Overall, 263 two-person teams competed in the National Parliamentary Debate Association National Championship Tournament March 24-27 at Oregon State University -- NPDA being one of the largest intercollegiate debate organizations in the world. Humboldt's top team, Kat Blaisdell and Jeff Gutierrez, were one of 100 teams to advance and were seeded in the top 40. Blaisdell and Gutierrez advanced to the elimination round of 64, but were eventually defeated 3-0 by a powerful Western Kentucky team.
Blaisdell and Gutierrez are only the fourth Humboldt team to advance at this tournament and are the first to win an elimination round.
The HSU Forensics program in the Communication department continues to serve the campus community by offering instruction and competition in debate, oral interpretation, and public address. Already, 31 HSU students have traveled to intercollegiate tournaments in California and Oregon this academic year, and with much success.
Below are further results from those tournaments:
Santa Clara U., Santa Clara, CA
Sept. 23-25
Ten students participated (four debate teams and 14 individual speeches entered)
Results: Tyler Cline & Eric Greer - Quarterfinalists Novice Debate;
Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
Oct. 6-9
Thirteen students participated (six debate teams and 20 individual speeches).
Results: Sofia Pereira - 3rd Place Novice Persuasion; Jeff Gutierrez - 6th Place Open Poetry; 1st Place Open POI; Kat Blaisdell - 5th Place Open Persuasion; 3rd Place Open Prose; Alyssa Lomier - 5th Place Novice Prose
Linfield College, McMinville, OR
Nov. 11-14
Twelve students participated (six debate teams and 23 individual speeches entered)
Results: Jeff Gutierrez & Kat Blaisdell - 1st Place Open Duo Interpretation; Kat Blaisdell - 2nd Place Open Prose Interpretaiton; Leith Maver & Jay Fridenberg - Semifinalists Novice Debate
Univ. of Portland, Portland, OR
Dec. 1-3
Results: 1st Place Open Prose-Qualified for Nationals; Alyssa Lomier - 3rd Place Open Programmed Oral Interpretation; Delcie Moon - 2nd Place Open Prose Interpretation; Kat Blaisdell - 2nd Place Open Persuasiive Speaking; 5th Speaker Open Debate; 2nd Speaker Overall; Jeff Gutierrez & Kat Blaisdell - 1st Place Open Duo; Quarterfinalists Open Debate
Diablo Valley College, Concord, CA
Jan. 27-29
Eleven students participated for HSU.
Results: Milo Anderson & Alyssa Lomier - Quarterfinalists Novice Debate; Mira Bareis & Tyler Cline - Quarterfinalists Novice Debate; April Richardson & Kat Blaisdell - Quarterfinalists Open Debate; Kat Blaisdell - 3rd Place Open Persuasion; 7th Speaker Open Debate; Cristina Ventura - 5th Speaker Novice Debate
Northern Cal. Forensics Assoc., San Fran, City Col.
Feb. 10-12
Seventeen students participated
Results: 3rd Place Open Persuasion-Qualified for Nationals; Cristina Ventura & Travis Bartosh-Quarterfinalists Novice Debate; Cristina Ventura-7th Speaker Novice Debate; Milo Anderson-2nd Speaker Novice Debate (out of over 50); Jeff Gutierrez & Kat Blaisdell-4th Place Open Duo; Kat Blaisdell-3rd Place Open Prose
Hatfield Debates, Willamette U., Salem, OR
Feb. 24-25
Entry is limited to our top one or two teams. Kat Blaisdell and Jeff Gutierrez represented HSU.
District Individual Events Qualifying Tournament, Salem, OR
Feb. 26-27
Four students participated.
Results: Aaron Bailey-5th Place Programmed Oral Interpretation; Jeff Gutierrez & Kat Blaisdell-1st Place Duo-Qualified for Nationals