Ferris State University’s Debate Team competed recently at the Michigan Intercollegiate
Speech League’s Novice Championships, held at Northwood University in Midland (Back
row, from left) Coach Aimee Miller, Adam Savage, Deion Vo, Morgan Keller, Ty VanEss,
Holland Snyder, Bre Onstott, and Nathan Chikwekwe. Crouching in front are Seth Brott
and Andrew Hoots.
Students from various study areas share their time and efforts as Ferris State University again takes part in collegiate debate competitions through online, intrastate, and regional organizations.
Adjunct instructor of Communication Aimee Miller is Ferris’ coach for debate, speech and forensics in the Humanities Department.
“I was brought in to revitalize this program. I am in my first year,” Miller said. “It has been so enjoyable to be part of the energy and efforts made as we build up the number of participants. They are making an intense investment to improve presentations. It is a great thing to be a part of.”
At the recent Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League’s Novice Championships, some debate team members placed in their respective categories or participated in their first competitions.
Among these competitions and results are:
- A second-place finish in Persuasive Speaking for Bre Onstott, a Marketing major from Mount Pleasant;
- A second-place finish in Dramatic Duo Interpretation for Andrew Hoots, of Spokane, Washington, a Math Education major minoring in Middle School Education and English, and Holland Snyder, an Environmental Biology major and Communication minor from Montague;
- a third-place finish in Interpretation for Hoots; and
- a fourth-place finish in Extemporaneous Speaking and Poetry Interpretation for Ty Van Ess, a General Psychology major from Wayland.
In their debut presentations, Business Administration major Deion Vo, of Cadillac, finished fifth in Extemporaneous and Impromptu Speaking and Adam Savage, an English major from Coconut Creek, Florida, placed sixth in Impromptu Speaking. Finishing third in the Team Sweepstakes is one of the year’s top performances.
“These results from Midland are indicative of a great personal investment by each presenter,” Miller said. “Our students also get individualized coaching and practice at our weekly meetings, along with great conversation and a sense of community.”
Other team members not placing or participating in the Novice Championships include Information and Security and Intelligence major (Communication minor) Seth Brott, of Howard City; Nathan Chikwekwe, a Manufacturing Engineering Technology major, from Ludington; Bobby Gill, a Finance and Accounting major from Kent City; Johnathen Hart, a Criminal Justice major from Burton; and Morgan Keller, a Digital Animation and Game Design student from Middleville.
“They come from all kinds of programs, bringing real diversity to our ranks,” Miller said. “It affords each of them perspectives and viewpoints to help them with their debate skills, a great benefit for the entire team.”