Webster Debaters Win National Geospatial Agency Tournament Championship

Photo: (l-r) Sports Communciations major Jonathan Arens and Film major Andrew Meeks. They won the first invitation-only debate tournament hosted by the National Geospatial Agency.

The Webster University debate team defeated the University of Missouri-Columbia’s team to win the first invitation-only debate tournament hosted by the National Geospatial Agency. Webster students Jonathan Arens and Andrew Meeks finished undefeated, winning ballots from all nine judges in their three preliminary rounds. The tournament was held on Nov. 14.

Meeks, a junior film major, and Arens, a senior sports communication major, competed against teams from Southwest Baptist University, Missouri Valley University, and Bradley University to earn their spot in the championship round against the University of Missouri. This marked the second consecutive tournament championship for Arens, who also won the tournament recently hosted at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois.

The team relocated to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences this year, the original home of the program. Their next competition will be on Webster’s Main campus when they host their Study Break Debate and Gateway Individual Event Swing tournaments on December 7th and 8th.