent and certainly most underrated states cp 2nc of the healthcare topic. Congrats & whatever comes next, I'm sure you'll kick ass!
Nick Charles---WGA CC
4-time NDT qualifier.
Parker Coon---Mary Washington CL
Adrienne: Parker Coon - Bakersfield, CA - 4 time qualifier
Gabe Lewis - Herriman, UT - 3 time qualifier
GDI scholars
Came all the way across the US to debate for a small school in Virginia
Both were primarily K debaters in high school, became top-notch politics debaters in college
Notably have had multiple politics disads and affs swiped by other teams over their time in college
Helped write the executive power topic paper
Had what was probably the biggest upset win of the tourney at this year's NDT
Cameron Dehmlow Dunne---Indiana AD
Delo: Graduating as a junior. While his freshman and sophomore years did not bring nearly the accolades he and Harry obtained this past year, his selfless file production during those early year’s resulted in a high percentage of IU’s neg wins. He’s quirky, loves Deleuze, memes and the politics DA. He’s quintessential IU debate.
Chris Fry---Kansas FM
Bricker: 2x ndt qualifier, debated w/ will, then nick massa, also debated w/ bradley harris @ ceda, first to cut and read an aff in every area
Gen: shave your beard. But actually, I'm glad that I had your goofy personality and lighthearted comments to keep everything fun this year.
Sean Gaskey—UTSA
Ashley: she began debate as a true novice, won our team's Most Improved award last year for stepping up to get better, has contributed to the team in public debates and recruiting situations, won a bunch of speaker awards, and supported the local high school circuit in San Antonio.
Alex Gazmararian---Emory GS
3x NDT qualifier. 3x First Round Bid. 6th, 6th, 4th consecutively. NDT quarterfinalist 2019. 2019 Julia Burke award winner.
Kristen: Was functionally an Emory student before I was. He showed up to Emory team meetings as a high school student and just nodded every time someone spoke. If the team was disputing something, he would nod his head in vigorous agreement after every point. It was weird and awesome. It's also a testament to his skill that people forget his background: Gaz was one of the worst debaters to show up to Emory during my time there and had never been coached. He was not a natural, and his growth also wasn't a result of being tossed into a big team with lots of coaches. He owns ALL of his success. Every ounce of it. Whoever the kid on your team is who wants it the most, they don't want it as much as Gaz did. He got it because he wanted it, he humbled himself for it, and he earned it. Awesome stuff.
Liliana: Anyone and everyone can speak to Gaz’s limitless work ethic — he works harder at debate than anyone else, period. I want to talk about Gaz as a teammate. Always friendly, always beyond kind, and always willing to go so far out of his way to help the people around him. In his own words (repeated at every squad meeting and tournament), “get hyped, stay hyped.” Gaz is what debate should be.
Jonathan Gibson—Georgetown
Mikaela: Jonathan Gibson, graduating senior, represents everything that is good about Georgetown Debate. He has quietly been an indispensable pillar of Georgetown's research efforts for the past 4 years. We could not have functioned without him, and he has set the bar for future Georgetown debaters incredibly high. He also improved more in the 2 years that I had the pleasure of coaching him than most people do in their entire college careers. It pains me to no end that he did not get to debate at the NDT his senior year, but he took it in incredible stride and even turned down the opportunity to debate at ADA because he felt that his debates at the D7 tournament, while just missing the mark of qualification, represented his best work (beating several higher-ranked teams who would go on to qualify for the NDT; winning debates on work that he did; defeating kritiks that had been his nemesis). He absolutely crushed the NDT as well, cranking out file after file without blinking or missing a beat. Jonathan is also just a wonderful, kind, thoughtful person. He will be working for Bryan Stevenson's Equal Justice Initiative next year (https://eji.org/) and we couldn't be prouder of him.
Jacob Goldschlag---Michigan GW
3x NDT qualifier. 2019 First Round Bid. 2x NDT Elim Participant. 2018 NDT Semifinalist. 2x Hoosier Invitational Champion.
