| About Us
The Louisiana Speech and Debate Team boasts a proud tradition of cutting edge performances, elite debate, and professional development within the world of intercollegiate competitive Forensics. We are a rare program in that we successfully compete in both Individual Events and multiple forms of Debate. On the Debate end, we field competitors in both International Public Debate and National Parliamentary Debate. Our students have also garnered regional and national attention with competitive performances and speeches in all eleven American Forensics Association Individual Events. These events include the oral interpretation of literature, memorized public address, and limited preparation speeches. We compete in the 6th District of the American Forensics Association which includes some of our favorite rival schools such as The University of Alabama, Ole Miss, and the University of Florida.
The team is named for Dr. Harold Mixon, who was recruited by the Legendary Waldo Braden to teach classical rhetoric in the 1960's. Mixon had a degree in Theology as well as a PhD in Communication and he was a master of both Greek and Latin. During the 1970's he secured outside funding for the debate team and laid the granite foundation of its success. For many years he recruited excellent debaters from his argumentation class and under his direction, teams traveled all over the nation and competed against Air Force, Georgetown, Harvard and other national debate powers. Now in retirement, Mixon still follows the fortunes of his beloved debate squad.
The current Director of Forensics and head coach is Chas Womelsdorf, a doctoral student at LSU in Rhetorical Studies. He has twenty years of experience in the activity and has coached on both the collegiate and high school level. He is pictured below (left) with the members of the 2009-2010 debate squad.
Eligibility
The LSU Speech and Debate Team is open to all undergraduates regardless of prior experience or major. Students must be in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress towards the completion of their degree. Though previous debating experience is certainly helpful, it is not necessary. As long as you have the willingness to learn, we will gladly teach you debating skills and techniques. It will be necessary for team members to attend weekly meetings. Download and print a debate membership application. Members are encouraged to enroll in CMST 2200-02 to receive course credit for participating on the team.
Contact our director of speech & debate, Chas Womelsdorf, to obtain the necessary authorization for enrollment either by email at cwome1@tigers.lsu.edu, by phone (225) 578-7839, or mail at 146 Coates Hall, LSU, Baton Rouge LA, 70803. For further information about the team and its significance to LSU's mission of academic excellence, contact the faculty advisors in the Department of Communication Studies, Dr. Stephanie Houston Grey and Dr. Nathan Crick.
LSU National Honorary Forensic Society
DSR-TKA is the LSU chapter of Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha National Honorary Forensic Society. The organization works closely with the LSU Speech and Debate program and co-hosts the annual Mardi Gras Classic Collegiate tournament and the Under the Oaks High School Forensics tournament. Its mission is to promote interest in and to award suitable recognition for excellence in forensics and original speaking; and to foster respect for and an appreciation of freedom of speech as a vital element of democracy. The society publishes a journal, Speaker and Gavel, and has published a textbook, Argumentation and Debate. Annual awards are made to the Speaker of the Year, who exemplifies the characteristics of “effective, intelligent and responsible communication in a democracy,” to Distinguished Alumni and to the winners in the National Forensic League nationwide high school tournament.
Eligibility for FSR-TKA requires participation, as a student, at a high level of excellence, in at least two years of intercollegiate (or equivalent) forensics or original speaking activity, supervised by the faculty sponsor of a campus chapter or by qualified members of the forensics staff—unless the forensics or original speaking activity was commenced in the senior year as an undergraduate, in which case one year of such participation shall be acceptable. The student shall have completed at least three semesters or five quarters of college prior to initiation, and shall rank in the upper thirty-five percent of his college class.
If you would like additional information about the LSU chapter of DSR-TKA contact current President, Jessica Engler.
|