Spartan Profiles: Carly Wunderlich

In March, MSU won the National Debate Tournament (NDT) for the third time in the past seven years.

Carly Wunderlich, ’10, a chemistry major who graduated in May, and junior Eric Lanning, won the Larmon trophy after beating Northwestern University in the debate finals in Berkeley, CA. MSU previously won the NDT in 2006 and 2008, in addition to three national championships in 1995, 1996 and 2002 in the Cross Examination Debate Association and the Seasonal National Championships.  

A native of Waukesha, WI, Wunderlich chose to attend MSU after having attended two debate camps.  “I got to know both (MSU debate coaches) Will Repko and Greta Stahl and looked forward to working with them,” she explains.  Carly adds that she was also attracted to James Madison College “because it provided a small college atmosphere within a huge university,” although she eventually changed her major from international relations to chemistry.  “I’m hyper competitive and I also want to be challenged academically, so debate was the perfect outlet for me,” says Carly, who has been hired as the debate coach for Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA.

This year’s debate topic involved nuclear weapons, and the debaters had to be ready to argue the pro or con side of any given proposition. “It’s challenging having to play devil’s advocate,” says Carly.  “But it’s made me realize there are legitimate concerns on each side.”  She notes that most research is done electronically.  “We use academic search engines and rely on journals, think tank articles and blogs from analysts,” she says. “Erik and I printed notes that filled six Rubbermaid tubs.  Next year we’ll go paperless!” 

Because many Spartan debate alumni were involved as coaches in the college debate scene, she received some help.  Casey Harrigan, ’06, who won the NDT title in 2006 with Ryan Burke, bought her a good luck charm—“a Mrs. Butterworth syrup jar, which they had when they won the title.”