WKU News

Members of the WKU Forensics team competed in two recent debate tournaments. Back row (from left): Chad Meadows (Director of Debate), Sage Carter, Evan Grisham (Graduate Assistant), Rae Fournier, Tanya Prabhakar (Graduate Assistant); middle row: Chase Shockley, Kole Ingram, Antonina Clementi, Ameya Puranik; front row: Joshua St. Peter, Nik Schintgen, JaKayla Brown.

WKU Forensics team members reached new heights in two recent debate tournaments.

WKU students advanced to the elimination rounds of the United States Naval Academy Crowe Warken tournament January 18-21. 

Juniors Rae Fournier of Woodbridge, Virginia, and Sage Carter of Salina, Kansas, reached the elite 8 in intercollegiate policy debate with wins over students from Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, New York University and Cornell University. The American Debate Association, who sanctioned the tournament, reported that 48 teams from across the country came together to debate the CEDA/NDT resolution: “Resolved: The United States Federal Government should adopt a clean energy policy for decarbonization in the United States, including a market-based instrument.”

Director of Debate Chad Meadows said: “This was our best varsity outcome in policy debate, and our students relished the opportunity to compete against students from America’s best universities.” 

WKU also competed at the Gorlok Gala at Webster University January 22-26.  Eight WKU students competed in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and five advanced to the elimination rounds of the top 16 students. No other school advanced more than two students.

Three students were awarded speaker awards in the Top 10: Rae Fournier, 2nd; Sage Carter, 4th; and Kole Ingram of Hindman, Kentucky, 10th.

WKU next competes at the Jackson Purchase/Kentucky Forensics Association tournament hosted by Murray State University.

Results from the Gorlok Gala are as follows:

Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Rae Fournier, 2nd; Sage Carter, Top 4; Joshua St-Peter of Canton, Georgia, Top 8; Kole Ingram, Top 16; and Chase Shockley of Carthage, Missouri, Top 16.

More: Check out the WKU Forensics Facebook page or follow @wkuforensics  and @DebateWku on X/Twitter.

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340. 

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Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.