He joined Rice's George R. Brown Forensic Society, Rice's competitive speech and debate team, as a freshman and has participated in all kinds of competitions. Although a computer science and sociology major, Ruthfield takes speech and debate seriously-as his many trophies attest. Judges narrowed the applicants to 12, who were then flown to Kansas City to compete in the finals. The two-day competition included three rounds of debate. Dan West, director of Rice forensics, noted that Ruthfield is one of only two parliamentary-style debaters ever chosen for the SCA program.
Most speakers participate in policy debate style, which involves research.
Parliamentary debate is based on impromptu speaking. I've watched him from when he was young, so it's great to see him grow. Ruthfield will continue competing in tournaments through graduation in May. After the tour to Japan, he will return to Rice to complete a master's degree in computer science.