Concordia’s speech and debate team wraps up their fall semester

Concordia University, Nebraska’s speech and debate team is made up of 25 students. The members are involved in a multitude of other things on campus, including Student Senate, Student Activities, Christmas at Concordia, Lighthouse, Curtain Club and more. 

Malia Frerking, the head coach of speech and debate, said, “They are all using the skills that they develop on the team to make change in their communities, which is encouraging.”

This season, the speech and debate team attended 13 tournaments, four of which were digital and nine of which were in-person. The team ranked in the top three at six of the in-person tournaments.  Their best performance was the Vocal Viking in Mankato, Minnesota, where the team took first place overall and the quality award. The quality award is decided by dividing the total number of points earned by total entries, and whoever has the highest wins. 

The 24 students who compete in speech events have put out 46 events with a few more in progress. Of those 46, 18 have qualified to nationals this semester. This shows good increase over last year’s season, with the team qualifying 21 events throughout both semesters last year.

Qualifying to nationals entails getting two qualifying ranks that equal five or less in the same event. For example, getting first place twice, or first and fourth, etc. Two of the team’s seniors, Eden Lehr and Esther Molina, qualified an event with double-first-place rankings. 

“As the second-largest team in the state, numbers are always a part of our strategy, but as individual competitors, the quality of the team is very high this year. Almost everyone is committed to at least one event, and have focused on growth learning, and improvement. It’s reshaping our team culture in a positive way that I think will pay off with long-term success.”

On the debate side of the team, Concordia has made it to finals at every tournament they have competed in, and three of the five debate teams have broken to out rounds. Sophomore Aidan McKinnon has received a speaker award at every tournament. 

Frerking said, “As the second-largest team in the state, numbers are always a part of our strategy, but as individual competitors, the quality of the team is very high this year. Almost everyone is committed to at least one event, and have focused on growth learning, and improvement. It’s reshaping our team culture in a positive way that I think will pay off with long-term success.”

Frerking commented that looking forward, she’d like to see the team break into the top three at state, which Concordia hasn’t done for over a decade. There are six tournaments left in the regular season, including the one that Concordia is hosting on January 24^th. She is optimistic about the team’s state chances and expects the team to finish in the top 25 at nationals. 

“It’s been a fun semester, travelling to four states to compete with a variety of students,” she said. “Everyone has been enthusiastic, willing to work and supportive of their teammates, which is creating good momentum for the team as we prepare for state in February and nationals after that.”

Concordia University, Nebraska's forensics program is committed to providing a team-centered and supportive environment where you can use competitive public speaking as a context for forming lasting friendships while practicing the foundational habits of a liberal arts education, including empathy, wisdom, moderation and courage. Learn more here.