UIS Speech and Debate Starts Season on a Strong Note

SPRINGFIELD, IL. (October 15, 2019) – The UIS Speech and Debate Team found success at their first competition of the 2019-2020 competitive season. Two students from UIS won recognition for their speeches at the Appel-Quest Speech Tournament hosted by Moraine Valley Community College.

Sophomore Lizette Zavala advanced to finals in extemporaneous speaking, a category where students receive thirty minutes to develop a speech in response to questions about current events. Over the course of the tournament, Zavala created three new speeches and was recognized by the judges for her sharp answers and insightful comments.

Senior Sarah Burris was recognized as a top novice in poetry interpretation. For poetry interpretation, students choose a topic they find meaningful, search for poems and song lyrics that speak to the topic, arrange them into a cogent program, and perform the program for a judge and audience. Judges at the competition commended Burris for her creative approach to discussing the topic of suicide and the struggles of mental illness.

“This tournament was a great start to our season” says director Timothy Bill. “The first tournament is always a challenge. You don’t fully know how judges will respond to new speeches. The comments and scores from the judges show we’re off to a strong start this year.”

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. Students who are interested in joining the team should reach out to the coach Timothy Bill (tbill2@uis.edu) or check out the team website at Speech and Debate site.