Rice Speech and Debate Celebrates Another Year of Excellence

After a year of hard work, rhetorical excellence, and tremendous success, Rice Speech and Debate closed out its year with one last tournament and the team banquet featuring its own internal awards. Results are listed below.

American Forensic Association National Speech Tournament, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire,  April 5-8

Rice qualified multiple events for this prestigious tournament. Kevin Barry reached Quarterfinals in Communication Analysis, making him one of the top 24 speakers in the nation in this challenging event. Congratulations, Kevin!

Jarvis Sam (’13) was awarded the 2024 NST Distinguished Alumni Award. This award recognizes significant presence or achievement in the arts or entertainment, achievements or contributions to the advancement of a field of study, significant writing as evidenced by media or awards, and significant achievement as a global citizen. Jarvis was the national champion in Communication Analysis in 2013. To read more about Jarvis’ amazing career so far see https://www.rainbowdisruption.com/about

Internal Team Awards 

On April 23^rd, the team celebrated the end of the year with internal awards at the annual banquet. Most of these awards have a long history and recognize various kinds of excellence over the course of the year. Below are this year’s winners.

Lifetime Membership Award: Max Renteria

Speaker of the Year-Speech: Kevin Barry

Speaker of the Year-Debate: Max Renteria 

Most Improved Speech Competitor: Kevin Barry

Most Improved Debater: Nikki Stancik

Newcomer of the Year-Speech: Daijah Wilson

Newcomer of the Year-Debate: Rohan Gupta

Team Player-Speech: Chloe Pesqueira

Team Player-Debate: Kyle Sanderfer

Dan Henning Award: Given in memory of Dan Henning, this award recognizes competitors who excel in both speech and debate. This year’s winner is Pranav Nagajothi.

J. Newton Rayzor Prize in Forensics

This is the second year of the J. Newton Rayzor Prize for Forensics, an endowed cash prize for recognizing demonstrated excellence and outstanding contributions to forensics at Rice. The award memorializes J. Newton Rayzor and his achievements in forensics during Rice’s formative years. One prize is awarded in Speech and one in Debate each year.

Manna Trevino is the winner in Debate for 2023-24. Manna started her collegiate debate career during the challenging era of virtual competition and quickly established herself as a very hard worker focused on growth as a competitor. Manna has become a very successful debater, regularly appearing in elimination rounds. She is known around the nation for her unique and intelligent approach to arguments, especially in scientific areas. Manna does all of this while also meeting the demanding workload of being a Biosciences major. Manna represents the best of what it means to be an academic competitor for Rice.

Maya Adhikari is the winner in Speech for 2023-24. Maya appears regularly in final rounds in multiple events, often bringing home the first-place award. She is known nationally for using her speech events as platforms for advocacy. Maya has served as a district representative to the National Speech Tournament as well, representing her fellow students at other schools with distinction. Majoring in Political Science and English, Maya’s investment in the relationship between language and power brings unique strengths to her rhetorical efforts.

Goodbye to A Senior

Like the rest of his class, Max Renteria started Rice with virtual classes, lockdown measures, and everything that went with the COVID-19 pandemic. Max had the additional challenge of learning to compete in debate at the collegiate level under these conditions. In fact, the first half of his career (two years) occurred in completely virtual conditions. He capped off this half by winning the NPDA national championship with Jacob Tate (’22). The second half of his career featured normal competition, with the challenges of travel and in-person competition. Max finished this period by again reaching the final round at NPDA with Arjun Surya (’26) and finishing second in the nation, making him one of only three Rice competitors and one of the very few people to have been in two final rounds of NPDA. Max Renteria is singular in the history of the team. We will miss him but look forward to his return to future events as an esteemed alumnus. Good Luck, Max!

Please join us in congratulating these academic competitors! This concludes competition for the year. The team will next compete in the Fall 2024 semester. 

Rice Speech and Debate is housed in the School of Humanities and is coached by David Worth and Shannon LaBove. For more information, please visit humanities.rice.edu/speech-and-debate. 

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Rice Speech and Debate Wins Sweepstakes National Championship and Places High in International Competition, bringing home 62 awards so far this spring 2024 semester!

In the last two weeks, Rice Speech and Debate has won the NPDA National Championship Sweepstakes and made an unprecedented showing at the International Forensics Association in Dublin, Ireland. These incredible achievements show the hard work and dedication of these undergraduate academic competitors. So far this semester, Rice has brought home 62 awards.

