Debate team ranks fourth in nation

he Rochester debate team capped off its most successful season ever and was ranked fourth in the nation following the Cross Examination Debate Association annual tournament. Several team members earned individual national honors.

Carsten Hoppe '01 and Sujata Menjoge '01 won the nonpolicy division national championship at the varsity-level competition. Both students will be attending law school in the fall.

Amy Novak '02 and Camber Warren '02 were selected for All-American honors, a recognition that is based on debating skills, grades, and contributions to debate at the college and regional level.

More than 200 teams representing 81 colleges and universities across the country participated in the national tournament, which was held at Middle Tennessee State University in March. In the final standings, Rochester ranked ahead of the debate teams from such schools as Michigan State, Cornell, West Point, Northwestern, Dartmouth, New York University, and Harvard.

In the Novice National Championship, which had been held earlier at Towson University, Mark Entel '02 and Tom Marples '03 advanced to the final four.

With more than 40 members, the team is one of the largest and most diverse in the nation, although the University does not recruit debaters from high school or offer scholarships for debate.

Sam Nelson, assistant professor in the English department, has coached the team since 1992.

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