Lafayette student wins Pi Kappa Delta National Championship!

The Lafayette debate team traveled to Minneapolis, MN this weekend for the Pi Kappa Delta National Conference Tournament.  4 students attended the tournament for members of Pi Kappa Delta.  Lafayette became the Pennsylvania Phi chapter of Pi Kappa Delta on August 25, 2003.  57 member schools from across the nation attended this year’s championships.

In Lincoln-Douglas debate, two Lafayette students advanced to the quarterfinal round.  After finishing 6-0 and 5-1 respectively, Samantha Sangenito and James Hilbert were seeded first and second.  In the quarterfinal round, James Hilbert lost to Central Michigan’s Bryn Walters on a 2-1 decision.  In the same round, Sangenito advanced on a 3-o decision over Kansas Wesleyan’s Justin Morse.  In semifinals, Sangenito defeated Missouri Southern’s Valerie Melton on a 2-1 decision.  In the final round, Sangenito was on the affirmative debating the resolution, “should the United States Federal Government substantially reform domestic transportation infrastructure.”  Her argument was that the Federal Government should require road construction projects to use an asphalt rubber mix in pavements.  Sangenito argued that asphalt rubber would significantly improve road safety.  Samantha Sangenito defeated Missouri Southern’s Rayce Lashley on a 3-2 decision to be named Pi Kappa Delta national champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate!

In addition to winning debate, Samantha Sangenito was also a semifinalist in Informative Speaking, placing 7th out of almost 90 competitors.  Freshman, Mohan Ru, also attended and was 3-3 in debate and was awarded an excellent in Impromptu Speaking, by placing in the top 20% of all competitors in that event.  Freshman, Joshua Geesey, also attended the tournament.

The team travels to Otterbein College next weekend for one last tournament before the National Forensics Association’s National Tournament at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.