JCU Speech and Debate brings home hardware after ending regular season

The John Carroll Speech and Debate honor society, Pi Kappa Delta, recently employed “the art of persuasion” at the national tournament, hosted by Glendale Community College in Arizona. The following members were awarded for their outstanding performance in several Speech and Debate categories:

Laken Kincaid ‘24 was recognized as a superior speaker in After Dinner Speaking, placing in the top seven in the nation. They were given an award of excellence in the Broadcast Journalism category, ranking among the top 30% of competitors in that category, as well as breaking to the octofinal rounds in International Public Debate Association (IPDA).
Katarina Cannata ‘25 received an award of excellence in Impromptu speaking, ranking in the top 30% of this highly competitive category.

The honor society traveled to Glendale Community College in Arizona to compete in five different categories. Kincaid, the captain of the squad, competed in International Public Debate, Broadcasting, After Dinner Speaking and Impromptu. Secretary Cannata competed in Impromptu, International Public Debate, After Dinner Speaking and Duo Interpretation. Michael Walsh ‘25 competed in International Public Debate and Impromptu speaking. Emily Medina ‘27 competed in Impromptu Speaking and Duo as well.

Earlier in the season, the team competed at the Ohio Forensics Association state tournament and also took home some hardware:

Laken Kincaid won second place in After Dinner Speaking and Impromptu and was recognized as senior of OFA.
Katarina Cannata ‘25 was a quarter finalist and fifth place speaker in IPDA debate.
The team won second place in both speech and debate and the quality award for the President’s Division.

The normal season of Speech and Debate is quickly dwindling; however, the team will travel to Central Michigan University to compete in the National Forensics Association championship on April 18.

About the Contributors

Alissa Van Dress, Campus Editor

Alissa Van Dress is a junior English major from Amherst, Ohio. She has a concentration in professional writing with minors in business, creative writing and Spanish and Hispanic Studies. Previously, Alissa served as the copy editor at The Carroll News. In addition to her current role as campus editor, Alissa is a JCU football and basketball cheerleader, a writing consultant at the JCU Writing Center, works as a digital engagement ambassador for the JCU Carroll Fund, and serves on the visual arts committee for The Carroll Review. Also, she is honored to have co-founded the Theatre Club at John Carroll University. Other than writing, some of Alissa's favorite hobbies include musical theater, vocal performance, fashion, dance and cheerleading/acrobatics. After graduation, Alissa plans to write for children's entertainment.

To contact Alissa, email her at [email protected].

Laken Kincaid, Editor-in-Chief

Laken Kincaid is the Editor-in-Chief for The Carroll News from Beckley, West Virginia. They are a senior at John Carroll University who is double majoring in political science and communications (digital media) and minoring in leadership development. Laken has written for The Carroll News since the start of their freshman year and has previously served as a staff reporter, campus section editor and managing editor of the paper. They have received 18 Best of SNO awards, a Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence award for Region 4 and two honorable mentions from the College Media Association. They have also been recognized by universities like Georgetown for their investigative reports. Additionally, they also write political satire for The Hilltop Show and feature stories on global poverty for The Borgen Project. In addition to their involvement with The Carroll News, Laken is involved with the Kappa Delta sorority, the speech and debate team, the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, the Improv club and other organizations. They also serve as the news director for WJCU 88.7, John Carroll's own radio station, and as the president for John Carroll's Society of Professional Journalists chapter. Laken also started their own national nonprofit organization known as Art with the Elderly which they have won the President's Volunteer Service Award and the Humanity Rising Award for. When not writing, Laken can be found doing graphic design for their internship with Union Home Mortgage or working as a resident assistant and peer learning facilitator on campus. Laken also enjoys skiing and watching true crime documentaries. In the future, Laken hopes to become a political journalist for a national news organization or to be a campaign commercial editor for politicians. To contact Laken, email them at [email protected].

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