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2009 At-a-Glance

October 2009

University of Kentucky Henry Clay Debate Tournament Results

The University of Kentucky hosted the Henry Clay Debates featuring 133 teams in one division. Thirteen Emory teams competed. Michigan State and Northwestern University each entered seven teams. No other school had more than six teams entered. Emory again reached the deep elimination rounds and garnered several speaker awards.

Stephen Weil and Ovais Inamullah, fresh off of a first place finish at the elite Kentucky Round Robin were semifinalists before losing a 2-1 decision to eventual tournament winner, Michigan State University. To reach the semis, Weil and Inamullah defeated Minnesota, Harvard, and Mary Washington.

First years Ross Gordon and Rajesh Jegadeesh reached the octafinals where they lost a close 2-1 decision Mary Washington University. In the double-octafinals Gordon and Jegadeesh defeated the University of Georgia.

The tournament also features First Year Break Out for the top eight first year teams competing at the tournament. Emory first year debaters John Holland and Alex Zavell defeated three Dartmouth teams in a row to win the First Year title. And, first year debaters Ellie Kuenzel and William Rains lost in the quarterfinal to Dartmouth. Kuenzel was named second best speaker among first years and Rains won the Best Freshman Debater in America Award for his individual performance.

Of the 266 individuals participating at the tournament, Weil and Inamullah were named First and Third speaker.

Kentucky Thoroughbred Round Robin

Juniors Stephen Weil and Ovais Inamullah continued their outstanding performance as the University of Kentucky hosted the Thoroughbred Round Robin. Weil and Inamullah won the tournament with a dominating 7-1 record against the best nine teams in the country. None of the other competitors finished with a record better than 5-3. Northwestern University and Harvard finished 2nd and 3rd with 5-3 records and Whitman College finished 4th also at 5-3. Weil was also named top speaker at the tournament. Other schools attending were the University of California-Berkeley, Michigan State University, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Texas at Dallas, and the State University of West Georgia.

Georgia State Tournament Results Are In! Georgia State University hosts the first major national tournament of the debate season and Emory does very well. 150 teams competed in the open division at the tournament and three Emory teams reached the elimination rounds. Only one other school, the University of Kansas qualified three teams. Fifteen Emory teams competed in the varsity division including twelve first year debaters. Marta Chlistunoff, Ross Gordon, John Holland, Rajesh Jegadeesh, Ellie Kuenzel, Jonathan Ma. Fayzan Rab, William Rains, and Alex Zavell all participated in their first collegiate debate tournament.

This year the debate resolution says that the United States should reduce and restrict the missions and roles of its nuclear weapons arsenal.

Juniors Stephen Weil and Ovais Inamullah finished the preliminary rounds as the sixth seed with a 6-1 record. They rolled through the first four elimination rounds winning all 12 ballots before losing a 2-1 decision in the finals to the University of Texas at Dallas. Along the way, Weil and Inamullah defeated Samford University, Idaho State University, Northwestern University, and the State University of West Georgia.

First year debaters Ross Gordon and Rajesh Jegadeesh defeater Vanderbilt in the double octafinals before losing to Northwestern University in the octafinals.

Junior Ana Nikolic and sophomore Megan Swenson reached the double-octafinals where they lost to Idaho State.

Of the 300 individual debaters in competition, four Emory debaters received top twenty speaker awards.

Stephen Weil 12th Speaker
Ovais Inamullah 13th Speaker
Ana Nikolic 20th Speaker

This marked the third straight year an Emory team and Junior Stephen Weil has debated in the final round at the Opening Tournament of the Season.