BY PETE PORTER
tjporter@go.olemiss.edu
Two members of The University of Mississippi forensics team emerged victorious in the finals of the China Open held in Xi-an, China Sunday.
Austin “Woody” Wood, a political science senior, and Isaac Lichlyter, a May graduate of the Croft Institute, were named the top two speakers at the tournament, the team’s first ever international debate as well as its first ever team debate. Ole Miss also sent David Miller, a political science senior, who was paired in the competition with a Mandarin student named Amy, a Chinese national attending Xi’an Jiaotong University.
“This is our biggest win this year by far,” the team’s coach JoAnn Edwards said.
Edwards was unable to make the trip but kept track of the debate via text with Debra Yancy, assistant director of forensics who accompanied the team as coach and judge.
“We had no idea what to expect, but to win the first time plus with a host of panels, this is huge as we make our first international splash,” Edwards said.
The Ole Miss team competed against a field of approximately 150 teams, consisting mainly of universities from the West Coast of the United States and China. The team was impressed that all the Chinese teams were fluent in English, as the debate was held in English. The Ole Miss team made it through the first round, reaching the “out rounds” beginning with the quarterfinals consisting of 24 teams. During this round the team was asked to discuss China’s potential expanded presence in space.
The team then advanced to the top four for the finals against three Chinese teams. For this final, they were asked if the international community should be focusing on domestic policy or foreign policy, with the team responding the focus should be on domestic.
The trio felt comfortable at the event from the very beginning.
At the end of the opening welcome speech from a man named Shadow, head adjudicator of the tournament, he said, “Please take the first steps with us towards brilliance.”
This is strangely close to Ole Miss’ forensics team’s motto, “Be brilliant,” something coach Edwards tells the team before every event.
“This has always been an Ole Miss policy,” Edwards said. “That’s all you can do before events like this, and obviously the students respond to it well. Hearing that during the opening speech was even more motivation.”
Edwards was impressed with her team’s showing considering this was its first ever team debate.
“We usually have plenty of individual tournaments, whether it’d be limited preparation, interpretation of literature and prepared speaking,” Edwards said. “Doing team debate gives us the ability to reach multiple audiences, not just the academic community.”
The trip has not been all about debate, however. The trio arrived a few days early before the debate, flying into Shanghai and joining a tour with a few West Coast schools. The group drove to Tong Li, a famous village, before finishing with a tour of the garden of Suzhou. Leo, the group’s travel guide, discussed demographic as well as other issues facing China. The team then took a bullet train where they will now compete in hybrid team debates, where they will be given a “friendship teammate” from a Chinese university.
The forensics team had other strong showings before this victory. The team had a fifth and sixth place showing in Reno, Nev., as well as making it to the finals of a tournament at Ball State. As for the future, the team will host a debate in August, which is open to anyone, though the majority will be East Coast as well as regional teams. The school will also host its annual high school tournament, which Coach
Edwards hopes will encourage more debate in Mississippi schools.
“We are trying to spread debate to Mississippi schools and encourage more students to get involved,” Edwards said.
