Kyle Denslow Wins National Championship for VSU Debate

2015 Mar 26

The Valdosta State University Forensics (Speech and Debate) Team's Kyle Denslow won top honors at the Pi Kappa Delta 2015 National Tournament and Convention, held March 4-8 at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

"I made it a point to not leave VSU without winning a tournament," said the 22-year-old from Marietta who expects to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, concentration in public law. He plans to attend the University of Georgia School of Law in the fall.

Denslow competed in the Open Division of the International Public Debate Association (IPDA) -- one-on-one format -- portion of the Pi Kappa Delta 2015 National Tournament and Convention. He competed in six rounds and won all of them.

"I was nervous that I had dropped a couple early rounds and that I had to play catch up the rest of the tournament," shared the son of Jim and Wanda Denslow. "There were a couple rounds I felt confident that I had won, but others were truly up in the air. There were a lot of talented individuals represented amongst the 62 debaters in the Open Division .... Competition was stiff."

"Winning was completely unexpected because in IPDA judges do not disclose their decision to debaters after rounds," he continued. "We did not know our records until awards on the last day. When I heard the announcer get to the No. 1 spot and call out VSU, I thought my teammate, Allante Fairley, had won the title. When I heard my name, it was definitely a surreal experience."

Denslow's final opponent was Will Wheeler from Southwest Baptist University of Bolivar, Missouri. His final topic put him on the affirmative side of "the media should come clean." His primary argument was an adaptation of Gatekeeping Theory -- one person, the gatekeeper, decides what information others should receive.

"Will was very well spoken, and SBU has a good reputation for being competitive at debate," he said.

Denslow first participated in debate during the 2013-2014 academic year. However, after only a couple of tournaments, he had to take a hiatus due to work commitments. When he decided to return during his final year at VSU, he chose to make debate a priority and ended up winning a national championship title.

Debaters from 80 schools in more than 30 states attended the Pi Kappa Delta 2015 National Tournament and Convention.

The VSU Forensics (Speech and Debate) Team is open to all majors on campus and does not require previous experience, Eaves noted. The team competes in regional and national level competitions and participates in parliamentary debate as well as individual events, including impromptu speaking, extemporaneous speaking, informative speaking, persuasion, dramatic interpretation, dramatic duo, poetry interpretation, and more.

On the Web:

http://www.valdosta.edu

http://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/arts/communication-arts/welcome.php

About Valdosta State University

Valdosta State University is a comprehensive university, characterized by outstanding instruction, a wide range of student life opportunities and a close connection to the community. Established in 1906, the institution's mission is to prepare students to meet global opportunities and challenges through excellence in teaching and learning; to expand the boundaries of current knowledge, and explore the practical applications of that knowledge, through excellence in scholarship and creative endeavors; and to promote the economic, cultural, and educational progress of the community and region, through excellence in service outreach. VSU seeks to accomplish this mission in a dynamic, student-centered learning environment marked by a respect for diverse abilities, backgrounds, and contributions by all members of the university community.