A few weeks ago, the Cleveland Cannibals headed down to the University of Oregon and competed in a tournament. Over 40 schools went to the tournament, with representatives from Canada to California. With this many schools, the events were chock full of debaters.

The Cannibals took second overall in the tournament, in what sophomore Taylor Lewis said was “one of the hardest tournaments of the year.”  The two-day competition provided the team many speaking opportunities, and Lewis also said that most team members had “lost their voice by the end [of the tournament].”

Although the team finished second overall, the team had some standout performances. Terrell Cunningham, a sophomore, finished as a finalist in radio commentary. According to Lewis, many of the team’s inexperienced debaters, in spite of “junior level competition,” performed well in the tournament. Nicky Stump, a junior on the team, said, “Several people won in their events or at least made it to finals.” Second place in a debate tournament competing with over 40 schools is not bad for Cleveland’s top tier speech program.

Many team members have a positive outlook about the tournament and about the team in general. Eli Godleske, a sophomore on the team, said, “The team did well, and debate is baller; debate is life.” He is one of the team’s most devoted debaters.

A good explanation of why the speech has been consistently performs well in tournaments. Lewis also said that “everyone had a great time.”

With the speech team is heading closer to the district match, it is hoped the stiff competition the team faced at the University of Oregon will help them prepare for another state title.