Sharpening their advocacy skills this semester, Rice’s competitors have appeared at regional, national, and international tournaments, competing and learning along with college and university students from all levels of higher education. This press release will first cover two recent significant tournaments and then the rest of the spring tournaments so far in chronological order.

National Parliamentary Debate Association National Championship Tournament, March 15-18, Hosted by University of Utah

• Overall Tournament Sweepstakes: 1^st Place National Champions
• Open Varsity Division Season Sweepstakes: 1^st Place National Champions
• Overall Season Sweepstakes: 5th Place 

Senior Max Renteria and Sophomore Arjun Surya are runner-up national champions, taking 2nd place after an outstanding final-round debate against the University of California, Berkeley!

This was Renteria’s second appearance in the final round, placing him among a very small number of debaters who have reached finals twice in their careers. He won the national championship in 2022 with Jacob Tate. For Surya, this appearance is an incredible feat for a sophomore, foreshadowing additional success in the coming years!

• Kyle Sanderfer and William Wang: Quarterfinalists
• Anna Phan and Rohan Gupta: Octafinalists
• Nikki Stancik and Rija Naqvi: Octafinalists

Individual Speaker Awards:

• Max Renteria 6^th
• Arjun Surya 8^th
• William Wang 20^th

Rice won 31 separate debates.

Four out of five Rice teams reached elimination rounds, with the remaining team of Manna Trevino and Kelly Yang taking the “next out” position, coming closer than any other remaining team to making the cut.

Max Renteria was selected for the NPDA All-American Squad, recognizing his commitment to community service, academic excellence, and competitive success.

Shannon LaBove was awarded the Brent Northup Distinguished Service Award for more than two decades of service to the debate community. She is only the third recipient of this award.

This finish marks the team’s second Sweepstakes NPDA National Championship, its fifth straight year with a top-four finish, and its fourth appearance in a debate national final round in the last six years!

International Forensics Association, March 11-12, Dublin, Ireland

Three students represented Rice at this global event for the first time. This tournament featured competitors from many nations and had an unusually difficult standard for reaching elimination rounds. All three students represented Rice with distinction.

Junior Pranav Nagajothi finished 5^th Place in Varsity Extemporaneous Speaking and was a Double-Octafinalist in Varsity International Parliamentary Debate!

Below this point, the remaining tournaments so far this semester are listed in chronological order.

Mound High Swing Co-hosted by McKendree University and University of Texas at Tyler in Lebanon, IL, January 6-9.

Rice’s competitors returned early from Winter Break to represent Rice at this important two-tournament event. The tournament name references the Cahokia Mounds, the remains of the largest pre-Columbian city north of Mexico. The site is located very near the host campus.

First tournament

• Max Renteria and Arjun Surya: Semifinalists, Varsity Debate
• Nikki Stancik and Kyle Sanderfer: Quarterfinalists, Varsity Debate
• Manna Trevino and Kelly Yang: Octafinalists, Varsity Debate

Second tournament

• Max Renteria and Arjun Surya: Semifinalists, Varsity Debate
• Nikki Stancik and Kyle Sanderfer: Semifinalists, Varsity Debate
• Manna Trevino and Kelly Yang: Octafinalists, Varsity Debate

Individual Speaker Awards (calculated at this event by combining the two tournaments): 

• Kyle Sanderfer: 3^rd
• Nikki Stancik: 7^th
• Arjun Surya: 8^th

Rice won 24 separate debates at this event.

In addition, two teams were announced at Mound High as first-round bids to the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence, placing them in the top 8 teams in the nation as of January. These teams are Max Renteria/Arjun Surya and Nikki Stancik/Rija Naqvi. Unfortunately, the tournament is scheduled during Rice’s finals period so they will be unable to attend. The team looks forward to attending the NPTE next year.

Rice currently has two teams ranked in the top ten and five in the top twenty on the NPTE rankings. The rankings are based on win/loss records.

