Q2 Wyoming Headlines

Students debate in Rocky's Rimrock Classic

Posted: Feb 6, 2010 5:21 PM by David Jay
Updated: Feb 6, 2010 5:21 PM

Public presentation and debating the issues.
That's the purpose of Rocky Mountain College's Rimrock Classic debate tournament.

About 100 students from seven schools in Montana and Wyoming competed in the annual tournament.

Students debated health care...environment...and other issues out of Washington, D-C.
Some competed in a British Parliamentary format which uses four teams instead of two.
Debate can help students in any major.

"Exploring current events and exploring the debates that happen in society are a way to understand things," said Shelby Jo Long-Hammond, Assistant Professor and Director of Forensics at Rocky Mountain College. "Secondly the pubic speaking skills that you gain when compete in forensics I think is a great skill to have."

"It's exciting, it's fun, it's frustrating, it's all those things it should be," said Katie Berst, a senior at Rocky. "You learn so much so quickly which is what I love about debates."

Rocky, Northwest College, Casper Collge, Carroll College, the University of Montana, the University of Great Falls and Eastern Wyoming College competed in the Rimrock Classic.