By Mallory Sherwood, Staff Writer

Lizz Alvarez has a chance.

She went to nationals four years ago and placed 14th. Now she is looking to go again, this time to win.

This weekend, ACU’s nationally ranked forensic team, a competitive public speaking and debate team, is expecting several of its members to receive a bid this weekend at the tournament in Minneapolis, Minn., to go to nationals in Akron, Ohio, in the spring. Alvarez, senior political science major from McAllen and captain of the forensic debate team, only needs to place fifth in this tournament to continue on to nationals.

“Debating is what I really love to do,” Alvarez said. “We are working really hard, and I expect more than one of us will get our nationals’ bid this time.”

Graduate assistant Nicole Ryerson, graduate student in human communication, said she agrees with Alvarez that many could make it to nationals next weekend.

“It’s really difficult to say how many, but the team is full of really talented individuals,” Ryerson said.

Alvarez joins a team of around 14 students that competes on the weekends in places such as Connecticut, Indiana, Nebraska and Houston. She said many people at ACU don’t know about the forensic team, but the team is known and respected across the nation, as having members that are nationally ranked.

ACU debates against teams from Concordia, University of Texas, Western Kentucky and University of Michigan and still manages to be competition, Alvarez said.

“We have debate junkies that find us entertaining and follow ACU around at the tournaments,” Alvarez said. “Coaches from schools send their kids to follow us and keep up with what position we hold and debate; some people even keep records of everything we debate and argue because they really want to beat us.”

To remain ahead of the rest of the competition, Alvarez said the debate team practices all the time.

“I practice every morning from 5:30 to 8 a.m. to be prepared for my debates,” Alvarez said. “Most people on the team will spend 10 hours to 15 hours a week researching or writing debates.”

Although it would seem that they practice a lot, Alvarez said it is really different debating from a private school instead of a large public school.

“Public schools receive more funding to travel to tournaments and they have graduate assistants to work with the students individually,” said Sally Gary, assistant professor of communication and director of forensics.

Some schools also have lenient attendance requirements for classes, said Alvarez.

“Students can spend all day researching debate topics and all weekend at tournaments,” Alvarez said. “They don’t have to go to classes like we do because they don’t have GPA requirements either. Most of the students on our team have scholarships that are dependent on their GPA, so they have to keep up with schoolwork first. I guess it just makes us a well-rounded team.”

James Garrison, freshman finance major from Abilene, joined the debate team this year and is learning to juggle his priorities. He is one of the teammates who Alvarez said could receive a bid to nationals.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Garrison said. “I would like to be at that level and there is always a chance that I can place high enough to get a bid, but I just haven’t seen enough of my competition to see how well I would really do.”

He is not joining his teammates in Minnesota this weekend as finals are around the corner.

“I would like to go, but I really need to focus on my studies this time,” Garrison said.

As for Alvarez, this could be her lucky ticket in.

“I have been waiting my whole life for a national championship,” Alvarez said. “I once placed in it, but I have never won first. It is my personal goal this year to win first, and I have a chance.”

Her coach, Ryerson, is optimistic as well.

“Lizz is a phenomenal debater,” Ryerson said. “She has an amazing grasp of the specifics of debate and she keeps up on her current events. Seeing as how she graduates this year, we would all like to see her back at nationals.”

Alvarez plans to practice as much as she can to go for first this time.

“I’m not going to say that I will win because there is a lot of chance involved,” Alvarez said. “My goal is to do the best I can and to try to place higher than I did last time.”