McKendree University to Host Nation's Top Debaters at Two Tournaments
Lebanon Campus Will Host NPTE March 7-9, NPDA March 12-14
(LEBANON, Ill., March 4, 2020) — Watch the nation’s top debaters compete when McKendree
University hosts two national tournaments for the first time, during spring break
week. The National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence (NPTE) will be held on campus
March 7-9, and the National Parliamentary Debate Association Championship Tournament
(NPTE) March 12-14. Some of the highest ranked debate teams in the U.S. will participate,
including a McKendree team ranked third in the U.S.
Both events are open to the public. Visitors may park in any non-reserved spot. Guests
may drop by Piper Academic Center, Room 220, and McKendree University Debate Coach
Joe Blasdel will direct them to a good round to watch. After the topic is announced,
teams will have 20 minutes to prepare. Visitors should not enter rooms during this
prep time.
Topics to be debated at the NPTE will Chinese violations of U.S. intellectual property
rights, incentives for renewable energy, U.S. foreign military aid, reparations for
slavery, and South African land reform. Debates will take place mainly in Piper Academic
Center classrooms, with semi-finals and finals in the Hettenhausen Center for the
Arts.
“It's an incredible honor to host nationals, but it’s particularly exciting that McKendree’s
Adeja Powell and Mitch Deleel enter the tournament as the third-ranked team in the
country,” said Coach Blasdel. Joining Powell, of Belleville, Ill., and Deleel, of
Highland, Ill., will be McKendree debaters Rebecca Postula, of Mascoutah, Ill.; Caden
Owens, of Salem; Kyle Garrett, of Troy, Ill., and Kyle Smith, of Walnut Ridge, Ark.
Also competing at the NPTE will be debaters from Concordia University (Irvine, Calif.),
El Camino College (Torrance, Calif.), Lewis & Clark College (Portland, Ore.), University
of Oregon (Eugene, Ore.), University of California (Berkeley, Calif.), Rice University
(Houston, Texas), Rio Hondo Community College (Whittier, Calif.), Saint Mary’s College
(Moraga, Calif.), Texas Tech University (Lubbock, Texas), University of Minnesota
(Minneapolis, Minn.), University of Texas (Tyler, Texas), University of the Pacific
(Stockton, Calif.) and Western Washington University (Bellingham, Wash.).
The NPTE schedule is as follows:
Saturday, March 7
10 a.m. Prelim Round 1
Noon Lunch Break
1:15 p.m. Prelim Round 2
3:30 p.m. Prelim Round 3
5:45 p.m. Prelim Round 4
Sunday, March 8
10 a.m. Prelim Round 5
Noon Lunch Break
1:15 p.m. Elim Round 1
3:30 p.m. Elim Round 2
5:45 p.m. Elim Round 3
Monday, March 9
10 a.m. Elim Round 4
Noon Lunch Break
1:15 p.m. Quarterfinals
3:30 p.m. Semifinals (Hett Center)
5:45 p.m. Finals (Hett Center)
8 p.m. Awards (Hett Center)
The larger NPDA Championship Tournament on March 12-14 will host 66 teams from 22
colleges and universities throughout the country, including McKendree University.
They are: Concordia University (Irvine, Calif.), El Camino College (Torrance, Calif.),
Lewis & Clark College (Portland, Ore.), University of Oregon (Eugene, Ore.), University
of California (Berkeley, Calif.), Rice University (Houston, Texas), Rio Hondo Community
College (Whittier, Calif.), Saint Mary’s College (Moraga, Calif.), Texas Tech University
(Lubbock, Texas), University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), University of Texas
(Tyler, Texas), University of the Pacific (Stockton, Calif.), Western Washington University
(Bellingham, Wash.), Appalachian State University (Boone, N.C.), Grand Canyon University
(Phoenix, Ariz.), Lynn University (Boca Raton, Fla.), Mercer University (Macon, Ga),
Point Loma Nazarene University (San Diego, Calif.), the College of Idaho (Caldwell,
Idaho), Whitman College (Walla Walla, Wash.) and William Jewell College (Liberty,
Mo.)
Competing for McKendree will be Adeja Powell, of Belleville, Ill.; Mitch Deleel, of
Highland, Ill.; Rebecca Postula, of Mascoutah, Ill.; Caden Owens, of Salem, Ill.;
Kyle Garrett, of Troy, Ill.; Kyle Smith, of Walnut Ridge, Ark.; Jamari Jackson, of
Belleville, Ill.; Maddie Kopp, of St. Louis, Mo.; and Dalton Atwater, of Chicago,
Ill.
Given the NPDA tournament’s size, debates will occur in almost every classroom throughout
the campus. The schedule is as follows:
Thursday, March 12
8:40 Prelim Round 1
10:40 Prelim Round 2
12:15 Lunch Break
1:55 Prelim Round 3
4:05 Prelim Round 4
6:20 Prelim Round 5
Friday, March 13
8:40 Prelim Round 6
10:50 Prelim Round 7
12:15 Lunch Break
1:55 Prelim Round 8
3:20 National Student Meeting
4:20 Elim Round 1
Saturday, March 14
8:40 Elim Round 2
10:45 Quarterfinals
12:20 Lunch Break
1:55 Semifinals
4:20 Finals
6:30 Awards
-McK-
