The Brownson Speech and Debate Team Wins Their First National Champion Award of the Season and a Fifth Place National Victory  

The Brownson Speech and Debate team participated in their first rhetorical dance of the national stage for the current season at the University of Central Florida on March 9-12, 2022. The team qualified for three National Tournaments and secured fifth place for Speech Events and ninth place for combined debate and speech sweepstakes at the Pi Kappa Delta National Convention and Tournament.

Pi Kappa Delta is the largest speech and debate tournament in the nation with 70 schools, 1577 event slots, and 746 people in attendance. The team was awarded 13 "Superior" awards which designate the top 10 percent of competitors. Additionally, 13 "Excellent" awards were secured which designate the 20 percent of competitors.

Key highlights from the competition included students from Communication and the Arts disciplines: Emily Feazel '22, After Dinner Speaking Performance Showcase Finalist - second place in Dramatic Interpretation; Dan O'Connor '23 - fourth place in Extemporaneous Speaking, sixth place in Persuasive Speaking and fifth place in Informative Speaking and Showcase and Sean Keegan '22 - third place in Communication Analysis. Additionally, highlights from DIPL included: Meg Gawron '23, National Champion in Communication Analysis and "Showcase of Champions" Performer - third place in Discussion and highlights from Arts and Sciences: Safa Shaikh, '24 - IPDA Debate - National Quarter Finalist and Dana Bell '22 - Prose Performance Showcase Finalist.

Among the participants was alumnus, Brian Sumereau '21, who represented Seton Hall's alumni chapter as one of three to perform in the Alumni Showcase. "Brownson is a place where I am able to not only express myself but discover who I am as well. It is an outlet to expose myself to countless areas of interest. I can direct my passion toward a cause that needs a voice," he said, adding, "It is truly an honor to speak on behalf of an author or an entire movement, and I thank Brownson for giving me the opportunity to do so."

Catherine Zizik, M.A./M.F.A., director of Forensics and associate professor in the College of Communication and the Arts who has extensive experience in policy debate reflects on the team's mission in participating in national competitions, "We do it for the love of the word and we do it for the messages of hope and change we hear," said Zizik. Further, she believes that Pirate Speakers are given the opportunity to use their words and actions to inform positive behavior at the society level. Speaker's involvement is an extension of the curriculum received in the College of Communication and the Arts that helps them become civic leaders. "Our students are equipped to take on the challenges of conflict and forge ahead with compassion and confidence," Zizik continued.

"Thanks to Head Coach Sam Ohrenberger-Hopkins, M.A. [appointed in 2016] for his expert coaching that led this team to a fantastic national showing," added Zizik. While the awards function as tangible representations of the hundreds of awards earned annually, the students leave competitions with priceless skills that set them apart professionally, enhancing their employment prospects post-graduation.

"As a coach, I'm first and foremost an educator. I seek to teach students the skills of communication and oral interpretation and hope to empower them to use their own voices to amplify messages they find important," stated Ohrenberger-Hopkins.

The mission of the Brownson Speech and Debate is to foster academic and ethical development of students and to prepare them to become leaders in their professional and community lives. Members participate in academic and co-curricular activities dedicated to the advancement of logic, argumentative skills, advocacy, creativity, rhetorical excellence and performance artistry through undergraduate intercollegiate forensics. The experiential enrichment helps members to increase their awareness and critical evaluation of current political, social, economic and cultural issues, further enhancing the mission and culture of Seton Hall.

Full-time undergraduate students interested in becoming a Pirate Speaker may contact the team's director, Catherine Zizik, M.A./M.F.A., to schedule an audition.

The College of Communication and the Arts currently offers graduate-level programs in Museum Professions and Communications, with the opportunity to pursue specialty areas of study, including options in Public Relations, Digital Communication/Communication Technologies, and Communication in Organizations. In addition, four dual-degree options, including three accelerated M.A./B.A. programs and a dual M.B.A./M.A. degree with the School of Diplomacy and International Relation are offered.

For more information about Graduate Studies within the College of Communication and the Arts, please contact Dr. Ryan Hudes.

Categories: Arts and Culture