McKendree Speech and Debate Hosts Successful SIDL Tournament

(LEBANON, Ill.) – On Saturday, Dec. 13, 29 students from five local high schools competed in the Third Annual Southern Illinois Debate League (SIDL) Championship Tournament at McKendree. Students representing Belleville East, Belleville West, Granite City, Lebanon, and Triad High Schools attended the tournament as a capstone to their fall competition. In addition to the 29 students on campus, McKendree coaches and students worked with approximately 45 more students through SIDL programming.

At the SIDL Championship, the team from Belleville East High School was recognized as the tournament champion team, but individuals from Belleville West, Granite City, and Triad High Schools finished in the top two of their divisions. Molly Morgan, a teacher from Belleville East High School, was recognized as the SIDL Coach of the Year.

The tournament was supported by six current McKendree students along with seven alumni, including Kyle Garrett ’21, who has coached the Triad team the last two years. Current students Victoria Adewole, Aidan Bradley, Ari Carney, and Ava Schmollinger all assist local high schools as coaches in varying capacities. The tournament is quickly becoming an opportunity for busy alumni to spend time on campus, with the current McKendree team and their alumni counterparts, and to serve as judges providing invaluable feedback to the high school students.

This program, though small in numbers, has produced significant results in just three years. Over the past two years of state tournaments, students who competed at SIDL tournaments have finished as octofinalists three times, quarterfinalists twice, and semifinalist once at the varsity level; quarterfinalist once at the junior varsity level; and quarterfinalist once, semifinalists twice, and state champion once at the novice level. Prior to SIDL programming, Southern Illinois programs had not had top finishes at the state level for 15 years.

The SIDL program helps students find competitive success and has been designed to support McKendree’s own competition. The Speech and Debate team at McKendree now has seven students who competed at SIDL events on its roster. Many of these students work with their former high schools to help more students access debate programming.

 “The goal is two-fold,” Nicholson said. “First, we want to make sure students have an educational experience that shows them what McKendree can offer. Very few universities run these types of programs, and our SIDL students see that. It helps them understand what makes McKendree exceptional. Second, we want students to succeed. Studies of debate participation at the high school level have shown consistently that it gives students a huge advantage in college and in their professional lives. We use competition to help motivate students to get everything they can from this experience.”

While this tournament marks the end of the SIDL calendar, the competing high schools begin to look forward to their state tournament experiences, and McKendree University Speech and Debate will continue to provide support whenever possible.

 

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