Debate Team performs in Tampa

**Jacob Alexander and Nicole Hewitt– 5^th place Public Forum Debate. This team was the only undefeated team in preliminary rounds. This team debated: Resolved: the US government should not require its citizens to have health insurance.

**Xavier Ortega– 6^th place Lincoln Douglas Debate. This is the second time Ortega has competed in this debate event (which is different from Ortega’s usual event of Public Forum Debate) and Ortega defeated a student who placed in this event at Emory. Ortega debated: Resolved: the United States is justified in intervening in the internal political processes of other countries to attempt to stop human rights abuse.

**Abigail Loyd– 6^th place Original Oratory Loyd advanced to the final round.  Loyd’s oratory is titled “You Can’t Handle the Truth” and was about people’s inability to be honest with themselves framed around a movies metaphor.

**Samantha Hansen– 10^th place Original Oratory. Hansen oratory is titled “Ohana” and is about the need to have real family and friends in this virtual age and is framed around a Disney metaphor.

**Matt Laird was 6^th place speaker in Public Forum Debate.

**Xavier Ortega was 8^th place speaker in Lincoln Douglas Debate.