Originally Posted: April 6, 2016
DALLAS (SMU) — The SMU debate team racked up significant tournament wins this spring including the designation of top varsity debater in the U.S. — won by team member Jaden Warren on April 3 at the International Public Debate Association (IPDA) tournament in Houston.
Warren defeated 327 varsity undergraduate debaters to win the title for SMU. This is the second major national speaking championship he has won this year — a rare feat in college forensics. Two weeks ago, he was crowned top speaker in the nation at the Pi Kappa Delta National Forensics championships in Lexington, Ky.
This is the first national title in varsity level debate for SMU in more than 10 years.
“When Jaden came to me in fall 2015 and said he wanted to win a national title in debate, I was skeptical at first,” says SMU Debate and Speech Director Dr. Ben Voth. “But I said, let’s give it a try and see what happens. It is an incredible story of personal tenacity, speaking ability and perseverance.” READ MORE