Val: Jacob is really the heart and soul of Michigan debate. Caitlin and I often joke that Jacob is "whatever the opposite of toxic masculinity is." He's sweet, honest, caring, empathetic, hilarious and insanely hard-working. He's the exact kid that every coach wants on their team - he really genuinely cares about everyone and wants to make sure they feel comfortable, safe and can be their best. His ability to somehow stay calm under pressure is something I just will never fully understand but I deeply envy. GW has had a lot of success over the years and I think as a result people have really slept on just how much Jacob has improved as a debater - like he was always good but watching him prepare for the NDT, I was blown away by how hard he worked to improve and be at his best for his last tournament. GW's aff win record was something that any team might envy and Jacob's mastery over the affs he wrote or prepped is a huge part of the reason.
Gen: One of the most laid back people I've met in debate -- he is super easy to talk to, enjoyable to debate, and brought a level of even-headedness to debate that I aspire to have.
Sam Gustavson---Iowa GL
Rubaie: National Champion and 5th Speaker, CEDA 2018. Semifinalist CEDA 2019. Reached the semifinals of half the national tournaments while going 24-5 on the neg. No one did more to take fiat away from teams with plans or to somehow win PICs against those who didn't. He did all of it while going 5 miles per hour. Sam has a heart of gold and a strategic mind like no other.
Michael Harrington---Liberty HT
Hagwood: Michael Harrington - Started as a novice debater. Won ADA in both JV and Novice. Won JV Novice Nats in JV (Co-Champ) and Novice as well. FRALB. 2X Octa-finalist at the NDT. 2019 CEDA Quaterfinalist. 3rd speaker CEDA 2019. Brick City RR Champs. Took a ballot off BT
Gen: I have only really known Mike for a couple of months, yet he is the single most inspiring and upbeat person I have ever met. Watching him debate gives me energy on long elim days, and he is endlessly reminding the people around him that they kick ass. We need more people like that in the community.
Cecilia: I met Michael during his freshman year at West Point. We bonded while grabbing breakfast, and bonded even more watching JMU vs Liberty in the finals. Michael pushes the bounds of argumentation, while always having a kind word to say to everyone he meets. Michael is hilarious and has a phenomenal sense of style, and I am proud to call him best friend.
Jacob Hegna---Kansas FM
3x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid. 2x NDT Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Semifinalist. 2019 NDT Top Speaker.
Bricker: loves math.
Katz: likes anime (almost as much as he likes math).
Jeffrey Horn---UNLV HS
4x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid. 3rd place in 2018. 3x NDT Elim Participant. 2018 NDT Quarterfinalist.
Kristen: Hold a special place in my heart as debaters from Nevada. A lot of people don't know what it's like to try to fight to keep debate a live in a state where it's dying. It's really hard just to get the chance to debate. It's such a feat to do it successfully. Their success and what they did at UNLV is cool in its own right, but it also will help keep debate alive in a place where a lot of smart, coach-less kids never get a chance. It makes me tearful saying that - what an important impact to have.
Jake: Jeffrey was a 4-time NDT qualifier, 3-time NDT elim round participant, 3rd place prebid and quarterfinalist in 2018. To this day, I could not tell you how Jeffrey Horn does what he does. His energy and drive are boundless. From the first day I worked with him my first year of being UNLV’s ADOD, he would always take his research assignments, and come back with twice the strategies he was supposed to come up with and want to talk through 3 more that were half-done. Jeff’s intellectual curiosity and creativity are unmatched. For every convoluted, irrelevant (albeit academically thought-provoking) rabbit hole there was at least one major argument innovation. The most obvious ones are his absolute counterplan supervillainy- the man had an absurd win-rate having the states do everything under the sun, pioneered the 2NR counterplan, and concocted the treaty counterplan. But he was also the driving force behind the sanctions good affs, the twist of turning our DAs into additional counterplans, and adding the depth to most of anything we had serious depth on. Jeff made history for our squad, and left an indelible mark on the intellectual development of strategic debating. Wherever he sets his sights next, I’m sure he’ll have just as much of an impact if not more. Working with Jeff has been a privilege of the highest order, and I’ve learned a tremendous amount from the experience.
