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Awaiting

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Ashley Robertson Treat - Received a Bachelor's in Missions from Dallas Christian College in 2008. In mission projects she has spent weeks in Mexico, Ecuador, and spent a summer in Poland. Currently she is working on a Masters degree in Intercultural Studies from Hope International University and should complete the degree in a few months. Ashley is currently the Coordinator of Career Services at Lubbock Christian University.
In true debate terminology, she says that in the future she hopes to use her education for the betterment of the "Status Quo".
She married Hunter Treat on August 3rd, 2009.
Ashley claims that debate taught her to win arguments with siblings and parents. On a more serious note, it helps her to counsel LCU students and present before large gatherings on a regular basis. She says that the funniest thing that she remembers from debate was watching Rusty Gore sing the "Milk Jug" song in the van at state. I, however, am most fond of her first debate meet her freshman year at Friona when after suveying the young men in their fine suites in the Cafeteria, she ran after me and said, "Daddy, I feel like I'm in law school."

Jennifer Harper - In 2008, I received a Bachelor’s Degree from Oral Roberts University majoring in Government:  American Studies and minoring in Organizational/Interpersonal Communication.  Thanks to the Lord, I have been given the opportunity to work as the Asst. City Planner for Jenks, OK.  Debate is a good foundational background for this line of work.  Everyday a variety of people and companies try to convince us of their development’s worthiness in our city.  Debate taught me good negotiation techniques and how to carry myself in these situations.  Still to this day, if I hear the term “status quo” or see the initials "WMD" I am back in the debate room preparing.  I keep in touch with the happenings around the world using sources that I first heard about in Debate.  It’s important to stay informed.  I am grateful for my time in Debate and the everyday tools it provided me.  I look forward to pursuing planning as a career and further developing these tools.  One of the funniest things I remember about debate is getting ready for a match and looking over and seeing my partner pull a hair brush out of our box in front of our opponents.  I am sure they were very scared.
JRob's memory: Almost without exception, when I asked them how they did after walking out of a round, Ashley would always say, "We lost!" But, Jen would say, "I think we did really well... I think we won! Yes!"

John Robertson - John graduated on May 8th, 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Worship Arts/Music Ministry. He is the Music Minister at Westview Christian Church in Shreveport, LA. John proposed to his beautiful fiancee on October 10th, 2009. Tina and John were married on May 23rd, 2010! "Debate was my first major experience of speaking in public. I currently lead worship in corporate settings in front of hundreds of people. This experience helped nurture my abilities to be in front of people. I also learned a plethora of vocabulary which has been helpful in college. Overall, debate was an amazing way to help me grow in many areas of my life. Also, it gave me a better knowledge of what is going on in the world I live in."
My favorite memory of debate was when, for fun, we ran the, "Jedi - Knight Counterplan." It showed that Yoda is wise, he has a test for everything. Sometimes you just have to have fun in debate.
JRob's memory: I think that John's favorite thing was helping the Sundown Principal setup lunch at district every year. He got to the food first!

Marcos Simon Lopez - Currently a Theatre major on full scholarship at Texas Tech University working on his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. Along with the Department of Theatre and Dance at Tech, he is an avid member of Experimental Artists Theatre of Lubbock and The Garza Theatre in Post. Since high school he has worked on The Time of Your Life, Thespis, Epic Proportions, Forward Slash, and The Perfect Musical. He was recently cast in Curtains, the spring musical at Texas Tech to go up in April and May, 2010. He plans on living with no regrets and pursuing his dream in performance until he succeeds. Because he will.
"Debate introduced me to an aspect of the world mostly neglected by teenagers: public policy. It's an important aspect to American life and this organization introduced it to me. This, along with other involvement in art, showed me that my future lies in being in front of people, performing, and making a difference. Or trying to. It also introduced me to some of the most important people in my life, some from Sudan and some not. It cultured me more than Sudan ever would, before even leaving Sudan. My performance passion was initiated by Ed Troyer and mostly Jonathan Robertson. I owe my career plans to them"
" My favorite memory of debate was spending so much time with some of my best friends. I'll never forget our times at camps, on crazy bus rides, or in activity period (most times just to not go to the commons). I know we were all a pain to handle, but we all learned so much from each other and JRob."
JRob's favorite memory: I remember lecturing debaters every summer to bring me home a buffalo from WT debate camp, which meant that they won the camp tournament. One summer as I drove a church bus of about 30 teenagers down a mountain pass in Colorado, my phone rang. Marcos yelled through the phone, " I got a buffalo!!!"

