After a semester of preparation, the Murray State Speech and Debate Union finished in second place at the 13th annual Porch Swing Invitational debate tournament.

The tournament was hosted by Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee. It featured a dozen schools, including Walter State, Marshall University, Marian University and Cleveland State.

The team prevailed in the conference despite facing a key disadvantage against the other schools, according to faculty adviser Ryan Goke.

“With only three competitors at this tournament, Murray State placed second overall in debate,” Goke said. “For comparison, most of the other schools had six to eight competitors and have a distinct advantage in numbers for overall sweepstakes awards.”

Participants in the tournament are guaranteed four rounds of preliminary debate. In these rounds, participants are evaluated by one judge who determines if they advance to qualifying rounds. In the qualifying rounds, three judges evaluate the participants.

Speech and Debate Union President Case Thomason explained judges evaluate participants on a variety of factors.

“A judge graded you on several different factors,” Thomason said. “Did you speak well? Was your argument clear? How did you present yourself? Did you make a better case than your opponent? To win this competition, you must work hard and impress your judge in a manner beyond that of your competitors.”

In addition to Thomason, Murray State’s three participants included senior economics majors Kyle Heideman and Garrett Kieser. The competitors were split among two teams. Heideman and Kieser formed one team, while Thomason and a student from Cleveland State formed the other.

Heideman and Kieser won the tournament with all four of the judge’s ballots in the preliminary rounds, all three of the judges ballots in the quarter and semifinals and two of the three ballots in the final round.

The Porch Swing Invitational was the Speech and Debate Union’s sixth tournament of the semester. The group attended three virtual competitions and traveled to the University Southern Mississippi and Middle Tennessee State University for in-person tournaments.

The group also had some noteworthy performances at these tournaments. At the University of Southern Mississippi, Kieser and Thomason finished in first and second place, respectively, in extemporaneous speaking.

Participants in extemporaneous speaking are given 30 minutes to prepare a seven-minute speech about a given topic.

Students also spent their time preparing for the competition by attending practice sessions three times a week in which they participated in mock debates and analysis of each other’s speeches.

Goke said while the team’s traveling may be done this semester, their sights are set on next semester’s national tournament.

“We are already preparing for next semester,’’ Goke said. “Nationals will be hosted at West Chester University in the spring, and we plan to make a strong showing on behalf of Murray State University.”

Students from all majors are encouraged to get involved with the Speech and Debate Union. Goke said forensics, the combined term for both speech and debate, teaches students important skills.

“Speech and debate provides educational value and relevant skills to all the competitors, which is why so many lawyers, politicians and presidents got their start on the forensics circuit,” Goke said.

Thomason said in addition to developing skills, speech and debate helped him grow as a person.

“I have learned how to communicate effectively and best prevail in an argument,’’ Thomason said. “I have also learned what loss feels like and how to strive for better, becoming a more refined and better person along the way.”

Anyone interested in joining the Speech and Debate Union can email Goke at [email protected].