College of Education and Behavioral Sciences News

Pictured in the photo (left to right): WKU Forensics Debaters Sage Carter and Rae Fournie

WKU Forensics competed at an American Debate Association sponsored tournament, hosted by the University of Minnesota on October 17-19.

Thirty-four universities participated, with 100 students comprising 50 teams entering the most challenging NDT Varsity division.  

Three WKU teams advanced to the top 25, joining Emory University, Michigan State University and Wake Forest University as the only schools with more than two teams advancing to the single elimination rounds.

Rae Fournier of Woodbridge, Va., and Sage Carter of Salinia, Kan., advanced the furthest among WKU teams, making the top eight with wins over California State University-Fullerton, Emory University, University of Minnesota, University of Kansas and University of MIchigan. Sage Carter was the ninth speaker, and Rae Fournier was the tenth speaker in the varsity division.

Director of Debate Chad Meadows said, ”After two ADA tournaments, we are eighth in points in the open division, proving WKU can compete with the most storied public and private institutions in two-person policy debate in only our second year of reviving this part of the debate program.”

The results from the Minnesota College Debate Invitational are as follows:

NDT Varsity: Rae Fournier and Sage Carter, top 8; Vaden Kumar and Riley Ney of Newton, Kan., top 16; Nik Schintgen of Lansing, Kan., and Joshua St. Peter of Canton, Ga., top 25.

Varsity Speakers (top 20): Sage Carter, 9th; Rae Fournier, 10th; Vaden Kumar, 15th; Riley Ney, 17th; Joshua St. Peter, 19th.