Whitney Robertson - She is a Junior Youth & Family Ministries major at Lubbock Christian University. Whitney is, "just working on a bachelors." She hopes to have another successful semester and to soon become a children's minister.
"Debate gave me the ability to fearlessly speak in front of people in college. Additionially, the research skills that I mastered in the debate program at SHS have served me well in my collegiate studies."
I remember walking in one day and I said, "Man the cafeteria is being stingy with those nuggets." And, everyone started rolling on the floor because Marcos had just walked in and made, verbatim, the same comment.
My (JRob's) favorite moment with Whitney was the decorum and strength that she exhibited at district her senior year after losing in the semis to a younger team which they had just whipped in the last round of the prelims, she held her head high and demonstrated nothing but eloquent class, ...from weakness - quiet strength! She taught me.

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Chelsey Cline - After graduation, I attended West Texas A&M University majoring in Mass Communications. I briefly joined the WTAMU debate team.  I helped with the Guy P. Yates camp in the LD Debate division. I transfered back to Lubbock, completing my degree in April of 2009. I'm currently an RDA (Registered Dental Assistant).  I'm returning to school in the Spring of 2010 for my BSN. I am planning to marry my soldier, hero, and best friend after he returns from Iraq in January 2010. 
At first, as a Sudan LDer, I had second thoughts. I thought I would never understand what the point was...but then I remembered, "Hey, I'm good at arguing...I can do this!" Come to find out, it was something I enjoyed. Debate gave me the ability to see both sides of every situation, in debate and life in general. I learned to speak in front of large groups without being so nervous.  Through debate, I made many life-long friends. The best memory I have from debate is from the district UIL tournament. I was up against a quality Farwell debater.  I was cool, calm, and collective and exited with a bummed look on my face. JRob asked me how it went, and with an evil grin I replied, "I NAILED IT!" Looking back, I can say that I beat a debater who won the state championship a couple of years later, which is a GREAT feeling!
I, (JRob) remember eating at the China Star in Amarillo with Chelsea where she found a tiny crab and kept passing it to another debater's glass every time they left to the buffet. Or, her unique ability to warp any fortune cookie verse.

Rhett Sain- Currently attending Eastern New Mexico University with plans on majoring in Communications with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in political science.  I am currently playing college football on a scholarship. My freshman year I made the traveling team as the backup left tackle. In high school, I was on the debate team for four years as well as one act play, informative speaking, poetry, Football, Basketball, golf and track, and many other organizations. My senior year I received the top debater award at Cameron Debate camp. I also broke in almost every tournament we participated in. My partner, James Markham, and I were undefeated in district UIL. At the 2010 State UIL Debate tournament, the 100th year anniversary of the UIL, we were the first Sudan team to go 4-0 in prelims . We finished as quarterfinalists, beaten by the eventual state champions.

“CX debate and one act play were without a doubt two of the top highlights of my life in high school. Debate has caused me to grow up and to get out in both the academic realm and speech environment and to become the very academic and competitive person that I am today. It has given me a jump on life, being able to communicate in class and to debate questions and positions of either a peer or a professor. In debate, you question not only the intelligence and the evidence at hand, but you fight the limiting elements of yourself by becoming a more intelligent speaker and debater. But, the memories will always stay with me and it’s the best decision I ever made to be in speech; not only for my school, but for the friendships I have built and fostered at competitions.”

(Mr. Robertson) I will never forget the tired Rhett dragging in late at night and repeatedly dropping his boxes at the bump in the floor by the library.

James Markham - I am currently attending the University of Texas at San Antonio to major in Marketing with an emphasis in Tourism, with hopes of becoming a flight attendant and seeing the world.  During my high school career I competed in many UIL events, including: Current Events, Persuasive Speaking, Computer Science, Computer Applications, C-X Debate, and One Act Play.  I was also a member of the band, NHS and an officer for Student Council.  I was also part of the C-X team (my partner being Rhett Sain) that went undefeated at the district competition and 4-0 in the State prelims, and was beaten in the State Quarterfinals by the eventual state championship team my junior year.  My senior year my partner (Doug Ames) and I were only steps away from attending both the State TFA and UIL Tournaments in C-X Debate.
Debate was by far the event that gave me the greatest learning experience, the only activity in front of One Act Play.  Debate has given me the necessary tools to succeed later in life, and in my final days in Sudan High School.  It has also given me the initiative to work hard in everything I do, whether it was working for Mr. Robertson during the school day, working to get my CDL License, or working for the school during the summer; Debate has been one of the greatest things to ever happen to me, and I will for sure miss it.
JRob:  James is the single most helpful student, to date, that I have ever had the pleasure of working with.  He reminded me of the character Radar on the TV show Mash.  He always seemed to know what I wanted and needed to do next.  It was uncanny.  I jokingly called him my executive assistant.