Alumni of the Month
Kenda Cunningham
Kenda Cunningham debated for UNT from 1998-2001 season. While on the team she experienced much success and accomplishments. In the 1998-1999 debate season, the team of Kenda Cunningham and Eli Holloway tied the record for deepest elimination round appearance at the NDT, when they ended up as quarterfinalists in the NDT held at Wayne State University. In 2001 the team of Kenda Cunningham and John Hines received the second ever first-round at-large invitation to attend the NDT held at Baylor University. At the NDT Cunningham and Hines would fall in the Octafinals, only after winning a tough double Octafinals debate verses Gonzaga University.
In the 1999-2000 season, after an amazing showing in the preliminary rounds with a 6-2 record, the team of Kenda Cunningham and Eli Holloway made an appearance in the Quarterfinals of the NDT, before losing their toughest round. Prior to attending the NDT, Cunningham and Holloway competed in the Double Octafinals round of the CEDA national tournament held on the campus of Southern Illinois University. The team of Sykes and Hines also made an appearance in the Triple Octafinals Round before being eliminated. Earlier in the year the team of Cunningham and Holloway competed in the Kansas City Swing Tournament over the holiday break. The team was in the Semi-Finals at the University of Missouri Kansas City Debate Tournament after winning the William Jewell College Debate in the first half of the swing.
The 2000-2001 season was marked by qualifying two teams for the NDT, held on the campus of Baylor University in Waco Texas. After receiving a First Round at Large bid, the team of John Hines and Kenda Cunningham had a strong showing in the preliminary rounds at advanced into the elimination rounds as the 20th seed. In the Double Octafinals Hines and Cunningham defeated the 13th seed from Gonzaga on a 3-2 decision before dropping in the Octafinals.
Prior the NDT the team of Hines and Cunningham made an appearance in the Octafinals of CEDA Nationals, held on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University. In addition to a strong showing at both National tournaments, Hines and Cunningham competed in the Final Round of the Harvard Debate Tournament before losing a tough round. Earlier the same year Hines and Cunningham participated in both the Kentucky and Dartmouth Round-Robins. While at the Dartmouth Round Robin Cunningham took the top speaker award. The same year Hines and Cunningham were seen in the Semifinal round at the University of Northern Iowa debate tournament as well as the Quarterfinal round at the Kentucky University Debate Tournament.
While at UNT, Kenda Cunningham compiled one of the most successful careers in the history of the squad, winning speaker awards at nearly every tournament and competing in elimination rounds at every tournament she attended. She was a great asset to the team and can be remembered as a team player who would do anything for the squad. Today she can be seen today performing her duties as Director of Debate at Carrollton Sacred Heart High School in Miami, Florida.
