UK Debate Team and Forensics Team Have Impressive 2014-2015 Season

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 17, 2015) — Students across campus showcase their talents through many clubs and teams including the debate team and the forensics team. Both teams had a very successful year in their respective competitions.

The 2014-2015 University of Kentucky Debate Team was made up of nine Honors Program students, one Singletary Scholar, two Presidential Scholars, two Parker Scholars, one Patterson Scholar, and two former Chellgren Fellows. The squad posted an outstanding team GPA of 3.9 for the 2014-2015 academic year.

Some notable accomplishments of the UK Debate Team during the last season include:

·  UK ranked 11th in the final 2015 National Debate Tournament rankings among Harvard University, University of Michigan, Emory University, Northwestern University, Wake Forest University and University of California, Berkeley.

·  Donald Grasse and Theo Noparstak earned runner-up honors in the American Debate Association (ADA) National Championship. The pair lost a 2-1 decision in the final round to University of Minnesota.

·  Six of the top 14 speakers at the ADA National Championship represented UK.

·  UK Debate Team Coach Dave Arnett was named National Coach of the Year by the ADA.

"This has been an effort several years in the making, and it is quite rewarding to see things start moving in the right direction. Kentucky Debate has a tradition over a hundred years old and has been a major force for much of that time," Arnett said. "The team took a major step this year toward becoming one of the elite programs in the country."

The UK Forensics Team had an outstanding year as well. Over the course of the fall and springs semesters, the team travelled to 11 regular season tournaments across the southeast region of the United States. Individual competitiors won 127 individual awards in public speaking and debate. That total includes 18 first place finishes. The squad earned seven team awards at these tournaments. The season's performance allowed UK to earn 20 national qualifications to the National Forensic Association national tournament, a record for the team.

Other notable accomplishments of the season include:

·  UK was selected to host the Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament in March 2016. To be selected to host the tournament, an institution has to successfully bid against other schools to demostrate why they are the most suitable host site for the tournament.

·  The UK Forensics Team was awarded one of three nationally competitive grants from the forensics honorary Pi Kappa Delta.

·  Director of Forensics Timothy Bill finished his term as president of the Kentucky Foresnic Association and will now transition to the office of past president. Bill was also selected to serve as lieutenant governor of the Province of the Southeast for Pi Kappa Delta.

·  Junior Abel Rodriguez III was re-elected as the student president of the Kentucky Forensic Association.

·  The team finished the year 10th in the nation at Pi Kappa Delta Nationals in Athens, Ohio.

"This past year has been an amazing season. We set two goals as a team in the fall. We wanted to be in the top two at our state tournament and to make the top ten at Pi Kappa Delta nationals," Director of Forensics Timothy Bill said. "Through a lot of hard work and dedication, the team made both happen. I am so proud of everything they've accomplished."

For more on UK Forensics, visit https://ci.uky.edu/icr/individual-events

MEDIA CONTACT: Blair Hoover, 859-323-2395, blair.hoover@uky.edu