April 11: Speech and Debate Showcase

Monday, April 11, 2022
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Ostrander Auditorium

Mankato, Minn. – Minnesota State University, Mankato’s speech and debate team will celebrate its recent accomplishments at the Pi Kappa Delta national tournament and performances that qualified for the National Forensics Association national tournament with a Speech and Debate Showcase on Monday, April 11 from 6-8 p.m. on campus in Centennial Student Union’s Ostrander Auditorium.

The April 11 showcase event, which will include performances from Minnesota State Mankato’s speech and debate team, is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be provided.

Ten undergraduate students from the Maverick speech and debate team traveled during spring break to the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, where they competed against 69 speech and debate teams March 9-13 at the Pi Kappa Delta national tournament.

The comprehensive national tournament is one of the largest of its kind each year. It was the first time the Minnesota State Mankato speech and debate team has competed at an in-person national tournament since 2019.

The Mavericks earned multiple “Excellence” (top 20%) and “Superior” (top 10%) awards, as well as a “Top Superior” (top 3 in the nation) award.

Minnesota State Mankato highlights at Pi Kappa Delta nationals included:

• Junior communication studies major Emma Roggeman took third place in the nation in Poetry Interpretation, was a semifinalist in Programmed Oral Interpretation and was a quarterfinalist in Prose Interpretation and Dramatic Interpretation.
• Sophomore communication studies major Tristan Xiong was a semifinalist in Prose Interpretation and an octafinalist in Poetry Interpretation.
• Sophomore business major James Ziegeweid was an octafinalist in Interviewing and Communication Analysis.
• Senior elementary education major Jacqueline Tomas was an octafinalist in Prose Interpretation, Persuasive Speaking and Dramatic Interpretation.
• First-year computer science major Ahmed Esameldin was a quarterfinalist in After Dinner Speaking.
• First-year political science major Alison McNamara was an octafinalist in Communication Analysis.
• Sophomore psychology major Cecelia Anderson and Ahmed Esameldin were semifinalists in Junior NPDA Debate.

Minnesota State Mankato’s Team Sweepstakes results:

• 19th place in Debate Sweepstakes (Top 25%)
• 11th place in Individual Event Sweepstakes (Top 15%)
• 14th (tied for 13th) place in Overall Sweepstakes (Top 20%)

The Maverick speech and debate team will also be competing at the National Forensics Association national tournament from April 14-18 at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois.

For more information, please contact Katie M. Brunner, director of forensics in Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Communications Studies, by email at katie.brunner@mnsu.edu or by phone at 507-389-5536 (office) or 715-864-3597 (cell).

Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Communications Studies is part of the University’s College of Arts and Humanities.

Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 14,546 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 30 colleges and seven universities.