DENTON (UNT), Texas — Four University of North Texas students have qualified for participation in the 2012 National Debate Tournament, the most prestigious tournament in competitive policy debate for U.S. college and university students. At least one two-student team from UNT’s Debate Squad has represented the university at the tournament 27 times during the past 30 years.

The National Debate Tournament is both the sanctioning body for college and university policy district debate tournaments and the national championship tournament. The championship tournament began in 1947 and is open to 74 two-person teams. Fifty-eight of the teams qualify for the tournament by placing among the top 10 teams in their district tournaments, while 16 teams receive at-large bids based on their performances at tournaments held throughout the academic year. This year's National Debate Tournament will be held March 29-April 2 at Emory University in Atlanta.

UNT Debate Squad members Colin Quinn, a junior communication studies major from Glenview, Ill., and Amy Schade, a sophomore biology major from Grapevine, qualified for the tournament by placing eighth at the District Three Debate Tournament, which is open to college and university debate programs in Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Oklahoma as well as Texas.

In 2011, Quinn and Schade won the National Junior Division Debate Tournament, which is sanctioned by the National Debate Tournament and is open to 53 teams of students who have competed in college debate for two or fewer years.

The two also qualified in 2011 for the national tournament of the Cross Examination Debate Association, which sanctions more than 60 tournaments throughout the nation. Quinn and Schade reached the quarterfinals in the Open Division, the highest level of competition, in that tournament to rank UNT among the top eight colleges and universities in the nation.

Two other UNT Debate Squad members will represent UNT at this year’s National Debate Tournament. Brian Kersch, a junior communications studies major from Austin, and Shelby Prior, a junior political science major from Grapevine, qualified by placing tenth at the District Three tournament.

The topic for the National Debate Tournament, and all NDT- and CEDA-sanctioned tournaments this year, is whether or not the U.S. government should substantially increase its democracy assistance for one or more of the countries of Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. Students must debate both the pro and the con sides. 

Brian Lain, UNT assistant professor of communication studies and Debate Squad director, said UNT was one of only two colleges and universities in District Three to have more than one team of students in this year’s National Debate Tournament.

“That meant that we were not only at a high level of competition, but also that our depth of competion is high. UNT debaters compete every month against the best college students from around the country. This is validation of our squad being among the best,” he said.