University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins hoists the Regents' Cup after the university's win. Beside him is the 2023 storytelling winner, UArizona student William Forte. (John de Dios)
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and Regent Larry E. Penley outside McClelland Hall before the 2023 Regents' Cup. (John de Dios)
Storytelling second-place finisher and UArizona student Alicia Hall competes during the 2023 Regents' Cup. (John de Dios)
UArizona student William Forte competes during the storytelling semifinals. Forte took first place in the storytelling competition in the 2023 Regents' Cup. (John de Dios)
The 2023 Regents' Cup took place at the University of Arizona's McClelland Hall. UArizona earned its second victory in a row after defending its 2022 win. (John de Dios)
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs addresses the crowd at the 2023 Regents' Cup. (John de Dios)
Students were invited to share their artwork reflecting free speech and open discourse in the entry of McClelland Hall. (John de Dios)
The audience listens as UArizona student Alicia Hall speaks during the 2023 Regents' Cup. (John de Dios)
Students from the University of Arizona impressed on Saturday with a big win at the fourth annual Regents' Cup, hosted by the Arizona Board of Regents at McClelland Hall on the UArizona campus. UArizona will keep the trophy in Tucson for the second year in a row after defending its 2022 victory.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs attended The Regents' Cup, a two-part storytelling and Oxford-style debate contest intended to be a celebration of free speech and democratic engagement across the state's three public universities.
Hobbs said the Regents' Cup is a perfect example of the civil discourse that is key to unlocking Arizona's potential as a state full of promise and opportunity, where ideas and innovation can flourish.
"The Regents' Cup gives us a model of what's possible when we share our ideas with one another, even if we don't agree," Hobbs said. "It's a testament to the adage that we should be able to disagree with each other, without being disagreeable. It's also a great reminder to us all that diversity of thought and ideas are good things that make our conversations more rich and robust. These values are at the heart of our democracy."
"Knowing that students like you are engaging in civil conversations about important issues that are part of the Regents' Cup gives me hope for the future," Hobbs told the student participants on Saturday. "You're the next generation of thought leaders and movement leaders who will help build a better future for every Arizonan."
Students from UArizona faced off against students from Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University. The storytelling portion of the competition involved students delivering 10-minute prepared speeches on how the Constitution has personally affected them.
Ted McLoof, executive director of the UArizona Debate Series and principal lecturer in the Department of English, said Oxford-style debate, which allows two sides to clearly argue for or against a predetermined statement, is designed to appeal to larger audiences who may be unfamiliar with debate competitions.
Topics debated by the students included whether the federal government should implement a fairness doctrine, whether pursuit of liberty should take precedence over pursuit of prosperity, and whether there should be a term limit for U.S. Supreme Court justices.
"The point of this tournament is to elevate civil discourse and provide the opportunity to discuss controversial issues with research, respectfully and in consideration of each other's points of view," McLoof said.
Students competed for ranked awards in both storytelling and debate. First-place winners earned $15,000 scholarships. Second-place winners earned $12,000 and third-place winners were awarded $5,000 scholarships.
UArizona won the overall competition with students placing individually as follows.
Oxford Debate
First Place: Dhruv Dalmia and Zenobia Chevalier-Mossman, Arizona State University
Second Place: Hunter Larson and Sage Kaminski, Northern Arizona University
Third Place: Chase BiBona and Linus Ros, Arizona State University; Misty Knight and Jake Soulvie, University of Arizona
Storytelling
First Place: William Forte, University of Arizona
Second Place: Alicia Hall, University of Arizona
Third Place: Amy Gaudet and Ciara Tetreault, University of Arizona