Speech and Debate
McKendree's Adeja Powell and Mitch Deleel Are the 2020 NPDA National Champions!
McKendree Wins Three National Championships in 2022!
The McKendree University speech and debate team is a nationally-ranked team that competes
in intercollegiate tournaments across the nation. Our competitive focus is on parliamentary
debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate, and individual events.
McKendree is perennially among the top ten schools in parliamentary debate and, in
2020, won both the individual and team national championships. Parliamentary debate
is a two-on-two debate event that involves a new topic for every round of competition.
It emphasizes breadth of knowledge, public speaking, logic, and teamwork. Parliamentary
debate is distinct from other types of debate offered at the high school level, though
many high school debaters have come to McKendree and have been very successful. However,
many students have been successful with no previous high school debate background.
The team also competes in Lincoln-Douglas debate and took 2nd place in multiple divisions
at the inaugural Lincoln-Douglas Grand Prix in 2019. Lincoln-Douglas debate emphasizes
research, depth of knowledge, public speaking, and organization. While it is structurally
similar to Lincoln-Douglas debate in high school, it utilizes a policy resolution.
Lincoln-Douglas debate at McKendree is growing and, like parliamentary debate, involves
students who have high school experience and those who are new to debate.
Finally, we participate in individual events. McKendree students took home two national
championships in 2022: extemporaneous speaking (at Pi Kappa Delta) and interviewing
(at the National Speech Championship) as well as advancing in five events at the National
Forensic Association Championship Tournament, including a semifinals finish in impromptu
speaking. Individual events includes interpretation, limited preparation, and public
speaking events, similar to the schedule of events on the high school level. Interpretation
events include prose, poetry, drama, duo, and programmed oral interpretation. Limited
preparation events include extemporaneous and impromptu speaking. Public speaking
events include persuasion, informative, communication analysis, and after dinner speaking.
For more information about parliamentary debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate, or individual
events, check out our links page.
Between practices, team meetings, and tournaments (which typically start on Friday
and end on Sunday), the speech and debate team does require a significant investment
of time from its members. However, the rewards of participation more than make up
for the time invested. In addition to traveling around the country, team members gain
invaluable skills, including critical reasoning, organization, and public speaking
that are valued in virtually any profession. Like members of athletic teams, you also
have the honor of representing McKendree. But, perhaps most importantly, team members
have a great deal of fun.
If you are interested in joining the speech and debate team, either as a current or
prospective McKendree student, feel free to email Joe Blasdel (Director of Speech and Debate) for more information.