The Arizona Board of Regents is proud to present the Regents' Cup, a tri-university speech and debate competition. Student orators apply to represent their university in Oxford debate and Storytelling categories at this annual event. University teams are selected in October and on-campus coaches prepare students for the competition in March. This event honors participants for articulating different points of view in an environment where competitors remain civil and respectful.
Awards
Students selected to represent their university at the Regents' Cup are eligible to receive internship or course credit for their work and earn scholarships for participating. In addition, the board awards generous scholarships to first-, second- and third-place winners in the Oxford debate and Storytelling categories. All team members receive a scholarship award for participating. These scholarships are a one-time cash award and can be used by students, at their discretion, to support and advance their education.
Winning University: Arizona State University
Oxford Debate Winners:
- First place, $15,000 scholarship – ASU: Ali Nikahd, Alina Bozhko
- Second place, $12,000 scholarship – ASU: Tramanh Dao, Daniel Kyle
- Third place, $5,000 scholarship – UArizona: Conner Hunting, Andrew Pongratz; ASU: James Driscoll, Linus Ros
Storytelling Winners:
- First place, $15,000 scholarship – ASU: Omar Aljubouriy
- Second place, $12,000 scholarship – ASU: Anusha Rahman
- Third place, $5,000 scholarship – ASU: Isabella Meadows
Winning University: University of Arizona
Oxford Debate Winners:
- First place, $15,000 scholarship – ASU: Dhruv Dalmia, Zenobia Chevalier-Mossman
- Second place, $12,000 scholarship – NAU: Hunter Larson, Sage Kaminski
- Third place, $5,000 scholarship – ASU: Chase DiBona, Linus Ros; UArizona: Misty Knight, Jake Soulvie
Storytelling Winners:
- First place, $15,000 scholarship – UArizona: William Forte
- Second place, $12,000 scholarship – UArizona: Alicia Hall
- Third place, $5,000 scholarship – ASU: Omar Aljubouriy; UArizona: Amy Gaudet, Ciara Tetreault
Winning University: University of Arizona
Oxford Debate Winners:
- First place, $15,000 scholarship – ASU: Claire Mullings, Chase DiBona
- Second place, $12,000 scholarship – UArizona: Finley Dutton-Reid, Tissiana Vallecillo
- Third place, $5,000 scholarship (tie) – UArizona: Josh Tashoff, Akash Satpathy; ASU: Abigail Spencer, Jordan Morris
Storytelling Winners:
- First place, $15,000 scholarship – UArizona: Celeste Lugo
- Second place, $12,000 scholarship – UArizona: Raychel Hodges
- Third place, $5,000 scholarship (tie) – UArizona: Gennie Obaid, Alicia Hall
Winning University: Arizona State University
Oxford Debate Winners:
- First place, $15,000 scholarship – ASU: Abigail Spencer, Langston Tillman
- Second place, $12,000 scholarship – UArizona: Akash Satpathy, Joshua Tashoff
- Third place, $5,000 scholarship – ASU: Jake Dean, Zane Encinas
- Third place, $5,000 scholarship – UArizona: Nyah Fyfe, Marnie Gyorffy
Storytelling Winners:
- First place, $15,000 scholarship – UArizona: Daniel Gyorffy
- Second place, $12,000 scholarship – NAU: Riley Smelkinson
- Third place, $5,000 scholarship – NAU: Marjorie Nguyen
Winning University: Arizona State University
Winners:
- First place – ASU: Valielza O’Keefe and Joshua Pardhe
- Second place – UArizona: Vincent Jasso and Finley Dutton-Reid
- Third place – ASU: Jessica Carter and Logan Guthrie
- Third place – UArizona: Nyah Fyfe and Marnie Gyorffy
Judges
Judges are integral to the success of Regents' Cup and include leading figures from government, industry and academia. Judges use a standard rubric to score the competition. Students compete for first-, second- and third-place awards in Oxford debate and Storytelling. Judges also select the top performing university team.
The Trophy
The Regents' Cup trophy was sculpted and cast in bronze by accomplished artist and former Arizona Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers. Its design incorporates the delicate features of a lily pad contrasted by the sharp points of an agave cactus that is emblematic of Arizona's deserts. Bowers said the blending of these two opposites represents the speech that individuals strive to refine to have better communication. Watch the making of the trophy and listen to an interview with Bowers below.
