The Troy University Trojan Debate team completed a successful second season after competing in five online tournaments, participating in one grant-funded event and holding regular practices each week.
Matilda Ziegler, a senior American History major from Shelby, North Carolina became the first member of Trojan Debate to win a tournament during the 2024 fall semester.
“I am immensely grateful to have the privilege to represent Troy University in debate, and I could not have accomplished what I have without the endless support of my teammates and the knowledge, support, and expertise of my coach, Professor Gray,” she said. “I enjoy debate because it has helped my logical reasoning and public speaking skills, and because of my teammates’ constant encouragement and energy.”
Professor Michael Gray, lecturer of communication studies in the Hall School of Journalism and Communication, serves as the advisor for the Trojan Debate Team. Gray became involved in a university debate team where he learned how it could be used as a tool to help him with what he was learning.
“Without debate, knowledge felt detached and nebulous,” Gray explained. “Everything we did as a team, from the practice rounds to the extended discussions we had while traveling to the competitions themselves, it all made knowledge matter. It also gave me a way to showcase and quantify not only my individual abilities as an academic, but also a spectrum of other transferrable skills associated with leadership, management, collaboration and more. Finally, it gave me the opportunity to win; and even though that’s not the most important thing in the world, the reality is that winning, well, it just feels good”
The debate team’s accolades are as follows:
Razorback Rumble
Individual: Emily Mosier Quarterfinalist & 9th Place Speaker
Sunshine State Series Part 2
Team: Overall Sweepstakes 2nd Place
Individual: Matilda Ziegler Tournament Champion
Individual: Eva Reese 5th Place Speaker
Sunshine State Series Part 3
Individual: Eva Reese Tournament Champion
National Online Forensics Championship
Individual: Eva Reese Bronze Medal, Top 16
Individual: Matilda Ziegler 11th Place Speaker
