NEWS

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Newberry College Speech & Debate Team enjoyed an outstanding performance at the seventh annual Tennessee Valley Invitational Forensics Tournament, held last weekend at Pellissippi Community College.

The team demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication, competing against talented participants from Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina.

The team included Zy’Tavien Abrams, Jada Felder, Paul Fisher, Gamahl Keels-Bobo, Wil Lopez, Denim Morrison, Nia Quimby and Jordan Seay. The team excelled across many forensic disciplines, including extemporaneous speaking, public narrative, poetry interpretation, after-dinner speaking, impromptu speaking, broadcast journalism, impromptu sales, slam poetry, and debate.

“We are incredibly proud of our team’s achievements at the Tennessee Valley Invitational,” said Bill Kuehl, assistant coach of the Newberry College Speech & Debate Team. “Their hard work and commitment to excellence were truly evident in their performances. This tournament was a great opportunity for our students to demonstrate their skills and we look forward to building on this success in future competitions.”

Notable results from the tournament include:

Zy’Tavien Abrams

• Third place in Poetry Interpretation

• Fifth place in Slam Poetry

Paul Fisher

• Third place in the Pentathlon (competing in five or more events)

Denim Morrison

• Second place in Informative Speaking

• Sixth place in Persuasive Speaking

Nia Quimby

• Sixth place in After-Dinner Speaking

Jordan Seay

• Fourth place in Public Narrative

Established in spring 2023, the Newberry College Speech & Debate Team fosters effective communication and critical thinking skills through competitive events and rigorous training.

The team will compete Sept. 27-28 in the 2024 Sunshine State Series, hosted by the University of Central Florida and the University of West Florida. Newberry will join colleges from 10 states in 11 speaking, oral interpretation and debate events.

To learn more about the team, click here or contact Kuehl at Bill.Kuehl@newberry.edu or 803.321.5276.