Walters State Debate Team wins awards at Pellissippi tournament
Published 4:30 pm Wednesday, February 28, 2024
The Walters State Debate Team brought home a shelf full of awards from the Tennessee Valley Invitational Forensics Tournament, held at Pellissippi State Community College. From left to right are team members Hannah Stoneman, Chris Cox, Ethan White, and Joseph Parrett, with Coach Belle Elliott on the right. (Photo submitted)
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News Release
The Walters State Debate Team will need a new shelf for the awards received at the Sixth Annual Tennessee Valley Invitation Forensics Tournament at Pellissippi State Community College earlier this month.
The team placed second in the National Parliamentary Debate Association Sweepstakes, and Belle Elliott, in her first year as debate coach, received the Shaq Spirit Award. Elliott is a communication instructor at Walters State.
Two students, Joseph Parrott and Hannah Stoneman, were recognized as “Top Novice Speakers,” Joseph Parrott and Hannah Stoneman.
“I am especially proud of this team and each member,” Elliott said. “We took three brand new pairs to this tournament. These six members had never debated on the collegiate level, and each one did an excellent job.”
Three team members earned varsity speaker awards. Cayden Keltgen placed second. Lorna Baxley placed fourth, and Chris Cox placed sixth.
Baxley and Hannah Stoneman’s team broke into the finals round.
Cox also placed third in after-dinner speaker and first place in poetry. Parrott placed second in the program of oral interpretation. Stoneman placed second in prose interpretation.
