The William Pitt Debating Union (WPDU) continued its 2025 season with standout showings during the second weekend of competition, conquering both the Sunshine Series Part 1 Tournament hosted by the University of West Florida and the East Coast Early Bird Tournament hosted by Baruch College.
On Saturday, junior Breanne Francis and sophomore Zoë Smith claimed first and second place, respectively, in After Dinner Speaking at the Sunshine Series. Senior Mia Stack placed sixth in Persuasive Speaking while also competing in Prose. Junior Natalie Rose advanced to the semifinals in Impromptu and competed in Extemporaneous and After Dinner Speaking, while freshman Ramone Arnold showcased Dramatic Interpretation.
Sunday brought additional success when freshman Andrew Fisher won the East Coast Early Bird Tournament, overtaking Notre Dame to secure first place in Novice International Parliamentary Debate. Both tournaments drew a combined total of more than 340 event entries from dozens of universities and colleges from across the nation, providing WPDU students with valuable opportunities to challenge top collegiate competitors from institutions including Notre Dame, George Mason University, and Louisiana State University.
While describing a key round from Sunday’s competition, Andrew stated, “[I] used this principle from my IR class in a round: Post-Peace Commitment Problem, a major obstacle to ending civil wars. A rebel group refuses to disarm because it cannot enforce the terms of a peace settlement once it has given up its power. This leads to rebel groups refusing to give up their arms during negotiations and extending the war. The only solution to this is for a third party, such as the [African Union], to monitor ceasefires and agreements for cooperation between sides."
Utilizing class-learned information about key world players, such as the African Union, not only won Andrew the round, but showcases how these students regularly incorporate their daily studies into debate rounds. Many speech categories also enable students to dive deeper into academic knowledge, such as Mia’s Persuasive speech that builds on her current psychology internship experience.
Both speech and debate competitors in the WPDU continue to translate their achievements in the classroom to wins on stage, as is evident from their 3-0 record. This early success also means that six students have already qualified for the National Forensics Association championship tournament in Nashville, Tennessee. Building on last year’s ranking as a top five debate program, the team aims to expand its roster of national qualifiers and continue its early-season momentum.