Asa Fix

News Reporter

 

The Mesa State speech and debate team has faced many challenges, but is has stuck it out and is now on its way to nationals. But the real story starts two years ago.

After a long history of speech and debate teams competing for Mesa State, the program ended in spring of 2008 when the coach quit.

A few students on the team were saddened but no one was as upset as student Shane Benge.

Benge, a sophomore acting/directing major with a speech minor, was hooked since his first competition as a freshman in high school. It is his life. 

“Speech is a very important subject that everyone should learn,” he said. “It teaches you so many great skills. It teaches you how to prepare yourself for presentations and many other things. You use public speaking every day in life.”

In spring 2008 after the team was on a break, Benge talked to everyone he knew in order to re-start the team. Richard Cowden, head of the theatre department, told him if he got one to two coaches and at least a dozen students, the program would resume.

Benge recruited students by hanging posters all around campus at the beginning and the end of each school year. He went to local speech tournaments in the city and state tournaments in Denver. He considers himself to be one of the biggest speech geeks on the planet, so he knows exactly who to recruit. His coaches and teammates praise him for his dedication and knowledge of speech and debate. 

Benge recruited Mike Moran, adjunct speech professor, and Jonnie Bonnar, former MSC professor, to coach the team. Moran and Bonnar each meet with the team once a week and switch off traveling to competitions with them. Right now there are only five students on the team which gives everyone the opportunity to travel and compete, while the college pays for all expenses. This lets them see how they stack up against the bigger schools like Arizona State University and Michigan State University.

“It’s always great to see someone or a sport at Mesa compete well against big time schools,” Moran said.

The team went to five competitions, two in the state and three out of state. They brought home a trophy from every event placing either in the top three or no lower than sixth.

“It is a wonderful experience, especially if you later on want to work with people,” said Tiffany Gard, a sophomore undeclared major. “Even if you want to transfer to another school later on it looks really good on your transcripts, especially if you can say you went to nationals.”

Nationals will take place in Eau Claire, Wis. on April 2-4. Andrew Orr, freshman chemistry major, will compete in Impromptu Speech, K.T. Trask and Elysia Pruett will be in a duo competition, and Gard will be an alternate for Poetry Interpretation .

“I’m excited about nationals for sure,” Orr said. “It will be a lot of fun. The whole year has been a good experience. Hopefully I’ll get some scholarships for next year.”

Coach Moran says several members of the team plan to transfer, so they are going to lose everyone except for Benge.

The team is still building its base and is looking for new members. Practices are every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 6 p.m. in Houston Hall, room 215. For more information about how to join, call coach Moran at 270-6162 or email him at mmoran@mesastate.edu.

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ajfix@mesastate.edu