TCU Speech & Debate Rings in the New Year with a Win

TCU Speech and Debate is taking the competition circuit by storm. In their first competition of the 2024 year, the team won first place overall in the “Individual Event Sweepstakes,” third overall in the Individual “Event and Debate Sweepstakes” and brought home a record 26 top-six finishes across 14 of 15 individual event categories at the Southern Forensic Championship.

Hosted by Louisiana State University in Shreveport, the TCU team faced off against teams from around the nation. The three-day event allowed students to participate in all the individual categories, including the two new categories of “Radio Broadcasting” and “Editorial Impromptu” in which TCU students placed in the top 10 in both categories. Next, the team is headed to Lawton, Oklahoma for the 2024 Sweetheart Swing hosted by Cameron University.

TCU Speech & Debate is comprised of students across the university who compete in person at competitions around the country. This year’s team includes the return of several members from last year’s all-novice team, including Josue Cabrera, Ellie Griffin, Liv Goettel, Cadence Jones and Jackson Kaiser. Headed by Amorette Hinderaker, Ph.D., the team competes throughout the year in public address, oral interpretation, limited preparation speaking, parliamentary debate and public debate.

To learn more about TCU Speech & Debate and follow along their travels, follow them on Facebook and Twitter @TCUForensics.

See the complete list of awards and winners at the 2024 Southern Forensic Championship below:

1st Place Team Individual Event Sweepstakes

3rd Place Team Individual Event + Debate Sweepstakes

Chuck Avera

Editorial Impromptu Speaking-Top Novice

Isabella Bueso

Persuasive Speaking-Tournament Champion & Top Novice

Extemporaneous Speaking-Top Novice

Josue Cabrera

Persuasive Speaking-6th Place

Editorial Impromptu Speaking-4th Place

Liv Goettel

Program of Oral Interpretation-2nd Place

Communication Analysis-2nd Place

Dramatic Interpretation-Tournament Champion

Duo Interpretation-3rd Place

Prose Interpretation-2nd Place

Individual IE Sweepstakes-4th Place

Individual Combined Sweepstakes-3rd Place

Ellie Griffin

Impromptu Speaking-3rd Place

Dramatic Interpretation-2nd Place

Duo Interpretation-4th Place

After-Dinner Speaking-2nd Place

Individual IE Sweepstakes-5th Place

Individual Combined Sweepstakes-4th Place

Cadence Jones

Informative Speaking-3rd Place

Impromptu Speaking-5th Place

Duo Interpretation-4th Place

Jackson Kaiser

Varsity IPDA Debate-Quarter-Finalist

Extemporaneous Speaking-4th Place

Editorial Impromptu Speaking-3rd Place

After-Dinner Speaking-Tournament Champion

Radio Broadcasting-6th Place

Duo Interpretation-3rd Place

Individual IE Sweepstakes-3rd Place

Individual Combined Sweepstakes-Tournament Champion