Over a dozen teams from universities and colleges across Missouri competed in the virtual Missouri Association of Forensic Activities (MAFA) State Championship Tournament hosted by Park University, including State Fair Community College in Sedalia.
According to a news release, SFCC students who competed were sophomore Allyson Sampson of Quincy, Illinois, and freshman Joshua Kofahl of Jefferson City. SFCC faculty Kaila Todd and Sarah Nail led as the team’s coaches.
For only the second time, the team competed under the National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA) style debate – a two-on-two limited preparation format of debate. Students were given a new topic each round and had 15 minutes to prepare their case for that round.
School officials say SFCC went 2-2 in the MAFA tournament and earned third place in the Harold Lawson Debate Sweepstakes, President’s Division, and second place in Bill Cue Top Community College Sweepstakes. In the individual speech competition, Sampson earned sixth place in oratory. The team concluded its first regular season with an NPDA win-loss record of 9-2.
With the regular season behind them, Sampson and Kofahl are now preparing for two national tournaments. The first will be the Pi Kappa Delta Biennial National Convention and Tournament at the University of Central Florida in Orlando beging March 9 through 13. Pi Kappa Delta is one of the oldest forensics and debate organizations in the United States.
The second tournament is the Phi Rho Pi National Tournament, which is open only to community colleges or other two-year institutions. Southeastern Illinois College will host the tournament April 4-9 in St. Charles, Missouri.
Sampson says, “Joining the debate team has been an incredible opportunity for me. It is immensely enjoyable. I love learning all the different styles of debate, improving my oratory skills, and just being a part of this great team.”
Kofahl added, “Although we didn’t end up getting the top community college award, it’s astounding that a first-year program can achieve this level of accomplishment. We’re raising the bar every single time we go out and compete, and the goal is to do that every single time for the next year.”
Photo (Courtesy of State Fair Community College): State Fair Community College’s speech and debate teammates Joshua Kofahl and Allyson Sampson participated in the virtual MAFA State Championship Tournament Feb. 12-13 that was hosted by Park University. The team competed in NPDA debate and individual speech events and earned two sweepstakes awards.