by Ryan Bower, Assistant Director of Public Relations
While it would be easy for members of Cedarville University鈥檚 debate and forensic speech teams to boast about their national titles and individual honors, winning is not their primary goal. In fact, if you asked them, they鈥檇 probably tell you that winning is much farther down the list than most people would think.
It鈥檚 true that both teams have had incredible success. In 2013-14, the forensic speech team won the National Christian College Forensics Association (NCCFA) Invitational Division II national championship, and followed it up with a second-place showing last year.
This year, the team has finished in the top five at two tournaments, but their focus isn鈥檛 on where they finish. Instead, the team is focused on building relationships with each other and sharpening their skills to defend their faith and spread the Gospel to those around them.
鈥淕etting up and speaking in front of people is great practice to share your faith,鈥 said Rebecca Adams, a junior management major from Wadsworth, Ohio. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e standing in front of a room full of strangers, you become very vulnerable. It鈥檚 a lot like sharing your faith with someone for the first time, and it鈥檚 been a great opportunity to sharpen our speaking and critical thinking skills.鈥
Adams has had the opportunity to create speeches based on writings from Christian authors, which often stand in stark contrast to other competitors, many of whom come from universities without a Christ-centered focus.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l hear a lot of competitors give speeches that are laced with profanity or vulgarity,鈥 said Adams. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e able to communicate a positive message that doesn鈥檛 use either of those and is not like other performances. It opens the door for others to ask questions as to why we are different, and it gives us the chance to share our faith in Christ.鈥
On the debate side, Cedarville has remained in the top 10 of the National Parliamentary Debate Association鈥檚 (NPDA) national rankings all year, currently sitting in seventh. They鈥檝e finished first in tournaments at Loyola-Chicago and Wheaton College, but like their colleagues on the forensic speech team, it鈥檚 not all about the accolades.
鈥淒ebate isn鈥檛 just a way to learn how to think on your feet or form a convincing argument,鈥 said Aaron Alford, a senior broadcasting/digital media major from Cincinnati. 鈥淚t gives us a chance to become better listeners, something that is essential when sharing your faith with someone. In order to properly explain or defend your beliefs, you have to be able to understand what the other side is saying.鈥
Alford also pointed out that debate allows students to better understand their own beliefs in a world that is often vastly different than what they experience at Cedarville and hostile to the Gospel message.
鈥淒ebate really helps Christians as they enter an often hyperliberal, atheistic environment,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of great creative thought that goes into a debate round, and it often spills over into conversations outside of competition, where we get to talk to other competitors about what we believe.鈥
So while Cedarville鈥檚 debate and speech teams continue their success in competition, they鈥檙e also helping to spread God鈥檚 word to others through articulate, intelligent speech and by building relationships with those around them.
鈥淲e are blessed with great students on both teams who have a passion for communicating a positive message every time they speak,鈥 said Derrick Green, chair of the department of communication and speech coach. 鈥淲hat makes me the most proud isn鈥檛 the awards, it鈥檚 seeing our students grow closer to each other, closer to God, and growing in their faith.鈥
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,711 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 100 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.
It鈥檚 true that both teams have had incredible success. In 2013-14, the forensic speech team won the National Christian College Forensics Association (NCCFA) Invitational Division II national championship, and followed it up with a second-place showing last year.
This year, the team has finished in the top five at two tournaments, but their focus isn鈥檛 on where they finish. Instead, the team is focused on building relationships with each other and sharpening their skills to defend their faith and spread the Gospel to those around them.
鈥淕etting up and speaking in front of people is great practice to share your faith,鈥 said Rebecca Adams, a junior management major from Wadsworth, Ohio. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e standing in front of a room full of strangers, you become very vulnerable. It鈥檚 a lot like sharing your faith with someone for the first time, and it鈥檚 been a great opportunity to sharpen our speaking and critical thinking skills.鈥
Adams has had the opportunity to create speeches based on writings from Christian authors, which often stand in stark contrast to other competitors, many of whom come from universities without a Christ-centered focus.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l hear a lot of competitors give speeches that are laced with profanity or vulgarity,鈥 said Adams. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e able to communicate a positive message that doesn鈥檛 use either of those and is not like other performances. It opens the door for others to ask questions as to why we are different, and it gives us the chance to share our faith in Christ.鈥
On the debate side, Cedarville has remained in the top 10 of the National Parliamentary Debate Association鈥檚 (NPDA) national rankings all year, currently sitting in seventh. They鈥檝e finished first in tournaments at Loyola-Chicago and Wheaton College, but like their colleagues on the forensic speech team, it鈥檚 not all about the accolades.
鈥淒ebate isn鈥檛 just a way to learn how to think on your feet or form a convincing argument,鈥 said Aaron Alford, a senior broadcasting/digital media major from Cincinnati. 鈥淚t gives us a chance to become better listeners, something that is essential when sharing your faith with someone. In order to properly explain or defend your beliefs, you have to be able to understand what the other side is saying.鈥
Alford also pointed out that debate allows students to better understand their own beliefs in a world that is often vastly different than what they experience at Cedarville and hostile to the Gospel message.
鈥淒ebate really helps Christians as they enter an often hyperliberal, atheistic environment,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of great creative thought that goes into a debate round, and it often spills over into conversations outside of competition, where we get to talk to other competitors about what we believe.鈥
So while Cedarville鈥檚 debate and speech teams continue their success in competition, they鈥檙e also helping to spread God鈥檚 word to others through articulate, intelligent speech and by building relationships with those around them.
鈥淲e are blessed with great students on both teams who have a passion for communicating a positive message every time they speak,鈥 said Derrick Green, chair of the department of communication and speech coach. 鈥淲hat makes me the most proud isn鈥檛 the awards, it鈥檚 seeing our students grow closer to each other, closer to God, and growing in their faith.鈥
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,711 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 100 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.