Nicolas Juarez---OU JS
3x NDT qualifer. 2x First Round Bid Team. 3x NDT Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Octafinalist. 2019 + 2018 CEDA Octafinalist
Ryan Katz---Pittsburgh
Calum: Ryan Katz was Pitt’s only senior. He improved dramatically in his four years, and is volunteering for the team next year despite also enrolling in a rigorous science grad program.
Cole Kostelny—Minnesota
DCH: Cole is the heart of Minnesota Debate, and has been for several years. He is a D4 champion, a three-time NDT qualifier, and once you crack his brusque, blue collar exterior, one of the kindest people in debate. He has always volunteered to take the toughest assignments, has given innumerable practice speeches, and selflessly gives his time to helping less experienced debaters on both the Minnesota debate team and as a coach for the MNUDL. His presence will be missed, and the Gopher coaches and debaters hope that he bags his deer early next fall so that he will be able to travel as a judge with us to a few invitational tournaments.
Gabe Lewis---Mary Washington CL
Adrienne: Parker Coon - Bakersfield, CA - 4 time qualifier
Gabe Lewis - Herriman, UT - 3 time qualifier
GDI scholars
Came all the way across the US to debate for a small school in Virginia
Both were primarily K debaters in high school, became top-notch politics debaters in college
Notably have had multiple politics disads and affs swiped by other teams over their time in college
Helped write the executive power topic paper
Had what was probably the biggest upset win of the tourney at this year's NDT
Sam Leyba---Kansas State EL
2019 NDT Qualifier. 2019 CEDA double-octafinalist
Mcvey: Sam went to High School in Kansas, debated in college at Weber for a while before transferring to K-State. He qualified for the NDT the first time as a senior. Sam likes to pretend that he never actually cared about qualifying for the NDT. His K-Debate Cool Kid credentials made him all about that CEDA life. But his work effort before the district tournament gave lie to that idea that he didn't care about the Big Dance. Sam worked his ass off, pulled off some big wins at Districts, climbed the rankings from the 21st team in the pre-tournament district rankings to the 8th team to qualify out of D3, helping K-State return to the NDT after a three year hiatus. Sam's the president of both the Debate Team and Philosophy Club, and also works a part time job as a Barista to help put himself through school. He's also the debate community's preeminent meme dealer, although he does like to get high on his own supply. He's really funny, kind, intelligent, and cares deeply about philosophy and the arguments that he makes in debate.
Geordano Liriano---Iowa GL
Rubaie: National Champion, CEDA 2018 and 6th Speaker, Northwestern 2019. 2019 CEDA semifinalist. Reached the semifinals of half the nationals while going 20-13 against First Round applicants. No one introduced more "new sheets" or did more to mess with the other team's CX. Geo is a walking encyclopedia, a born leader, a loyal friend, and (by a good margin) the funniest person in debate.
Jesse Love---Michigan LR
ADA double octafinalist.
Val: Jesse started college debate as a novice and over four years developed into an outstanding debater as well as an amazing teammate. He loves debate and he wanted to go to as many tournaments as possible with whoever needed a partner, regardless of argument preferences. He wanted to experiment with arguments all over the argumentative spectrum and constantly innovate and try new things. I was especially impressed with the fact that Jesse was the top speaker of an open tournament (Wayne State), his junior year, which I think encapsulates how far Jesse came from starting college as a novice. Jesse is also just an outstanding teammate and an incredibly positive presence on the team who always has his teammates' backs, is always willing to help out and always has an encouraging word for everyone.
