The Jefferson State Speech & Debate Team competed along with 28 other colleges and universities across 8 different states at the Eddy Shell Invitational Debate Tournament, hosted by Bossier Parish Community College on February 15-16.
After seven preliminary debate rounds, Joseph Honeycutt made it into elimination rounds in the Novice division and Heaven Sheppard and Nathan Wright broke into elimination rounds in the Junior Varsity division. In addition, Heaven Sheppard was ranked as the 11th Junior Varsity Debate Speaker out of 57 debaters.
This is the second season that the team has been competing in IPDA debate, which is an impromptu-style of debate where the topic changes each round and the affirmative and negative have 30 minutes to research and form arguments. Topics can range from pop culture to politics to philosophy.