Davis & Elkins College junior Emily Coffman received the Barbara F. Sims Award for Year-Long Excellence in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. The award is one of two top honors of excellence presented to individuals by the Collegiate Forensics Association (CFA), a regional speech and debate organization in the mid-Atlantic region.
As a member of the Calliduz Debate Team at D&E, Coffman earned two first places and a second, third and fourth place in Lincoln-Douglas debates this academic year. She was also undefeated for the fall semester. Her additional awards include second in Impromptu Speaking and fifth in Pentathalon at the Speech and Debate Tournament at the CFA Fall Tournament at Shepherd University; fourth place in Informative Speaking and sixth place in Pentathalon at Morgan State University Invitational Forensics Tournament; second in Impromptu Speaking and Pentathalon, fifth in Prose Interpretation and sixth in Informative Speaking at the Speech and Debate Tournament at the CFA Holiday Tournament at Randolph-Macon College; fifth in Impromptu Speaking, third in Informative Speaking, and sixth in Pentathalon at the CFA Southern Excursion at Lynchburg College; and top speaker by points, fourth in Impromptu Speaking, third in Broadcasting, sixth in Prose Interpretation and fifth in Informative Speaking at the West Virginia Intercollegiate Forensics Association Tournament hosted by Fairmont State University.
“Emily is a wonderful competitor and an excellent example of the capabilities of our students,” said Dr. Brent Saindon, adviser of the Calliduz Debate Team. “Her award was the result of a lot of hard work as well as the development of her natural intellectual talents.”
A resident of Elkins, Coffman majors in political science, and religion and philosophy.
The Calliduz Debate Team, under the leadership of Saindon, has reached multiple achievements this academic year in regional competitions. At the West Virginia Intercollegiate Forensics Association Tournament, D&E placed third in Debate Sweepstakes and fourth in Overall Sweepstakes. In addition, Sierra Carney of Charleston, W.Va., won fourth place in the Lincoln-Douglass Debate. At the CFA Southern Excursion at Lynchburg College, D&E was sixth in Overall Performance.
Also participating in debates for the academic year were Emily Alexander of Strasburg, Va.; Leslie Boelter of Chesapeake, Va.; Ester Bolmenaes of Tibro, Sweden; Mark Cordle of Fayetteville, W.Va.; Teresa Hart of West Union, W.Va.; Thabo Madzimure of Kerens, W.Va.; Alexis Smith of Virginia Beach, Va.; Samantha Smith of Salem, Va.; and Brittany Wade of Windsor, Va.
The team traveled to the Madison Cup Debates at James Madison University on April 17 and will participate in the Duquesne Debate Society’s Public Debate Forum on College Life on April 21 and 22.
