Memorial for ESU Debate

09/18/2024

Ginny Higgins picture used to be on the wall in the Pflaum room, which speaks to her impact and importance for the team. Those photos moved over to the new debate room in Roosevelt in the Summer of 2022, but who knows where they are now.

She was an amazing educator and will be dearly missed.

The Topeka Capital-Journal obituaries and death notices. Remembering the lives of those we've lost.

05/31/2023

Bob & Jim are commentators for the Gazette currently working on a larger piece about divestments occurring at ESU. Most recently, they've written this piece about the debate team.

Among the programs terminated at ESU this year is the Debate Program, which has won numerous awards during its 149 years. To better understand this loss to the university and

05/14/2023

GRADUATE ALERT.

Niko Sims graduated from ESU today! In addition to all of his outstanding debate and academic accolades he is the last hornet debater to graduate from ESU ever. Congratulations, Niko! Wishing you all the best in Wyoming!

05/13/2023

Attn: ESU Debate Alumni

Chris has temporarily granted me admin to this group to get the ball rolling on a Alumni reunion sometime over the next year or so. My first step would be to create a small committee of 3 or 4 Alumni that would discuss our desires, manage donations, and assist me in outreach and planning. Given ESU debates end, my hope is this to be far reaching and accommodating to Alumni across the country.

If you're interested in helping, reach out to here or by email at [email protected]

Matt Cook (ESU 2013)

05/12/2023

This account is not associated with Emporia State University.

05/12/2023

https://www.emporiagazette.com/gaz/article_56224372-e38b-11ed-b904-67b30d429229.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Emporia State University’s debaters have wrapped up a successful season — ending almost 150 years of collegiate debate in Emporia.

04/25/2023

KVOE has a story about our semis run at CEDA!

The 2022 academic year has been a tumultuous one at Emporia State, especially for its long-respected debate te...

04/19/2023

The Bulletin continues to win awards, including a 1st place in News Writing for Sam Bailey's story about the debate team. Seriously cannot sing the Bulletin's praises enough. Congratulations!

The article about the debate team can be read here if you'd like: http://www.esubulletin.com/campus_commons/community-mourns-loss-of-historic-emporia-state-debate-program/article_79ff0946-41f2-11ed-bfef-5f672684af09.html

04/18/2023

The Bulletin's coverage these past seven months have been absolutely stellar. Much deserved recognition and awards for our student-run newspaper!

04/17/2023

Last week Niko Sims ended his college debate career in the semifinals of the Cross Examination Debate Association national championship. He was awarded a CEDA All American award and recognized as the 4th best speaker at the tournament.

He joined the ESU squad during the 2018-2019 season and was almost immediately thrust into competition at a very high level. He qualified to the NDT four times with four different partners, including a novice for his final NDT. He's obviously an amazing debater, but most of you know that already.

Niko also made me a better coach. He made his teammates better debaters. He worked hard, never complained--always looking for the way to improve and to win the next debate. On van rides he would regale us with retellings of intricate comic book plot-lines or treat us to a retelling of his legendary ladders speech from high school forensics.

ESU debate is extremely lucky to have had Niko represent us and I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach him and learn from him. Despite the way this year has ended, as he often says: it'll buff out.

Congratulations on an amazing career and I can't wait to see what's next.

04/12/2023

Unfortunately we lost our semifinals debate. With that, our season--and existence as a debate team--has come to an end. Congratulations to Wake Forest.

I am ridiculously proud of this team and everything they've done this year.I will have a lot more to say in the coming days, but for now thank you all.