Communication Studies

Western Debate Union’s 2024 Viking Classic Tournament showcased regional leadership, competitive success

thomps94 — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:19:51 +0000

Western Debate Union’s 2024 Viking Classic Tournament showcased regional leadership, competitive success thomps94 Wed, 11/27/2024 - 8:19am

Several members of Western’s competitors and coaches for the event are all smiles at the end of the weekend tournament.

The Western Debate Union, ��’s acclaimed intercollegiate debate program, recently concluded the fall quarter term on campus, playing both host and participant at the 2024 Viking Classic debate tournament on Nov. 16-17. Expectations were high following the program’s standout performance at Gonzaga University’s Jesuit Invitational two weeks prior where �� debated in the championship round in both the junior and senior divisions.

This fall’s Viking Classic was also the third event �� hosted in 2024, drawing programs and students from around the country to Western's beautiful campus.

Competitively, the Vikings built on their momentum, fielding seven partnerships in two divisions all while juggling host duties. �� debaters claimed victories throughout the weekend, with every duo winning at least one contest and three producing winning records in the preliminary debates.

Sophomore Erin Casey continued her stellar season despite difficult circumstances. After losing her partner for the weekend due to illness, she paired up with a student from Arizona State University who faced similar circumstances. The last-minute partnership took off, winning four debates and narrowly missing the cut-off for the final round. Erin also claimed top five individual honors in Evidence/Analysis, Advocacy, and Community.

The unusual circumstances did not faze Casey.

"It was an incredible opportunity that reminded me of why the element of community is so strong in this debate format," Casey said.

Results in the Junior Division testified to ��’s deep bench. Although this was the first event this year where �� did not reach the final round in the division, several Vikings turned in excellent individual performances. Matthew Loewen, Patrick Meister, and Kylan Peterson all were recognized for their excellence in community building, advocacy, and evidence/analysis. Matthew and Kylan were also honored as the two best overall debaters in the division.

Matthew and Patrick both reflected on debate’s impact beyond the wins and losses.

Matthew sees the payoff for his effort clearly: “Due to feedback after debates, I've learned a lot about how to more clearly explain economics concepts which are frequently misunderstood, especially in politics. This has made me much better at helping people understand the gears that power our modern world.”

Patrick likewise drew connections between the skills he is developing and American democracy in the wake of a challenging election. He noted that “surrounding myself with passionate and brilliant people has made me realize that America’s future is not doomed. It’s very easy to feel helpless right now, but to make real change we need to understand the problems we face, and we need to effectively argue for action.”

The Western Debate Union is no stranger to the demands of competing while hosting events, with this November’s Viking Classic being the last of three events in 2024. ��’s debate program serves as a hub for innovation in intercollegiate debate, undergraduate research, and advocacy opportunities on controversial topics ranging from climate justice and sustainability, affordable housing, international relations, and criminal justice reform.

Korry Harvey, the program’s long-running assistant director of Forensics, explained this further.

“The Western Washington Debate program is an important and influential one in the world of collegiate academic debate, due not only to our competitive success but also our pedagogical innovations and our community-oriented approach to the activity,” he said.

Derek Buescher, director of the University of Puget Sound’s debate program, outlined both the labor and significance that goes into hosting.

"It is taxing, time consuming, and labor intensive work, but programs like Western Washington University continually step up to offer what is the most central element of the forensics community--public discourse, dialogue, and teaching on essential and topical questions, helping prepare our students for the highest tests of democratic citizenship,” Buescher said.

The Western Debate Union next turns its eyes towards closing out the fall quarter and gearing up for its next major competition hosted by Weber State University in Ogden, Utah in January.

As students step back from competition to complete final exams and rest and recover during the break, there is a lot to celebrate in Bellingham, according to Harvey.

“It's great that the team has grown steadily since the pandemic and is serving so many different Western students. Like our siblings in athletics, a healthy team culture is vital to the program's success, and we are fortunate to have so many great people to work with. It's a lot of hard work, but so worth it for such a transformative experience,” he said.

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thomps94 — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 18:31:43 +0000

Western Debate Union’s 2024 Viking Classic Tournament showcased regional leadership, competitive success thomps94 Wed, 11/27/2024 - 8:19am

Several members of Western’s competitors and coaches for the event are all smiles at the end of the weekend tournament.

This fall’s Viking Classic was also the third event �� hosted in 2024, drawing programs and students from around the country to Western's beautiful campus.

The unusual circumstances did not faze Casey.

"It was an incredible opportunity that reminded me of why the element of community is so strong in this debate format," Casey said.

Matthew and Patrick both reflected on debate’s impact beyond the wins and losses.

Korry Harvey, the program’s long-running assistant director of Forensics, explained this further.

