1978-1979

The Faculty Remy Wilcox, Director of Forensics

JoAnne Rasmussen Instructor, Speech and Drama

Brent Stratton, Tim O'Connell and Cathy Tanasse

Whitman News

A. North Hall opened.

B. The ASWC president was Dave Hartsfield for fall semester and Kent Phillips for Spring semester.

C. College President was Robert A. Skotheim.

D. Chuck Drabek, Bob Carson, and John Desmond were all granted tenure.

E. MECCA house was in planning.

Speech Courses

The department's course descriptions reflect a focus on diction and articulation and the debate course offers argumentation training.

Speech Department Description: Courses treat public speaking as a liberal art, proposing that such speaking is not a skill learned by rule but an exercise of judgment that can be no better than the speaker's understanding of the nature of the communicative acts.

SPEECH 11. Fundamentals of Speech, 3 hours.

SPEECH 14. Fundamentals of Articulation and Diction, 3 hours.

SPEECH 43, 44. Principles and Practice of Forensics, 1 hours (individual events), 2 hours (debate).

World News

A. A great deal of attention was given to the US aiding South Africa in the Apartheid state.

B. A Boeing 727 crashed head-on with a student pilot’s rented plane; nearly 150 died.

C. The Camp David Peace accords begin.

D. Vietnam attacks Cambodia in attempt to end the genocide going on there.

E. Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin win the Nobel peace prize.

F. Rioters sack the British embassy in Tehran.

G. The first Take Back the Night march occurs in San Francisco.

H. 40 years of dictatorship in Spain end with the signing of a new constitution.

I. The Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Iran.

J. Pluto moves insides Neptune’s orbit for the first time since either was known to exist.

Team Awards

Remy wrote that the team focused more on CEDA debate this year.

Linfield College Tournament, October 13-14, 1978

1st After-dinner Speaking – Tim O’Connell

3rd Interpretation – David Hartsfield

Finalist, Impromptu – Karen Wishart

Gonzaga University Tournament, October 27-28, 1978

Finalist, Extemp – Brian Austin

University of Oregon Tournament, November 10-12, 1978

4th Sweepstakes (22 schools)

1st Debate speaker – Karen Wishart

1st Novice Debate Team – Chris Johnson and Bob Bowyer

2nd Oratory – Brent Stratton

3rd NDT Debate – Chris Eckman and Dick Doidge

3rd Debate speaker – Joel Carlson

Quarterfinalist, CEDA Debate – Karen Wishart and Joel Carlson

Quarterfinalist, CEDA Debate – Brent Stratton and Steve Daniels

Excellent, NDT Debate – Jim Pogue and Melanie Jenness

Finalist, Oratory – Doug Miller

Finalist, Extemp – Tim O’Connell

Excellent, Interp – David Hartsfield

Excellent, Interp – Lauri Perry

Excellent, Oratory – Tim O-Connell

Pacific University Tournament, November 17-18, 1978

1st Debate – Chris Eckman and Dick Doidge

1st Debate Speaker – Chris Eckman

1st Oratory – Brent Stratton

2nd CEDA Debate – Joel Carlson and Chuck Harwood

Finalist, Extemp – Chris Eckman

Finalist, Interp – Cathy Tanasse

College of Southern Idaho Tournament, November 17-18, 1978

1st Oratory – Tim O’Connell

3rd After-Dinner Speaking – Tim O’Connell

Finalist, Interp – Lauri Perry

Boise State University Tournament, February 9-10, 1979

2nd Place Sweepstakes

2nd CEDA Debate – Joel Carlson and Chuck Harwood

3rd CEDA Debate – John Leitch and Don Taylor

2nd Impromptu – Brent Stratton

Finalist, Extemp and After-Dinner Speaking – Tim O’Connell

Finalist, Prose Interp – David Hartsfield

Finalist, Prose Interp – Cathy Tanasse

Finalist, Prose Interp – Lauri Perry

Lower Columbia College Tournament, February 23-24, 1979

1st Place Sweepstakes (18 schools)

1st CEDA Debate – Bob Bowyer and Chris Johnson

3rd Place tie CEDA debate – Don Taylor and Steve Daniels

3rd Place tie CEDA debate – Todd Lewis and Dick Doidge

2nd Oratory – Allen Weymiller

4th Novice Oratory – Jenni Falk

Finalist, Oratory – Mertie Duncan

National Pi Kappa Delta Tournament, St. Louis, Missouri, April 8-12, 1979

Superior Sweepstakes (We were the smallest squad and only school west of the Rockies to get a Superior!)

Superior, Oratory – Tim O’Connell (lowest point total)

Superior, Prose Interp – David Hartsfield

Superior, Discussion – Brent Stratton

Excellent, Prose Interp – Cathy Tanasse

Excellent, Poetry Interp – David Hartsfield

Excellent, Lincoln-Douglas Debate – Karen Wishart

Excellent, Oratory – Brent Stratton

Good, Poetry Interp – Cathy Tanasse

Good, After-Dinner Speaking – Tim O’Connell

Good, Extemp – Tim O-Connell

Joseph Urlacher wrote to Jim sometime in 2001: “Bill Baxter and Joe Urlacher never won a debate but we competed in several tournaments. I am heartened by all of the success since that time at Whitman. Quote of wisdom: “One of the great steps towards universal peace would be the establishment of a universal language.” Abdu’/-Baha”