Over the past weekend, no one in the vicinity of Gordy, Ellis or Tupper Hall could have missed the collection of students clad in business attire scurrying around the area.
Those students were participating in Ohio University’s annual 1804 Tournament and the Ohio Forensics Association Novice State Tournament, two competitions of speech and debate.
“Part of the reason why we host both tournaments simultaneously is that usually the Ohio Novice Tournament is smaller and our tournament is a little bit larger, and we essentially cross-pollinate the judging pool,” said Jennifer Talbert, the John A. Cassese Director of Forensics and the Speech and Debate coach of the past six years.
One of the OU team members is Chloe Watts, a freshman studying communications. Watts joined the team after hearing about it through Talbert, her learning community leader.
“I’ve always liked giving speeches and talking in front of people, it was something new to do,” Watts said. “I played a lot of sports, so this was a way to be competitive without sports.”
Another member of the team is Lexi Taylor, a freshman studying communications. Taylor’s desire to participate in speech and debate dates back to high school, but it was put on hold by her school’s lack of a team. Upon arrival at OU, Taylor quickly found her way to the group.
“The team is really great, I love the team,” she said. “They’re such cool people. At first, I was really nervous, I was like, ‘Oh my god, these people are so much better than me,’ but they’re so open to help.”
Taylor is looking forward to participating in a tournament hosted by OU because she believes the environment is perfect for such an event.
“We have a good campus that has people bouncing around,” Taylor said. “The three buildings we’re in are right near each other, they’re easy to find. I think we have good people here to meet. We have uptown if they want to go get food … I think it’s just a good area to be.”
Not only could tournament participants grab a slice at Goodfella’s or a sandwich from Bagel Street Deli for lunch, but they could also choose from the food selection organized by Talbert.
“In order to run a good tournament, you have to have two things,” she said. “You have to have rooms and you have to have judges, everything else is icing on the cake … Part of the icing is … we feed everybody. Food is always a good thing. The coffee cake here at OU, people love it.”
The delicious scent of catered food hung heavy in Ellis Hall as the tournament came to a close Sunday. While passing the judges' lounge, students lingered onto the last bites of their university-provided meal, as well as enjoyed decorations inspired by the year's theme: “Mean Girls: The Musical.” Posters lined the walls referencing moments in the film and created a fun, pink aesthetic, all of which OU students contributed to.
“Teamwork makes the dream work,” Talbert said. “It really takes everybody pulling together in order to make the tournament happen.”
This effort includes poster-making and decoration committees, along with other assistance during the tournament.
While every student on the team helped plan for the tournament, only the new members entered the competition as part of the Ohio Novice State Tournament.
Taylor’s events were persuasive speaking, dramatic interpretation, impromptu speaking and duo interpretation. Watts performed two duos, after-dinner speaking, impromptu speaking and program oral interpretation. Such a variety of options is what Talbert believes makes speech and debate competitors some of the luckiest people on the planet.
“Students select what they want to perform, and they have the ability to often give voice to the voiceless,” she said. “Being able to speak out about a certain topic that you feel really compelled to speak about, I think that’s something … awesome.”
Watts enjoys participating in speech and debate for many reasons, including the skillset it is helping her to develop.
“It builds confidence, speaking in front of people,” she said. “It helps me not be nervous in other environments because I’m so used to talking in front of even these small groups.”
Last year, Talbert started a tradition of honoring tournament winners with an unconventional trophy selection. Instead of traditional plastic trophies, a portion of the entry fees went to buying Passion Works flowers to serve as awards.
“It’s unique to Athens, it’s not trashing the environment and it’s something … special,” Talbert said. “I know the students that won those trophies last year seemed to be very receptive toward it.”
This year, Cedarville University took first place in the team sweepstakes, with Seton Hall University, Eastern Michigan University, Ohio University and Heidelberg University taking second through fifth place, respectively.
The OU Speech and Debate Team is almost as old as the university itself. The remarkable legacy of the team is something any student can be a part of, no matter their major or reason for joining.
Tournaments like these are an exciting way for team members to practice their skills and help facilitate Talbert’s favorite task of hosting.
“I really like having schools from across the country come to our campus and see how amazing OU is,” she said.