Derek Buescher, director of the University of Puget Sound’s debate program, outlined both the labor and significance that goes into hosting.

The Western Debate Union next turns its eyes towards closing out the fall quarter and gearing up for its next major competition hosted by Weber State University in Ogden, Utah in January.

As students step back from competition to complete final exams and rest and recover during the break, there is a lot to celebrate in Bellingham, according to Harvey.

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thomps94 — Mon, 15 May 2023 17:46:48 +0000

Western Debate Union’s 2024 Viking Classic Tournament showcased regional leadership, competitive success thomps94 Wed, 11/27/2024 - 8:19am

Several members of Western’s competitors and coaches for the event are all smiles at the end of the weekend tournament.

This fall’s Viking Classic was also the third event �� hosted in 2024, drawing programs and students from around the country to Western's beautiful campus.

The unusual circumstances did not faze Casey.

"It was an incredible opportunity that reminded me of why the element of community is so strong in this debate format," Casey said.

Matthew and Patrick both reflected on debate’s impact beyond the wins and losses.

Korry Harvey, the program’s long-running assistant director of Forensics, explained this further.

Derek Buescher, director of the University of Puget Sound’s debate program, outlined both the labor and significance that goes into hosting.

The Western Debate Union next turns its eyes towards closing out the fall quarter and gearing up for its next major competition hosted by Weber State University in Ogden, Utah in January.

As students step back from competition to complete final exams and rest and recover during the break, there is a lot to celebrate in Bellingham, according to Harvey.

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fraleyz — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 17:35:02 +0000

Western Debate Union’s 2024 Viking Classic Tournament showcased regional leadership, competitive success thomps94 Wed, 11/27/2024 - 8:19am

Several members of Western’s competitors and coaches for the event are all smiles at the end of the weekend tournament.

This fall’s Viking Classic was also the third event �� hosted in 2024, drawing programs and students from around the country to Western's beautiful campus.

The unusual circumstances did not faze Casey.

"It was an incredible opportunity that reminded me of why the element of community is so strong in this debate format," Casey said.

Matthew and Patrick both reflected on debate’s impact beyond the wins and losses.

Korry Harvey, the program’s long-running assistant director of Forensics, explained this further.

Derek Buescher, director of the University of Puget Sound’s debate program, outlined both the labor and significance that goes into hosting.

The Western Debate Union next turns its eyes towards closing out the fall quarter and gearing up for its next major competition hosted by Weber State University in Ogden, Utah in January.

As students step back from competition to complete final exams and rest and recover during the break, there is a lot to celebrate in Bellingham, according to Harvey.

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thomps94 — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 19:15:36 +0000

Western Debate Union’s 2024 Viking Classic Tournament showcased regional leadership, competitive success thomps94 Wed, 11/27/2024 - 8:19am

Several members of Western’s competitors and coaches for the event are all smiles at the end of the weekend tournament.

This fall’s Viking Classic was also the third event �� hosted in 2024, drawing programs and students from around the country to Western's beautiful campus.

The unusual circumstances did not faze Casey.

"It was an incredible opportunity that reminded me of why the element of community is so strong in this debate format," Casey said.

Matthew and Patrick both reflected on debate’s impact beyond the wins and losses.

Korry Harvey, the program’s long-running assistant director of Forensics, explained this further.

Derek Buescher, director of the University of Puget Sound’s debate program, outlined both the labor and significance that goes into hosting.

The Western Debate Union next turns its eyes towards closing out the fall quarter and gearing up for its next major competition hosted by Weber State University in Ogden, Utah in January.

As students step back from competition to complete final exams and rest and recover during the break, there is a lot to celebrate in Bellingham, according to Harvey.

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thomps94 — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 20:18:26 +0000

Western Debate Union’s 2024 Viking Classic Tournament showcased regional leadership, competitive success thomps94 Wed, 11/27/2024 - 8:19am

Several members of Western’s competitors and coaches for the event are all smiles at the end of the weekend tournament.

This fall’s Viking Classic was also the third event �� hosted in 2024, drawing programs and students from around the country to Western's beautiful campus.

The unusual circumstances did not faze Casey.

"It was an incredible opportunity that reminded me of why the element of community is so strong in this debate format," Casey said.

Matthew and Patrick both reflected on debate’s impact beyond the wins and losses.

Korry Harvey, the program’s long-running assistant director of Forensics, explained this further.

Derek Buescher, director of the University of Puget Sound’s debate program, outlined both the labor and significance that goes into hosting.

The Western Debate Union next turns its eyes towards closing out the fall quarter and gearing up for its next major competition hosted by Weber State University in Ogden, Utah in January.

As students step back from competition to complete final exams and rest and recover during the break, there is a lot to celebrate in Bellingham, according to Harvey.

