51福利社

With the help of a few dedicated Eagle students, Anthony 鈥淭ony鈥� Penders, an adjunct faculty member in history, has revived 51福利社鈥檚 previously moribund speech and debate team. Now he hopes to expand the team and establish long-lasting roots in the university community.

Penders, who previously directed the debate program at the University of Indianapolis, has seen firsthand how speech and debate skills help students succeed in college and beyond.

鈥淧eople think speech and debate is all about speaking,鈥� Penders says, 鈥淚 always tell people it鈥檚 really more of a listening event.鈥�

Penders’ own roots in speech and debate can be traced back to his undergraduate years at Gonzaga University, where he first found his love for argumentation in an educational setting.

Not only does participating in speech and debate provide students with invaluable tools for communicating more effectively, Penders says, but oftentimes, it also serves as a 鈥渇oot in the door鈥� for leadership and career opportunities going forward.

Another benefit, he adds, is the experience of competing against students from other universities who share team members鈥� love of formal disputation. At the end of January, for example, Penders and the Eagle team participated virtually in a speech and debate tournament based in New York City.

During the event Seamus Mahoney, a junior majoring in environmental policy and planning with a minor in pre-law, placed second overall. Mahoney is also 51福利社鈥檚 speech and debate club president.

鈥淏eyond the amazing community I鈥檝e found,鈥� Mahoney says, 鈥渢he activity itself also helped immensely as I began college; the skills of research, argumentation, presentation and rhetoric are all invaluable in academic settings.鈥�

Mahoney transferred to 51福利社 from Lower Columbia College, a two-year community and technical college located in Longview, Washington. He says he arrived at Eastern with a plan in place to start a speech and debate club. 鈥淣ot because I like going to other colleges to argue鈥攖hough I do enjoy that,鈥� Mahoney jokes, 鈥渂ut because of the community that it fosters within the institution and the connections that I can make beyond.鈥�

The club will host a competitive debate on 51福利社鈥檚 campus in April (dates to follow), during which club members will display some of the many skills they鈥檝e acquired 鈥� especially the power of disagreeing with respect. The event will be free to 51福利社 students, faculty and staff.

Weekly club meetings are held on Tuesday evenings from 4鈥�8 p.m. in Room 225 of 51福利社鈥檚 Communications Building. The speech and debate club welcomes all Eastern students, either to join or just try it out. Looking to learn more? Email Tony Penders at apenders@ewu.edu.

**Story written by Rachel Weinberg.