February 11, 2013
Debate team finishes regular season on high note
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- While they had not competed together since last year, it didn’t take long for the Southern Illinois University Carbondale debate team duo of Sid Rehg and Josh Rivera to find that winning formula once again.
Rehg and Rivera finished last year as the third-best duo in the nation as established by the National Parliamentary Tournament of Champions National Championship. Although the successful pair are teaming with different partners this season, Rehg and Rivera reunited for a final round-robin debate tournament of the season.
Rehg, a junior from Swansea majoring in speech communication, and Rivera, a sophomore from Chicago majoring in political science, won the invitation-only Point Loma Round Robin Tournament of Champions Feb. 1, at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.
Todd Graham, director of debate, made the call to the reunite Rehg and Rivera to represent SIU Carbondale.
“Being the oldest round robin in the country, it has the most history and the greatest reputation,” Graham said. “So, I decided to put Sid and Josh back together this one last time. I guess it paid off!”
The debate team ended the Feb. 1-2 weekend with a fifth-place finish in the Sunset Cliffs Classic, an open debate tournament also at Point Loma Nazarene University. The competition featured more than 80 debate duos.
Rivera teamed with Mike Selck, a senior from Blue Springs, Mo., who is majoring in speech communication, while Rehg teamed with Ben Campbell, a senior from Springfield, Mo., who is majoring in political science.
With the regular season finished, the debate team will now prepare for National Parliamentary Debate Association National Championship Tournament, March 22-25, at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.