PLNU speech, debate team tops in nation – once again

PLNU’s speech and debate team is the best in the nation — for the second year in a row. Final rankings announced in mid-April by the National Parliamentary Debate Association puts Point Loma Nazarene University in the No. 1 spot among colleges and universities throughout the nation that participate in intercollegiate parliamentary debate.

This is the second year PLNU has been named yearlong sweepstakes National Champions. The university has finished among the top five in the last five years. PLNU competed with more than 100 schools, including powerhouses like the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Southern California and UCLA. NPDA oversees the largest and fastest growing format of intercollegiate debate in the country. Parliamentary styles and categories lend themselves to being more eloquent and entertaining than the traditional technical style of debate.

Director Skip Rutledge attributes their success to hard work and team dedication.

“To become a national champion is very rare. To repeat is almost unheard of. This is a squad wide honor that recognizes excellence in all three divisions of competition throughout the year, looking to a school’s top four tournaments by their top two teams at any given tournament,” said Rutledge, associate professor of communications and theater.

“One of the chief benefits [of debate training] is learning critical thinking,” said Rutledge, who became director of forensics in 1991. “You’re taught to listen and to question. That’s such an important skill in this consumer age. We’re training the leaders of the future.”

The San Diego Union-Tribune in February featured PLNU’s speech and debate program, calling “the kids from Point Loma Nazarene University...giants.”

The National Championship Tournament, held during the week of April 5 at California State University at Northridge, has a distinct sweepstakes award category. This year more than 300 two-person teams competed from over 100 schools, including international entries from China and some Eastern European republics.

Next year? PLNU is losing to graduation about half of the best debaters, said Rutledge. “But we have a promising core group, and some good recruiters. So we’re always hopeful.”