From left: Greta Stahl, MSU's director of debate; senior Garrett Abelkop; junior Carly Wunderlich; and Will Repko, head debate coach. Abelkop and Wunderlich make up one of two MSU debate teams who will compete in the National Debate Tournament. Courtesy photo.

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EAST LANSING, Mich. — Two teams of students from the Michigan State University Debate Team have qualified for the prestigious National Debate Tournament in March, including a pair of students who recently took part in the Inauguration Debate Series in Washington, D.C.

Garrett Abelkop, a senior in the James Madison College from Alpharetta, Ga., and Carly Wunderlich, a chemistry junior from Brookfield, Wis., were chosen by the NDT selection committee as one of the top 16 teams during the 2008-09 debate season. Other first-round qualifiers included teams from Dartmouth University, Emory University, Harvard University, Northwestern University, the University of California at Berkeley and Wake Forest University.

Carlos Eyzaguirre, a junior in the James Madison College from Salt Lake City, and Amit Bindra, a senior from Brookfield, Wis., qualified by winning all eight of their debates at a district qualifying tournament held recently at Illinois State University. Their performance included victories over opponents from Big 10 rivals such as Northwestern University and the University of Michigan.

“These students continue MSU’s strong debate tradition, and we are proud they are representing us at the national event,” said Greta Stahl, director of MSU’s debate program. “They have put in countless hours of research and practice to reach this level.”

MSU won the National Debate Tournament in 2004 and 2006. This year’s event will be held March 26-29 at the University of Texas in Austin; only 76 teams will take place. This year marks the 12th consecutive year in which MSU has qualified at least two teams to be part of this elite group.

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Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.