Weber State University Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities Debate Team Ranked in Top Twenty Nationally in Varsity Standings

Success of debate program helps to secure Sun Country Debate Institute at Weber State University

OGDEN, Utah, Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Weber State University Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities (http://weber.edu/cah), the Western region's foremost institution for student-centered teaching and research, today announced the debate team has concluded its first half of the season and achieved its highest ranking to date and is currently seventeenth in the country according to varsity standings. In addition, the Sun Country Forensics Institute, the largest and most prominent summer high school forensics camp in the Intermountain West, has agreed to rename itself, "Sun Country Debate Institute at Weber State University," and all of its operations will relocate to Ogden.  

"Our historically high ranking is due in part to the outstanding showing we have had this past semester, including having five different two person teams clear to the elimination rounds in varsity divisions," said Omar Guevara, Director of Forensics and Instructor of Communication at Weber State University. "We have been working to relocate the Sun Country Debate Institute to Weber State University for nearly two years, and we are very happy they have chosen our university and the city of Ogden. The culmination of our efforts is really due to the more than 30 students who have spent their evenings and weekends preparing to compete and represent our university."

Weber State University is emerging as a powerhouse in intercollegiate debate, having won numerous contests and awards. Statistics for intercollegiate debate are calculated and updated weekly throughout the season at (https://www.tabroom.com/jbruschke/NDTChecker.php). In addition, Weber State University will host the 9^th annual National Debate Coaches Association national championship scheduled for April 12-15, 2014. The event will attract more than 500 visitors from the best high school debate programs in the United States.

"The debate team is a wonderful example of how faculty are working with students to fulfill our college's mission to teach students to excel as they seek, understand, question and express complexities critical to the experience of being human," said Madonne Miner, Dean of the Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities. "The students' performance is remarkable and we are pleased that the success of our program is helping to attract programs like the summer debate camp to Ogden."

For more information on the Weber State University debate team or to request a copy of the team's schedule, please visit (http://www.weberdebate.com/).

About the Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities
The Weber State University Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities teaches students to excel as they seek, understand, question and express complexities critical to the experience of being human. The Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities offers five degree programs in the following areas: Communication, English, Foreign Language, Performing Arts and Visual Arts. Master's degrees also are offered in Communication and English. The college serves nearly 2,000 undergraduate majors and 200 graduate students. The Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities is the Western region's foremost institution for student-centered teaching and research that investigates the human experience and aims to educate global citizens who are responsible, creative and critical artists, performers and communicators. For more information please visit (www.weber.edu/cah) or online at (www.facebook.com/WSUartsandhumanities).

Contact:
Christie Denniston
Director of Marketing of Marketing and PR
Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities 
Weber State University
Phone: 801-626-6431
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Weber State University, Lindquist College of Arts and Humanities