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thomps94 — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 17:02:45 +0000

Western Debate Union’s 2024 Viking Classic Tournament showcased regional leadership, competitive success thomps94 Wed, 11/27/2024 - 8:19am

Several members of Western’s competitors and coaches for the event are all smiles at the end of the weekend tournament.

This fall’s Viking Classic was also the third event �� hosted in 2024, drawing programs and students from around the country to Western's beautiful campus.

The unusual circumstances did not faze Casey.

"It was an incredible opportunity that reminded me of why the element of community is so strong in this debate format," Casey said.

Matthew and Patrick both reflected on debate’s impact beyond the wins and losses.

Korry Harvey, the program’s long-running assistant director of Forensics, explained this further.

Derek Buescher, director of the University of Puget Sound’s debate program, outlined both the labor and significance that goes into hosting.

The Western Debate Union next turns its eyes towards closing out the fall quarter and gearing up for its next major competition hosted by Weber State University in Ogden, Utah in January.

As students step back from competition to complete final exams and rest and recover during the break, there is a lot to celebrate in Bellingham, according to Harvey.

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schustk — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 22:39:39 +0000

Western Debate Union’s 2024 Viking Classic Tournament showcased regional leadership, competitive success thomps94 Wed, 11/27/2024 - 8:19am

Several members of Western’s competitors and coaches for the event are all smiles at the end of the weekend tournament.

This fall’s Viking Classic was also the third event �� hosted in 2024, drawing programs and students from around the country to Western's beautiful campus.

The unusual circumstances did not faze Casey.

"It was an incredible opportunity that reminded me of why the element of community is so strong in this debate format," Casey said.

Matthew and Patrick both reflected on debate’s impact beyond the wins and losses.

Korry Harvey, the program’s long-running assistant director of Forensics, explained this further.

Derek Buescher, director of the University of Puget Sound’s debate program, outlined both the labor and significance that goes into hosting.

The Western Debate Union next turns its eyes towards closing out the fall quarter and gearing up for its next major competition hosted by Weber State University in Ogden, Utah in January.

As students step back from competition to complete final exams and rest and recover during the break, there is a lot to celebrate in Bellingham, according to Harvey.

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thomps94 — Fri, 31 May 2019 18:29:27 +0000

Western Debate Union’s 2024 Viking Classic Tournament showcased regional leadership, competitive success thomps94 Wed, 11/27/2024 - 8:19am

Several members of Western’s competitors and coaches for the event are all smiles at the end of the weekend tournament.

This fall’s Viking Classic was also the third event �� hosted in 2024, drawing programs and students from around the country to Western's beautiful campus.

The unusual circumstances did not faze Casey.

"It was an incredible opportunity that reminded me of why the element of community is so strong in this debate format," Casey said.

Matthew and Patrick both reflected on debate’s impact beyond the wins and losses.

Korry Harvey, the program’s long-running assistant director of Forensics, explained this further.

Derek Buescher, director of the University of Puget Sound’s debate program, outlined both the labor and significance that goes into hosting.

The Western Debate Union next turns its eyes towards closing out the fall quarter and gearing up for its next major competition hosted by Weber State University in Ogden, Utah in January.

As students step back from competition to complete final exams and rest and recover during the break, there is a lot to celebrate in Bellingham, according to Harvey.

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thomps94 — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 23:16:42 +0000

Western Debate Union’s 2024 Viking Classic Tournament showcased regional leadership, competitive success thomps94 Wed, 11/27/2024 - 8:19am

Several members of Western’s competitors and coaches for the event are all smiles at the end of the weekend tournament.

This fall’s Viking Classic was also the third event �� hosted in 2024, drawing programs and students from around the country to Western's beautiful campus.

The unusual circumstances did not faze Casey.

"It was an incredible opportunity that reminded me of why the element of community is so strong in this debate format," Casey said.

Matthew and Patrick both reflected on debate’s impact beyond the wins and losses.

Korry Harvey, the program’s long-running assistant director of Forensics, explained this further.

Derek Buescher, director of the University of Puget Sound’s debate program, outlined both the labor and significance that goes into hosting.

The Western Debate Union next turns its eyes towards closing out the fall quarter and gearing up for its next major competition hosted by Weber State University in Ogden, Utah in January.

As students step back from competition to complete final exams and rest and recover during the break, there is a lot to celebrate in Bellingham, according to Harvey.

Communication Studies

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After 23 Years at Western, Communication Studies Department Manager Ann Reynolds to Retire Aug. 7

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Introduction to Communication and Public Speaking College Quest

Communication Studies Students to Host 'Students of Color: Communication, Activism, and Resistance’ June 3

��������’s Rita Daniels Accepted to Prestigious Social Justice Training Institute

��’s Rita Daniels Accepted to Prestigious Social Justice Training Institute