Lauren Luciani---Cornell LT
Armands: They went to the NDT twice - their junior and senior year. Both times they qualified for the NDT via directly qualifying from the districts tournament in D8. In CEDA 2017 they were in octafinals. In 2019 CEDA double-octafinalists.
Lincoln: I will always remember Cornell LT for GSU on healthcare and popping BT on medicalizaton and demonstrating Truf did not know how K Affs worked until after that debate.
Ayush Midha---Harvard CM
3x NDT qualifier. 3x First Round Bid. Copeland winner 2017, 2nd in 2018, 2nd in 2019. NDT semifinalist and 2x quarterfinalist. Won 6 tournaments in college.
Kristen: When I coached him he said thank you for everything. It is one of the most memorable parts of my time working at Harvard. I would do the thing I was literally getting paid to do and he would say thank you no matter how small. As a coach, that type of gratitude makes a world of difference. He's the best human I know with talent of that caliber.
And also managed to win the Dartmouth RR like 3 days before taking the MCAT and crushing it.... which is insane.
Isabella Minter---USMA
Patrice: Isabella Minter never debated in her life until she showed up as a first year at the U.S. Military Academy. She proceeded to win Novice Nationals her first year and her only reward was to replace the most successful Army debater in half a century on the top team. She qualified for the NDT that year and went out in Doubles of CEDA. Then, when she was the anchor of the top team, she qualified again and lost in Doubles again. This year, partnership changes kept her from applying for a second round and she failed to qualify out of Districts by one runoff ballot. The region honored her with the Michael K. Davis Award as the most successful varsity debater who began their career as a novice.
Cecilia: Bella is a delight to interact with. She cares about each member of her team, and has worked tirelessly to support black women at West Point and especially increase the participation of black women at West Point debate. She is fiercely intelligent, and always gives the best hugs. Her smiling face lights up a room. It was a joy to face her, judge her, and be her friend.
Jazmine Pickens—OU PW
2019 CEDA champion (27 out of 29 ballots), 3x NDT qualifier. 2019 First Round Bid. 2x NDT Elim Participant. 2018 NDT Quarterfinalist. 2019 USC champion. 2019 and 2018 Weber champions.
Jyleesa: A fierce competitor with a wit and sharp tounge that will have you shaking. Always bringing great looks and always looking out for the black woman around her. I Stan and I thank you for your time in collegaite debate.
Advait Ramanan—Georgia AR
4x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid. 3rd in 2019. 3x Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Quartefinalist. 2019 ADA National Champion. 2019 ADA Nationals Top Speaker. 2019 Dartmouth RR Champion.
Hays: Swap/Advait debated together at every tournament during their career except 2016 ADA Nats. Stupek/Advait debated together at BC and almost beat Hemanth/David Herman in the prelims, Jackie Poapst judged it. Yes, Stupek was a 2a that tourney.
Nathan Rice—Georgia RS
4x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid. 3x NDT Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Finalist.
Gen: I could write paragraphs about Nathan to demonstrate how genuinely kind he is and how much he supported the small school community in Georgia. From the second I met Nathan, it was all support and kindness, with no hesitation to share the immense amount of work that he did with us, despite the high probability that we would debate one another. Perhaps that was because he knew he would kick our ass regardless (true), but more likely it was because Nathan cared deeply about our success equally as much as he did his own. I could never suggest I didn't have a big team in high school, because even though the number of people who debated for my high school was small, the number of people who showed up, cut cards, supported us, and worked with us without asking for anything in return was enormous, and Nathan was an integral part of that feeling.
Lincoln: he read like 4 Affs over the course of 4 topics. A visionary.
Kristen: Just feel the need to say this dude should make everyone's All Time Draft list. He's certainly high on mine. I've got some serious love and respect for him AND Johnnie.
Hays: Nathan Rice won the following ADA tournaments in his career - Vandy (frosh), Liberty (soph), Navy (soph), Miami twice (soph and junior). Two-time third place finisher at ADA Nats (soph and senior). Unsure who else can match that kind of success in the ADA (at least at the varsity level).
