Jennifer Newman
  • Politics and Philosophy
  • Class of 2015
  • Livermore, CA

Jenny Newman of Livermore contributes to success of George Fox University's debate team

2012 Oct 19

George Fox University's debate team enjoyed a strong showing at a Lewis & Clark College tournament in Portland, Ore., the weekend of Oct. 13-14, and Jenny Newman of Livermore played a key role in the team's success.

Newman, a sophomore, was part of a George Fox contingent that placed sixth in the 52-team British Parliamentary competition. In all, 104 students participated, representing universities that included the University of Denver, Portland State University, Humboldt State and Willamette. Out of the six George Fox teams, five broke into elimination rounds, and George Fox was represented in the final rounds of all three divisions of the tournament.

Following are results in each respective division.

Novice Division: AJ Mendoza and Luke Petach won their final round, earning a tournament championship in the division. Also competing in the final round in the division were Karina Ramirez and Kathryn Knight, who took third overall. Remarkably, this was Ramirez and Knight's first time competing at a tournament, and Mendoza and Petach's second time in competition.

Junior Division: Patrick Campbell and Kaitlyn Elting qualified for the final round, and took third overall.

Senior Division: Landon Isabell and Jenny Newman were also eligible to compete in the Junior Division, but they did so well in preliminary rounds that they broke into the competitive senior-level quarterfinals. Stephen Kenyon and Brice Ezell also qualified for senior quarterfinals, and ultimately advanced to the final round, where they took third overall.

George Fox also had two students who were recognized as Top Speakers at the tournament: Kenyon was ranked as the eighth-best speaker, and his partner, Ezell, placed second overall with his speaker scores.

The team's next tournament will take place at the University of Victoria Nov. 16-18. The squad is coached by Professor Abigail Rine.

George Fox University is ranked by Forbes and Kiplinger's among the top Christian universities in the country and is a Christian college classified by U.S. News & World Report as a first-tier regional university. Nearly 3,500 students attend classes on the university's campus in Newberg, Ore., and at teaching centers in Portland, Salem, and Redmond, Ore., and Boise, Idaho. George Fox offers bachelor's degrees in more than 40 majors, degree-completion programs for working adults, five seminary degrees, and 11 master's and doctoral degrees.