Tennessee State has battled it out on the football field and basketball courts against Vanderbilt University before but history was made on Saturday as the new playing field is a debate.
Senior Barbra Dudley and Sophomore Tomale Williams has become the first Tennessee State students to compete against Vanderbilt in Debate.
When asked about his feelings for Saturday, Williams told HBCU Buzz that “I feel so excited about Saturday. I’m ready to start a legacy that I hope will be continued for the next upcoming debaters.”
The coordinator of the event Tabitha Mundy said in a statement that she believes the debate “teaches the students to have a healthy way to conversate against difference of opinions.”
“We may not agree about the topic; however, it gives a platform to discuss, which I think is important and critical right now,” Mundy added.
The debate was held at Gordan Memorial Church, where the teams faced off head to head on controversial topics in today’s society.
Barbra Dudley has ranked 5th in the nation and 3rd in the TIFA State Championships for debate this academic school year. Tomale Williams has placed right behind Dudley with 4th in the TIFA State Championships and was a semifinalist for debate at University of Southern Mississippi debate tournament.
The Tennessee State University forensics and Speech & Debate team is lead by the Director Of Forensics, Sean Allen, and Assistant Director of Forensics, Shante Telfer.
According to News Channel 5, all the teams scored well in the debate, but the team from Vanderbilt slightly edged out TSU for the win.
