For Immediate Release – Lawton, OK, Feb. 9, 2005
Cameron University speech and debate team
receives several honors during tournament
Who said arguing would never get you anywhere?
The Cameron University speech and debate team recently traveled to St. Louis, Mo. to compete in the
Gorlock Invitational Tournament, hosted by Webster University.
Cameron University successfully captured the tournament’s “Traveling Gorlock,” an award given to the top
university for the overall combined points of several years’ competition, attendance and winnings.
Cameron was also awarded second place overall sweepstakes, finishing a close second behind Western
Kentucky University. The awards place them among the top elite schools at the competition that featured
more than 29 schools from 12 different states.
Sarah
Collins, a junior speech communication major from Lawton, and Zach Fort, a junior speech
communication major from Mannford, successfully debated their way into the semi-finals of parliamentary
debate, knocking out such schools as Arkansas State University and Carlson Newman College before
losing to Western Kentucky.
Bethany Beck, a freshman political science major from Lawton, and Jonathan Hooks, freshman speech
communication major from Duncan, broke into the semi-finals in parliamentary debate novice division, as
well as Malinda Rust, a sophomore speech communication major from Lawton, and Jessica Washburn, a
freshman mathematics major from Grandfield.
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Hooks paired with Kamaya Ousley, a sophomore business systems major from Fort Sill, to bring home first
place in duo improvisation. Collins and Fort placed third in that event.
Collins also captured third place extemporaneous speaking, third place in communication analysis and
sixth place in persuasive speaking.
Fort placed third in a program of oral interpretations, fourth place in informative speaking and seventh place
in poetry interpretation.
Also bringing home awards from the Gorlock Invitational was Allegra Kephart, a freshman elementary
education major from Lawton, with sixth place in a program of oral interpretation.
“The team had a very good weekend. We had a lot of new faces bring home awards as well as our senior
members bringing in top honors,” said Tyler Thornton, CU speech and debate coach. “At such a large
prestigious tournament, it proves Cameron’s excellence in academic competition.”
Other competitors in the tournament included Central Michigan University, Central Missouri State
University, Drury University, Harding University, Hillsdale College, Hutchinson Community College, Illinois
College, Indiana University, Kansas City Kansas Community College, Longview Community College,
McKendree College, McNeese State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Missouri College,
Missouri Southern University, Missouri University, Notre Dame University, Southwest Baptist University, St.
Anselms College, the University of Miami, Valdosta State University, Washington University (St. Louis),
Wheaton College and William Jewell College.
The CU Speech and Debate Team will travel to Norman this week to participate in the University of
Oklahoma’s Sweetheart Swing.
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PR#05-038
Editors and Broadcasters: For details, contact CU Government & Community Relations at 580.581.2211.