After securing individual and team honors at debate competitions throughout the Northwest, the Oregon State University Forensics Team is preparing to take its war of words and wit to the national level.

Later this month, two pairs of debaters, Geoff Robinson and Jeremy Henderson and Dan Torres and David Kubota, will head to Colorado Springs for the National Parliamentary Debate Association Annual Tournament.

In April, OSU students Anna Prosser and Kubota will compete in the National Individual Events Tournament in Mankato, Minn.

Mark Porrovecchio said he couldn’t have asked for a better first season coaching OSU’s Forensics Team.

“We had talented returning competitors and gained some equally gifted new students,” said Porrovecchio, assistant professor of speech communication.

OSU’s Forensics Team, established in 1868, competes in individual and partner debate events around the world.

Happy with the team’s performance thus far, Porrovecchio has high hopes for the upcoming national tournaments, where OSU students will compete in individual speaking events and two-team parliamentary debates.

“We are in a great position to use nationals as a learning experience,” he said. “Geoff and Jeremy are seasoned debaters. Dan is a newcomer who is getting the chance to debate with David. Win or lose, they are going to come back having competed against the best teams in the nation.”

Torres debated in high school, but the OSU senior, a speech communication major and philosophy minor, didn’t join the university’s Forensics Team until this year.

“This year has been great,” Torres said. “My first tournament was a slow start getting back into the swing of things working with my partner, Tuyen Dang. The next tournament I took first place in novice impromptu speaking.”

Echoing Porrovecchio, Torres said no matter what happens at the national competition, facing such formidable opponents will help him and his teammates become better debaters.

Mike Owens, a graduate student in political science and speech communication, is finishing his second and final year as the team’s assistant coach.

Owens took first place in invitation-only and open national parliamentary debate tournaments as an undergraduate at the University of Wyoming.

After graduating with his master’s degree in June, Owens hopes to attend law school.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time here,” Owens said. “Oregon State’s speech and debate team includes some very hardworking, enthusiastic students. I think I’ve learned as much from them as they have from me.”

Mary Ann Albright covers higher education. She can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.net or 758-9518.