Student Voices Take the Floor in Kentucky Supreme Court Chamber
Left to Right: Ana Moyers, Samuel Miller, Zack Benz, Caleb McCurren, Sam Harless, Ryan Goke
On February 28th, the Murray State Speech & Debate Union had the distinct honor of hosting a showcase debate in the Kentucky Supreme Court Chamber at the State Capitol in Frankfort. Representing the affirmative were Sam Harless and Samuel Miller, while Caleb McCurren and Zack Benz took the role of the opposition. The resolution debated was: This House should adopt Kentucky House Bill 626 to increase student representation in local school board governance.
This showcase provided a valuable opportunity for the SDU to highlight the importance of student voices in policymaking while also fostering meaningful relationships with members of our state government. We were especially honored to welcome Representative Jennifer Decker (R-Shelbyville), who attended the debate and graciously offered her time and attention. We sincerely thank her for her support and interest in our work.
The Union looks forward to continuing to engage with civic leaders and advocate for student perspectives in future events.
From Murray to the National Stage: SDU Triumphs at Pi Kappa Delta
Left to Right: Assistant Coach Ana Moyers, Samuel Harless, Caleb McCurren, Zack Benz, Samuel Miller, Coach Dr. Ryan Goke
From March 13th–16th, the Murray State Speech & Debate Union traveled to Athens, Ohio, to compete in the Pi Kappa Delta Comprehensive National Tournament, hosted by Ohio University. This year’s tournament was one of the largest in the organization’s history, featuring over 50 colleges and universities and nearly 2,000 individual event and debate entries from across the nation.
Murray State’s SDU showcased its depth, versatility, and competitive spirit across a wide range of events, including National Parliamentary Debate (NPDA), After-Dinner Speaking, Communication Analysis, Program Oral Interpretation, Informative Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking, and Impromptu Speaking.
Tournament Highlights:
Samuel Miller & Samuel Harless are National Champions in Novice NPDA Debate, earning top honors in a highly competitive division.
Caleb McCurren & Zack Benz placed 5th in the nation in the Open NPDA division, competing against the most elite debaters in the country.
Zack Benz was ranked the 5th overall NPDA debate speaker and 3rd among Novice speakers, a remarkable dual recognition.
Caleb McCurren earned the title of 8th overall NPDA speaker and was also named the 4th best Novice speaker.
Samuel Harless was recognized as the 6th-ranked Novice NPDA speaker, rounding out a dominant showing by Murray State’s Novice squad.
In Individual Events, Caleb McCurren’s After-Dinner Speech advanced to the top 24 in the nation—a significant achievement in one of the tournament’s most competitive categories.
Team Awards:
2nd Place – National Debate Sweepstakes, recognizing Murray State as one of the top-performing debate programs in the tournament.
9th Place – Individual Events Sweepstakes, reflecting the team’s strong showing across diverse public speaking categories.
6th Place – Overall Team Sweepstakes, placing Murray State among the top six schools nationwide.
This record-breaking tournament brought together the best and brightest in collegiate forensics, and Murray State’s outstanding performance stood out among the crowd. The SDU is incredibly proud of its team members for their hard work, resilience, and excellence—and looks forward to carrying this momentum into future competitions.