[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 4, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E867-E868]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP KANSAS CITY KANSAS COMMUNITY 
                          COLLEGE DEBATE TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 4, 2005

  Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with you and 
my colleagues outstanding news that, for the second straight year, the 
Kansas City Kansas Community College [KCKCC] debate team, coached by 
Darren Elliott, has swept both community college national 
championships.
  Even more impressive, the 2005 KCKCC team won with an almost entirely 
new team--just two sophomore returnees from last year's 2004 national 
championship team.
  The KCKCC team completed its sweep by winning both the team and 
Lincoln-Douglas debates at the Phi Rho Pi national championships in 
Philadelphia after winning the CDEA [Cross-Examination Debate 
Association] Community College National Debate Championship title at 
San Francisco State University in late March. KCKCC dominated the Phi 
Rho Pi championships by putting both teams in the finals of the Policy 
Two-Person Debate and since both finalists were from the same team, 
sophomores John Bretthauer of Tonganoxie and Peter Lawson of 
Leavenworth shared first place honors with freshmen Clay Crockett of 
Emporia and Garrett Tuck of Overland Park. In addition, the KCKCC duo 
of Blue Valley freshmen Laura Koslowsky and Ashley-Michelle Papon took 
second.
  Lawson then went on to become the first debater ever to repeat as 
National Policy Lincoln-Douglas One-Person Debate champion by finishing 
undefeated throughout the tournament. KCKCC entered 4 persons in the 
event with all 4 making it to the elimination rounds, with Tuck and 
Koslowsky closing out the finals with Crockett finishing third. In 
winning the CEDA title, Tuck, Bretthauer and Crockett were named to the 
All-American first team and Lawson to the second team. They were joined 
on the national championship team by Kyle Bragdon, Papon and Koslowsky. 
At an open meet that debated the topic, ``How the U.S. should reduce 
fossil fuel consumption,'' KCKCC won the title by defeating 4-year 
teams from West Virginia, Vanderbilt, San Francisco State, Towson, 
Eastern New Mexico, Vermont, Rochester, Cal-State Chico, and Georgia 
State.
  With all 5 freshmen returning next year, I look forward to the KCKCC 
debate team winning 3 in a row! The team was honored at a

[[Page E868]]

reception hosted by Governor Kathleen Sebelius at the Kansas State 
Capitol in Topeka, and I am proud to have this opportunity to add to 
their well-deserved accolades by entering this statement into today's 
Congressional Record.

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