Debaters Win Fifth Place in Tacoma

October 24, 2005

Congratulations to Northwest University debaters Taylor Jones and Katie Jo Buccola for reaching quarter final at the University of Puget Sound Parliamentary Invitational in Tacoma October 22 and 23. The women had the fourth best record of 22 junior teams going into quarterfinals.

Northwest lost to a UPS team on a two to one decision of the three judges, arguing in opposition to the topic: “The US federal government should provide aid to the government of Mexico to alleviate poverty.”

In addition to wins and losses debaters are rated for speaking ability. Katie Jo ranked as the eighth best junior debate speaker out of 44. Kevin Botterbusch ranked as the 12th best speaker.

Four Eagle Debate alumni generously volunteered their weekend to serve as judges. Special thanks to Dave Thompson, Paul Nystrom and Mercy and Nathan Novak who also helped prep our teams for rounds.

Topics were announced 20 minutes before each round and concerned such issues as nuclear proliferation, political corruption, global warming, privacy and relations with Mexico.

The other two Northwest teams that attended the contest earned 3 – 3 records, missing breaking into finals by one win -- the senior team of Jordan Goddard and Casey DiGennaro and our other junior team of Kevin Botterbusch and Shelly Delaney.

All three students who received honors are freshmen and new to the Northwest debate team. Taylor, 18, from Tempe, Arizona, is a Political Science and History major who is considering a career in law.

Katie Jo, 18, Bellevue, is planning to pursue a degree in ultrasound technology after she completes an Associate of Arts program. For the last three years Katie Jo attended a Home School Debate Club lead by Northwest Debaters that met on our campus. Both women report that they chose Northwest in part to participate in debate.

Kevin, 18, from Phoenix, Arizona, is majoring in Intercultural Communication and says that he would like to do missions work in Eastern Europe as a career. He plans to join his debate partner Shelley along with Taylor and two other Northwest debaters to compete at an international debate tournament in Prague, Czech Republic in March. Helping to judge in Prague will be alumni and former debate star Paul Nystrom.

Team Captain Jordan reports that he is receiving unsolicited letters from law schools all over the nation tying to recruit him, often offering to wave application fees, because of his high LSAT score. He ranked in the top 98 percentile. Most recently Penn Law School sent him a letter, joining other offers from Duke, Chicago and Indiana.

His debate partner Casey, a senior Music major and jazz vocalist, is considering accepting a graduate fellowship to study and teach music at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks next year. Known as a gifted child while growing up, Casey designed his own computer in the first grade and in the fourth grade passed high school equivalent math tests.

The next tournament will be at Lower Columbia College the weekend of November 4.

Taylor and Katie will challenge Kortney Thoma and Robert Martin in a public debate on Thursday November 17 on the topic of human trafficking. The debate will be in M-1 at 7:30 PM.