UIS Attends the National Speech Championship

SPRINGFIELD, IL. (March 30, 2019) – The UIS Speech and Debate Team attended its first ever National Speech Championship, a relatively new national tournament that features competition in the major speech event categories. The competition was hosted by Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Thirty-two teams from across the nation took part in the tournament.

As one of the top novice competitors at the tournament, first-year competitor Liza Zavala advanced to the novice exhibition rounds in extemporaneous speaking and impromptu speaking. She becomes the first student from the University of Illinois Springfield to be recognized at this competition.

The National Speech Championship is the last tournament for the season. Over the next few months, the returning students will begin working on new speeches for the upcoming season. A travel schedule for the 2019-2020 season will be posted at the beginning of the fall semester. Students who are interested in joining the team should reach out to the coach Timothy Bill (tbill2@uis.edu) to find out how to join.

The University of Illinois Springfield Speech and Debate Team is committed to training the next generation of civic leaders, public speakers, and communicators who are passionate about effecting change in their communities. The team is housed in the Department of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. To find out more, please visit the Speech and Debate site.