The University speech and debate program gets plenty of national recognition. Last year, it was one of only three schools in the nation to send the maximum of four teams to a national tournament. This year, one of the teams is already shaping up to be among the best in the nation.
Students Benjamin Dodds and Katherine Preston, known in the debate community for their outstanding achievements at regional and national competitions, are currently ranked 21st out of 397 teams in the nation, and their performances at recent tournaments could move them up even further, their coach, Aaron Donaldson, says. Dodds and Preston compete in parliamentary debate, a two-on-two 45-minute debate. Competitors are given a topic and then have 15 to 20 minutes of preparation before the debate begins. Six 45-minute debates make up the preliminary rounds that decide whether a team will advance into the single-elimination quarters, semi-finals and ultimately, the finals.
Dodds and Preston spent this past weekend competing at the University of California, Berkeley, where they went 6-0 in their preliminary rounds before moving on to semi-finals for the third time this year. Donaldson said he believes this performance, along with the results of the last two tournaments, could move Dodds and Preston in with the top 10 teams in the nation.
Preston, a junior, has been involved in debate since middle school. She credits “the unique community that debate offers” for feeding her debate passion.
“It’s a unique community that values politics and nerdy topics,” Preston continued.
Preston’s partner of two years, junior Gonzaga transfer Benjamin Dodds, was a top four-year competitor at Ashland High School.
Known for showing up to competitions in his Dennis Dixon football jersey, he and the rest of the team flaunt their spirit for the University of Oregon.
Dodds and Preston weren’t the only Oregon debate team members to succeed at the Berkeley tournament. Senior Matt Rose and his partner Alex O’Dell and junior Jonathan McCabe and his partner, freshman Matt Gander, also broke through the preliminary rounds to single-elimination rounds at the Berkeley competition. Rose also finished among the top three competitors in his individual events.
Individual events at tournaments consist of three preliminary rounds. For most of these events, debaters are given a total of 10 minutes for preparation and speaking. In the impromptu and extemporaneous events, competitors are given a topic and then receive 30 minutes to prepare a seven-minute speech.
Rose finished first in program oral interpretation, second in impromptu and third in prose interpretation at the Berkeley tournament.
Another notable team member is junior Ciara Thomson, who was named the team’s most valuable debater last year. She is known for her success in the “dramatic interpretation” event.
Last year Preston and Dodds were one of four University teams – the maximum any one school is allowed – to compete at the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence. The University was one of just three schools to bring that many teams to the tournament.
Preston and Dodds placed in the top eight during the tournament quarterfinals, but the team has a new plan for this year’s competition, taking place March 15 and 16.
“I want to win at nationals this year and next year,” Dodds said.
The duo has had quite the line-up already this year with round robins, invite-only competitions and other parliamentary debate tournaments. Dodds and Preston are the only members of the University debate team to be invited to three “round robin” tournaments.
On Oct. 16, Dodds and Preston finished second to the top team in the nation at the Lewis and Clark Tournament, and just two weeks ago, they finished in third place at the University of Puget Sound Round Robin. Dodds and Preston will join the rest of the team for its upcoming competition Nov. 10-12 at Linfield College in McMinnville.
Donaldson has high hopes for Dodds’ and Preston’s performance this coming weekend.
“In my four years of coaching the UO Debate Team, I have never seen a team reach semi-finals so consistently,” he said.
Donaldson has a warning for Dodds’ and Prestons’ opponents: “When they get the momentum, it’s unfortunate for the other team.”
Donaldson said the two are “incredibly well read” and “do a fantastic job with regards to responding to the many specialized and general arguments that debaters on their level face.”
“They have an amazing ability to work together amidst complicated and frequently voluminous debates that can be baffling to many who don’t regularly compete,” he said.
Dodds graciously gives Preston more credit when it comes to the mysteries of their teamwork.
“I’m the one that thinks up all of these neat little chess moves,” Dodds said of his collaboration with Preston. “Katherine fills all of the blanks with smart things.”
In addition to teamwork, debate takes a lot of individual outside effort.
“I would like to do 20 hours of preparation for competitions outside of tournaments and team meetings,” Dodds said.
Dodds and Preston constantly collect information for debates as any topic could arise at a competition.
“Debate is a great way to apply what you learn in class, we actually won a debate because of something I learned in my geology class,” Dodds said.
Preston added: “Debate is more of a lifestyle. You don’t do debate, you live debate.”
Perhaps this mentality is why Dodds and Preston are so successful.