Jacinda Rivas---Kentucky HR
2019 NDT Qualifier
Lincoln: Jacinda made great strides as a debater. Humble beginnings to beating first round teams and being in contention to clear at the NDT. The way Kentucky runs is unique and requires unique debaters and Jacinda was just the debater we needed when she stepped onto the team. New perspective, new skills, new needs all helped me grow as a coach. Ambition like Jacinda’s is infectious and she kept her head down and kept working. With a debater like that, you feel bad when they don’t achieve everything they want, and I wish I could have helped her more. I hope she is proud of the way she left UK debate.
Gen: Despite this being the fourth time that I have written something about your career in debate, I still don't feel like I've emphasized enough the influence you've had on me as a person and debater, or on Kentucky as a squad. There will not be a place I go in Lexington that we don't share an awesome memory, and there won't be a debate function where I don't think about the things missing because you aren't there (for example: no la croix at work week, no one passed out for the entire drive to tournaments, something something the procurement cp). Regardless of where you end up next year, they will be lucky to have you.
Christine Rogers---Michigan LR
ADA Double-Octafinalist
Val: Christine has developed over four years from debating in JV to having winning records at majors and clearing at the ADA championship. She's a brilliant and deep thinker who is incredibly fun to talk through and innovate arguments with. Her approach to debate has always been on her own terms, which I respect so much. She never wanted to just copy what other people were doing but instead to develop and deploy arguments her way. She's sweet and funny and a great teammate as well.
Cecilia: Christine and I met when she was assigned to ride with me as I drove to the WDI (she didn’t die but we came close). Christine is wildly intelligent, and is a wonderful presence to be around. I love seeing her at tournaments, and I know she will be successful in any avenue she pursues.
Kris Samuels---Liberty MS
2x NDT qualifier. 2018 NDT Octafinalist.
Gen: Underrated kick ass debater and lowkey hilarious person. From the list of things Kris shared that he might be doing next year, I have no doubt he is also brilliant in school.
Cecilia: Kris is literally one of the kindest human beings on the planet. He genuinely cares about each person he interacts with, and will remember details that you forgot you told him. It has been a joy to see him on the circuit, and I know he will go on to accomplish great things.
Brennan Schartz---UMKC
2018 NDT qualifer. UNI Champion
Ember Smith---UNLV HS
2019 NDT Qualifier. 2019 First Round Bid. 2019 NDT Elim Participant.
Kristen: Hold a special place in my heart as debaters from Nevada. A lot of people don't know what it's like to try to fight to keep debate a live in a state where it's dying. It's really hard just to get the chance to debate. It's such a feat to do it successfully. Their success and what they did at UNLV is cool in its own right, but it also will help keep debate alive in a place where a lot of smart, coach-less kids never get a chance. It makes me tearful saying that - what an important impact to have.
Jake: If one were to devise a blueprint for the perfect debater to work with, I think the prototype would end up pretty close to Ember Smith. She was always committed to growth, improvement and self-reflection in debate and in life. Her stunningly fast journey through all the stages of debate life (frosh finding her place on a new squad, 4-4 sophomore hungry for the 5th win, taking some time off to study abroad in Spain, all the way to safe first-round all-star) wouldn’t have been possible without her willingness to not take success for granted and ability to bounce back and learn from mistakes. Ember was always looking to make sure she knew what was and wasn’t working so she could make the necessary changes. She took advice readily and quickly from other debaters, judges and coaches. I am so proud to have seen her grow in to the ruthlessly efficient, smart, funny debater other first round teams were stealing advantages from. Every step of the way, she deserved to be there and more. On top of all that, she’s been an outstanding team leader and friend to all of our squad and to me. She has great things ahead of her, and I’m excited to see them.
Jacob Smith---OU JS
2x NDT qualifier. 2019 First Round Bid. 2x NDT Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Octafinalist. 2019 + 2018 CEDA Octafinalist.