3x3 Winter Blast Virtual Tournament

Kevin Barry: 

• 2^nd Communication Analysis
• 5^th Persuasive Speaking

Maya Adhikari:

• 2^nd Extemporaneous Speaking

Charlotte Motor Speedway hosted by the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, January 27-28

4^th Place Overall Sweepstakes 

Shay Olaifa:

• 1^st Programmed Oral Interpretation
• 4^th After Dinner Speaking 
• 4^th Prose Interpretation 

Daijah Wilson:

• 1^st Poetry Interpretation 
• 4^th Programmed Oral Interpretation 

Maya Adhikari:

• 5^th Extemporaneous Speaking
• 3^rd Informative Speaking

Texas Intercollegiate Forensic Association, Hosted by Texas State University at San Marcos, February 2-4

Pranav Nagajothi: 

• 3^rd Impromptu Speaking

Kevin Barry: 

• 2^nd Informative Speaking
• 5^th Communication Analysis

San Diego State University, February 3-4

• Anna Phan and Rohan Gupta: Semifinalists, Varsity Debate
• Max Renteria and Arjun Surya: Quarterfinalists, Varsity Debate
• Nikki Stancik and Rija Naqvi: Quarterfinalists, Varsity Debate

Individual Speaker Awards:

• Max Renteria: 2^nd
• Nikki Stancik: 4^th
• Anna Phan: 7^th
• Rohan Gupta: 8^th
• Kyle Sanderfer: 9^th

Rice won 10 separate debates at this event.

Speech on the Beach Swing, Hosted by Del Mar College and Lone Star College North Harris, Corpus Christi, TX, February 9-11

First tournament

• Daijah Wilson:
  • 1^st Programmed Oral Interpretation
• Maya Adhikari:
  • 6^th Extemporaneous Speaking
• Chloe Pesqueira: 
  • 6^th Impromptu Speaking

Second Tournament

• 4^th Place Overall Sweepstakes
• Daijah Wilson:
  • 2^nd Programmed Oral Interpretation
• Maya Adhikari:
  • 3^rd Extemporaneous Speaking
• Chloe Pesqueira: 
  • 6^th Impromptu Speaking
  • 3^rd Informative Speaking

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, February 17

Chloe Pesqueira

• 5^th Informative Speaking

AFA-NST District III Qualifier Tournament, Tyler JC, Tyler, TX, March 2 

Kevin Barry: 

• 1^st After Dinner Speaking 
• 1^st Communication Analysis

Maya Adhikari:

• 1^st Persuasive Speaking
• 3^rd After Dinner Speaking 

Pranav Nagajothi:

• 1^st Impromptu Speaking

Chloe Pesqueira: 

• 1^st Informative Speaking
• 2^nd Impromptu Speaking 
• 2^nd Persuasive Speaking

Shay Olaifa:

• 3^rd Programmed Oral Interpretation 

Please join us in congratulating these academic competitors! The team will next compete at the American Forensic Association National Speech Tournament, hosted by the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire. 

Rice Speech and Debate is coached by David Worth and Shannon LaBove. For more information, please visit humanities.rice.edu/speech-and-debate.

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Rice Speech and Debate Closes Out Fall ’23 With 56 Awards
 

Rice’s academic competitors have had an exciting and successful Fall semester! Combining established rhetorical practices with new and innovative ideas, these students continue to challenge convention, speak to empower, and, as always, represent Rice with excellence. Results from October and November are detailed below.
 

Lewis & Clark College, October 14-15, Portland, OR3rd Overall Debate Sweepstakes

Max Renteria and Arjun Surya: Quarterfinalists, Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Manna Trevino and Kelly Yang: Quarterfinalists, Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Kyle Sanderfer and Claire Wang: Quarterfinalists, Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Nikki Stancik and Rija Naqvi: Quarterfinalists, Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Anna Phan and William Wang: Octafinalists, Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Rohan Gupta and Rahul Shah: 1st place JV Parliamentary Debate

Debate Speaker Awards

Kelly Yang: Top Speaker Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Rahul Shah: 4th Speaker JV Parliamentary Debate

Rohan Gupta: 2nd JV Speaker JV Parliamentary Debate

Seton Hall, October 22

5th Place Sweepstakes

Michelle Abiero
1st After Dinner Speaking

Maya Adhikari
2nd Communication Analysis
5th Informative Speaking

Kevin Barry
3rd Informative Speaking

Mercer University, October 22-23, Macon, GA

Overall: 1st Place Sweepstakes

Kyle Sanderfer and Arjun Surya: Semifinalists, Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Nikki Stancik and Rija Naqvia: Semifinalists, Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Manna Trevino and Anna Phan: Quarterfinalists, Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Debate Speaker Awards

Kyle Sanderfer: 2nd Speaker Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Arjun Surya: 4th Speaker Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Nikki Stancik: 5th Speaker Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Rija Naqvi: 6th Speaker Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Anna Phan: 7th Speaker Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Manna Trevino: 10th Speaker Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Colorado College, October 28-29, Colorado Springs, CO

