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McKendree University

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McKendree University offers students many ways to make their mark, with  more than 50 undergraduate majors and co-curricular activities including study abroad, speech and debate, marching band, community service, cultural immersion and mission trips, and Greek life. Bearcat student-athletes compete in 36 men’s and women’s sports. McKendree is a member of NCAA Division II, Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts is southern Illinois’ finest performing arts venue.

McKendree offers a high quality education in a friendly, nurturing environment. Total enrollment is 2,500, including the Lebanon campus in southwestern Illinois; centers at Scott Air Force Base and Radcliff, Kentucky; and students enrolled online. 90-second video

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McKendree University offers students many ways to make their mark, with  more than 50 undergraduate majors and co-curricular activities including study abroad, speech and debate, marching band, community service, cultural immersion and mission trips, and Greek life. Bearcat student-athletes compete in 36 men’s and women’s sports. McKendree is a member of NCAA Division II, Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts is southern Illinois’ finest performing arts venue.

McKendree offers a high quality education in a friendly, nurturing environment. Total enrollment is 2,500, including the Lebanon campus in southwestern Illinois; centers at Scott Air Force Base and Radcliff, Kentucky; and students enrolled online. 90-second video

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News and announcements from McKendree University

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McKendree's Speech and Debate Team Ends Regular Season with Significant Progress

McKendree University's speech and debate team ended its regular season of competition at the Missouri Association of Forensics Activities (MAFA) tournament, hosted by Webster University in Webster Groves, Mo.
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Student Competition - Feb 24

McKendree's Speech and Debate Team Advances to Elimination Rounds in National Tournament

McKendree University's Speech and Debate team had a breakout performance this past weekend with the team of sophomore Ari Carney and first-year Aidan Bradley advancing to elimination rounds of "Big Red Mackie" national warm-up tournament, co-hosted by Denison University and Mercer University.
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Student Competition - Feb 16

McKendree University Speech and Debate Team Hosts Collegiate Tournament, Competes in Two More

From January 8 through 11, the halls of Piper Academic Center at McKendree University were packed with students from 11 colleges and universities across six states. The long weekend featured two tournaments of National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA) style debate. Students debated pressing public policy issues including public infrastructure investment, European Union security arrangements, international recognition of The Republic of Somaliland, artificial intelligence, and much more.
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Student Competition - Feb 11
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McKendree Speech and Debate Team Wins Two Championships, Takes Home Several Awards

McKendree University's Speech and Debate team finished the semester with a strong performance, capturing two tournament wins as a team alongside 22 student awards.
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Student Competition - Jan 6
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McKendree University Delegates Win Outstanding Delegation Awards Representing Albania at Model UN Conference

McKendree University participated in the American Model United Nations conference in Chicago from Nov. 22-25. More than 80 universities representing 120 countries attended the conference.
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Student Competition - 2025 Dec 2
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McKendree's Speech and Debate Team Takes Home 10 Awards from Weekend of Competitions

McKendree University's Speech and Debate team started its speech session strong at Illinois State University on Sunday, Oct. 5.
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Student Competition - 2025 Oct 16

McKendree Hosts Two Speech and Debate Tournaments This March, Alumni Return to Serve as Judges

The McKendree Speech and Debate team hosted and competed in the National Parliamentary Debate Association's Championship Tournament and the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence during the university's spring break.
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Student Competition - 2025 Mar 21

McKendree's Speech and Debate Team Finishes Second Year of Regular Competition in Public Debate with Awards, Prepares for Upcoming National Speech Championship

McKendree University's speech and debate team finished its regular season with strong performances at competitions hosted by the Missouri Association of Forensics Activities and Mercer University during the weekend of Feb. 14 through 16. The following weekend on Feb. 22, the team hosted its final high school debate event of the season on campus.
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Student Competition - 2025 Mar 4
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McKendree's Speech and Debate Team Kicks Off Season with Back-to-Back Weekend Competitions

The McKendree University Speech and Debate team started its season with competitions on back-to-back weekends. On Sept. 20 and 21, the team competed in Lincoln-Douglas style debate in an online tournament hosted by Washburn University. On Sept. 27 and 28, the team competed in National Parliamentary Debate Association style debate in a tournament hosted at Rice University in Houston, Texas.
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Student Competition - 2025 Oct 6
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McKendree Speech and Debate Team Starts Season with Series of Tournaments in Speech, Multiple Formats of Debate

The McKendree Speech and Debate team started its spring semester with a series of tournaments in speech and multiple formats of debate.
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Student Competition - 2025 Feb 6
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McKendree's Speech and Debate Team Finishes Season with Standout Performances

The McKendree Speech and Debate Team finished its competition schedule for the fall semester with standout performances at the William Jewell Swing in November and the Gateway Classic in December.
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Student Competition - 2024 Dec 12
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McKendree University Delegates Pick Up Awards Representing Palestine at Model UN Conference