Johnnie Stupek---Georgia RS
3x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid. 3x NDT Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Finalist.
Gen: Johnnie has always been above the fray of debate, just chill, level-headed, and ready to get shit done (One might describe his personality similar to that of a whale. Idk. Lots of things to say about Whales and Johnnie, from everyone). I admire that immensely.
Hays: Stupek went 2-6 at Wake as a frosh. Finished as an NDT finalist. Mic drop.
Bri Thomas---Liberty HT
Hagwood: Bri Thomas - Startef as a novice debater. Co-Champion of JV/Novice Nats in JV. FRALB. Octa-finalist at the NDT. 2019 CEDA Quaterfinalist + Top Speaker. Top 10 speaker at every national. Brick City RR Champs. Took a ballot off BT
Cecilia: Brianna is fierce in all aspects of life. She has an impeccable sense of fashion, and a magnetic personality. She makes everyone feel welcome in the community, and no matter how well she is doing at a tournament she always has a kind word for a friend. She also has a multitude of talents, and it is a joy to hear any argument or song to come out of her mouth.
Nicholas Tilmes---Cornell LT
Armands: They went to the NDT twice - their junior and senior year. Both times they qualified for the NDT via directly qualifying from the districts tournament in D8. In CEDA 2017 they were in octafinals. In 2019 CEDA double-octafinalist.
Adam Tomasi---Wake MT
JGreen: Adam is the hardest working people to ever walk in Carswell Hall; along with Reed Van Schenck, the two of them far exceeded our definition of success: "set high goals for yourself and in the process of giving it all you got, make yourself a better person". They not only made themselves better, but made everyone who walked into the doors our squad better people as well. Adam has always been the first to volunteer to help when we host, the first to help find great evidence for other teams on any argument, the first to volunteer for practice debates. His boundless optimism was never built upon reciprocation, but upon a true love for the game and more importantly, the people in it. He's directly off to PhD school in History next year at Northeastern. #tomasiswagalwaysinthebuilding
Ethan Uhlig---UCF CU
Seth: While Ethan made it to open for the first time in his college career this season, this did not hold him back from accomplishing some pretty wild things while on the UCF debate team. Last season he went 4-4 at CEDA and saw much success in the JV division. Due to the seasons of change which have existed at the University of Central Florida over the past few years he has had the opportunity to compete in every format of collegiate debate except BP. He has been a joy to work with, and his wealth of knowledge will be missed by the team.
Reed Van Schenck---Wake HV
JGreen: Reed is one the hardest working people to ever walk in Carswell Hall; along with Adam Tomasi, the two of them far exceeded our definition of success: "set high goals for yourself and in the process of giving it all you got, make yourself a better person". They not only made themselves better, but made everyone who walked into the doors our squad better people as well. They are an all star academic headed directly to PhD school at Pittsburgh in Communication, were heavily involved in campus and local activism, successfully argued for the Wake Administration to change oppressive practices, and brought more smiles to members of Wake Debate than could ever be counted. Somehow they managed to also do countless redos, waves upon waves of evidence, while serving as a team captain for the 2018-2019 season. Reed proved to all of our debaters, it is not about where you start your debate career, but how you finish it! #laborforloveloveforlabor
Brian Warren—UNLV AW
2019 NDT Qualifier. 2019 NDT Elim Participant.
Jake: Brian Warren's story in debate is one of the most inspiring I could imagine. Brian went from a spring semester walk-on to the team to debating in the elimination rounds of the NDT. Brian walked on to the team with no high school experience, fresh out of COM 217, "Argumentation and Debate" class with Jacob Thompson. Brian thought debate and its challenges were fun, and liked doing research and learning- but it was never enough for him to just learn the ropes and “be ok at it.” Early on he set his sights high and wanted to do everything he could to achieve it. In his first semester on the team, Brian and his partner were crowned novice National Champions at the 2016 CEDA Nats. Over time, Brian became one of our team’s best, most prolific researchers through grit and determination. He learned how to keep up with the top tiers of competition, until finally he entered them, and he got there writing his own affs with little assistance. All the while, he was a great guy to be around, always willing to put in extra hours to support his older and younger teammates and being genuinely appreciative of all the help he would get. And, of course, his positivity and goofiness lightened the atmosphere and made it easier to get through the hard slog debate and academics can sometimes be.