Part 1

Michelle Abiero
2nd After Dinner Speaking

Daijah Wilson
3rd Poetry Interpretation

 
Part 2

Michelle Abiero
2nd After Dinner Speaking

 

University of the Pacific and SJDCC November 4-5, Stockton, CA

Overall Award for the Event: 2nd Swing Sweepstakes (combined Part 1 and 2 points)

Part 1

Shay Olaifa
2nd After Dinner Speaking
5th Prose Interpretation

Chloe Pesqueira
6th Impromptu
5th Persuasive Speaking
5th Informative Speaking

Maya Adhikari
4th Informative Speaking
1st Communication Analysis

Daijah Wilson
2nd Poetry Interpretation

Part 2
1st Place Overall Sweepstakes (4 year)

3rd Place Overall Sweepstakes (2 and 4 year)

Nikki Stancik and Rija Naqvi: 1st Place Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Max Renteria and Arjun Surya: Quarterfinalists, Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Manna Trevino and Kyle Sanderfer: Quarterfinalists, Varsity Parliamentary Debate

William Wang and Anna Phan: Quarterfinalists, Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Debate Speaker Awards

William Wang: 3rd Speaker Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Rija Naqvi: 4th Speaker Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Shay Olaifa
1st After Dinner Speaking
1st Prose Interpretation
 

Michelle Abiero
5th After Dinner Speaking

Maya Adhikari
2nd Informative Speaking

Dajaih Wilson
3rd Poetry Interpretation

Jewell Moore-Young
4th Programmed Oral Interpretation

AFA-NST District III Fall Tournament November 11, Virtual
 

Maya Adhikari
2nd Informative Speaking

Kevin Barry
4th Informative Speaking
4th Persuasive

Pranav Nagajothi
2nd Extemporaneous Speaking

Shay Olaifa
5th Prose Interpretation
 

Please join us in congratulating these academic competitors! This concludes competition for the Fall semester. The team will next compete in January at multiple events.

Rice Speech and Debate is coached by David Worth and Shannon LaBove. For more information, please visit humanities.rice.edu/speech-and-debate.

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Rice Speech and Debate Hosts Season Opener, Wins 20 Awards
 

Rice Speech and Debate kicked off the season by hosting the 10th annual Rice University Classic (RUC) on campus. Twenty colleges and universities from across the nation attended the tournament, which has become the traditional season opener for intercollegiate NPDA/NPTE parliamentary debate and is often the first or second tournament for intercollegiate speech competition. The tournament was attended by multiple Rice alumni who filled judging roles and helped out in many other ways as well. RUC continues to be a great point of contact between current students and alumni as well as a chance for alumni to give back. 

Results are listed below.

Rice placed second overall for the combined sweepstakes, a measure of performance in both tournaments. 

Rice University Classic Part 1 Results

1st Overall Part 1 Sweepstakes

1st Place Debate Sweepstakes

Shay Olaifa
4th After Dinner Speaking (Speech to Entertain)

Maya Adhikari
4th Communication Analysis
 

Kevin Barry
4th Informative Speaking
 

Chloe Pesqueira
6th Persuasive Speaking

Debate Results

Nikki Stancik and Rija Naqvi
Semifinalists
 

Max Renteria and Arjun Surya:
Quarterfinalists

Kyle Sanderfer and Claire Wang:
Quarterfinalists

Manna Trevino Kelly Yang:
Quarterfinalists

Anna Phan and William Wang:
Octafinalists 

Rahul Shah and Rohan Gupta:
Octafinalists 

Debate Speaker Awards

Kyle Sanderfer
1st Place Top Speaker

Claire Wang
5th Place 

Rice University Classic Part 2 Results

2nd Overall Sweepstakes 
 

Shay Olaifa
1st After Dinner Speaking (Speech to Entertain)
 

Maya Adhikari
3rd Communication Analysis

Pranav Nagajothi
3rd Extemporaneous Speaking

Chloe Pesqueria
4th Persuasive Speaking

Team Building Through BBQ
The key to the team’s success lies in the strong ties built between members. Earlier in the month, the team celebrated the beginning of the season and enjoyed some time together with a team cookout at the home of David and Marie Worth on September 17. 

Please join us in congratulating these academic competitors! Rice will next compete at the Steve Hunt Classic in Portland, OR. 

Rice Speech and Debate is coached by David Worth and Shannon LaBove. For more information, please visit humanities.rice.edu/speech-and-debate.