McKendree University participated in the American Model United Nations conference in Chicago from Nov. 23-28. More than 80 universities representing 110 countries attended the conference, and McKendree won one of nine overall delegation awards.
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Student Competition - 2024 Dec 4
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McKendree's Speech and Debate Team Competes in Intercollegiate Competitions, Partners with Local High School Programs

The McKendree University Speech and Debate team comes into the spring semester having recently completed a mix of intercollegiate competition and work with local high school programs.
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Student Competition - 2024 Jan 23

McKendree's Speech and Debate Team Starts Season off Strong in Two Tournaments

The McKendree Speech & Debate Team started its season with a double-header split across two states. Over the weekend, 13 McKendree debaters put together a 23-20 preliminary record across the two tournaments and two formats of debate.
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Student Competition - 2024 Oct 4

McKendree's Speech and Debate Team Finishes Regular Season with Several High Marks

The McKendree University's speech and debate team wrapped up its regular season of competition with breakout performances from novices in several events across multiple tournaments.
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Student Competition - 2024 Mar 15
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McKendree University's Speech and Debate Team Notches High Marks in Various Tournaments This Fall

The McKendree University speech and debate team's season is in full swing this fall with students competing in tournaments hosted by Rice University, Bowling Green State University and Mercer University.
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Student Competition - 2023 Oct 30
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Kolby Pierce Competes in St. Louis Startup Week Competition

Kolby Pierce, a senior who is double-majoring in marketing and management at McKendree University, recently competed at the St. Louis Regional Entrepreneurship Educators (STLREE) St. Louis Startup Week collegiate pitch competition on Wednesday, September 20 at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. The event is a weeklong celebration of entrepreneurship in St. Louis.
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Student Competition - 2023 Oct 10
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McKendree's Speech and Debate Team Finishes in Top 10 at Pi Kappa Delta Nationals, National Forensic Association Championship Tournament

The McKendree University speech and debate team closed their 2022-2023 season by finishing in the top 10 at both the Pi Kappa Delta Nationals and the National Forensic Association Championship Tournament.
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Student Competition - 2023 May 2

McKendree University Speech and Debate Team Concludes Fall with 10 First-Place Finishes

The McKendree University speech and debate team finished its fall season with 30 awards, including 10 first-place finishes.
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Student Competition - 2022 Dec 9

McKendree University Speech and Debate Team Kicks off Fall Competition

The McKendree University Speech and Debate Team opened its season at Southwest Baptist University's Derryberry Memorial Tournament from October 7-8.On October 22, McKendree competed in the Missouri Mule hosted by the University of Central Missouri. McKendree will next compete at the University of the Pacific from November 4-6.
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Student Competition - 2022 Oct 25
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McKendree Speech and Debate Team Opens Spring Season with 20 Awards, Including Six First-Place Finishes

The McKendree University speech and debate team recently finished its regular season with an additional 20 awards and six first-place finishes over two tournaments, qualifying three more events for nationals.
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Student Competition - 2023 Feb 23
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McKendree University Speech and Debate Team Wins Three National Championships, 21 Awards at Nationals

The McKendree University Speech and Debate team completed its season with three national championships and took home a total of 21 awards over the course of four national tournaments.
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Student Competition - 2022 May 5
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McKendree University Speech and Debate Team Wins First Place at San Diego State, Qualifies in Multiple Events for Nationals

The McKendree University speech and debate team kicked off its spring season with a bang, earning 27 awards in four separate tournaments and first place at San Diego State University.
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Student Competition - 2022 Feb 22
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Speech and Debate Team Finishes Fall Season with 23 Awards

The McKendree University speech and debate team concluded its fall season, earning 23 awards in three separate tournaments.
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Student Competition - 2021 Dec 14
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McKendree University Speech and Debate Team Kicks off Fall Competition with Virtual Debates

The McKendree University speech and debate team has competed in a handful of virtual tournaments so far this fall, taking home a total of 17 awards.
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Student Competition - 2021 Nov 8

Students Participate in Speech Communication Competition

McKendree University announces the winners and participants of its recent speech competition at the Hettenhausen Center for the Arts on campus.
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Student Competition - 2021 Apr 28

Strong National Performances for Speech and Debate Team

The McKendree University Speech and Debate Team advanced to the final round of the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence for the first time.
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Student Competition - 2021 Apr 5
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McKendree Students Among Top Finishers in DoE CyberForce Competition

McKendree University students made an impressive showing in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DoE) sixth annual CyberForce Competition on Nov. 14.
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Student Competition - 2020 Dec 11
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Debaters to Participate in National Competition at McKendree

McKendree University debaters will compete with others from across the U.S. when the university hosts the NPTE and NPDA national tournaments on campus during spring break week.
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Student Competition - 2020 Mar 4
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Cyber Defense Team Finishes Third in State Competition

McKendree's 117th Regiment Cyber Defense Team finished a close third at a recent statewide Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.
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Student Competition - 2020 Feb 19
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