Caitlin Walrath---Michigan GW
3x NDT qualifier. 2019 First Round Bid. 2x NDT Elim Participant. 2018 NDT Semifinalist. 3x Hoosier Invitational Champion.
Val: Caitlin is a natural-born leader and has been an outstanding one for the Michigan team. She both has the biggest heart imaginable and refuses to take shit from anyone, which makes her an outstanding leader of the team - it's like having another coach who can help keep people in line and mediate problems between people on the squad. That would be enough to make any debater insanely valuable, but Caitlin's outstanding talent, argumentative brilliance and hard work make her a true MVP. She's insanely quick on her feet and can often make something out of nothing in ways I couldn't have imagined. We often joke that sometimes when things go totally off the game plan in a GW neg debate, that bodes well for us because Caitlin can adapt so well on the fly to any situation. She is a deep and critical thinker who cares deeply about engaging in the literature of her opponents both in policy debates and K debates. The combination of the depth of her knowledge about the topic and her confidence made her an unstoppable force in debates.
Gen: Caitlin has the confidence and good sense to call anyone on their bullshit -- even if it's you, thinking bullshit about yourself. She pushes the people around her to be genuine and the best version of themselves, but all the while is kind, caring, and supportive. Her no-nonsense attitude combined with her killer debate instincts and real commitment to innovating (seriously who did more research about the NWFZ's aff) made her one of the best debaters I can think of, and beyond all of that, she is an incredible, life-long friend.
Jamie Welch---Wichita LW
4x NDT Qualifier. 2019 NDT Elim Participant. Bear Shock, Joe Jackson and Pflaum champions (is that the D3 career grand slam?)
Lincoln: so honored to be there to judge your last debate. Clearing with a frosh is incredible. So much improvement over the last three years. All while doing it on the small school grind. We were so happy to debate Wichita State at nationals when I debated because it was the one D3 school that was just going to say heg bad instead of spark or Nietzsche. Thank you for keeping the program going!
Darius White---OU PW
2019 CEDA champion (27 out of 29 ballots), 2x NDT qualifier. 2x First Round Bid Team. 2x NDT Elim Participant. 2019 NDT Octafinalist. 2018 CEDA Octafinalist. 2019 Weber and USC champions.
Jyleesa: A genuine and caring human, about his business debater and argumentative innovator. Thanks for raising the bar and putting on for all of us.
Jeffery Yan---Binghamton AY
3x NDT qualifier. 2019 First Round Bid Team. 2019 NDT Octafinalist. 2019 CEDA Semifinalist. 2018 CEDA Octafinalist.
Joe Schatz: They are two of the hardest working students I have come across who both give not only for themselves but for their team. Jefferey has been the team captain for two years and James has served as both the team's president and vice-president. They have both helped navigate conflicts, arrange team-wide prep sessions, and have always given back to the team in meaningful ways.
Greg Zoda—Baylor TZ
4x NDT qualifier, 2x NDT Elim Participant, 2018 NDT Octafinalist,
Gerber: Baylor has one graduating Senior, Mr. Greg Zoda. Greg was a 4-time NDT qualifier, (Iowa, Bham, Wichita, Minn). Greg has been in elims and won speaker awards at every national tournament throughout his career. He is one of the best researchers on planet earth. I have never coached a debater who was deeper in their own preferred lit base than Greg. He is returning to Baylor as a graduate assistant coach next season.
Lincoln: I judged Greg 11 times in college! Always a pleasure. Attempted to make his arguments sophisticated but understandable. Always love debaters who were in the cards as much as Greg.