Kristopher Willis signed up for a forensics class in high school thinking he was going to learn how to analyze crime scenes like they did on TV.
He was dead wrong.
Willis quickly realized he was in a speech and debate class, and the word forensics had more than one meaning.
Although his passion for forensics was sparked by a word mix-up, his affiliation with forensics has stuck with him ever since.
Twenty years later, Willis is now a lecturer and director of the policy debate team at UF.
In the 2011-2012 season, Willis’ first year as the UF policy debate director, his squad jumped an unprecedented 62 places in the Cross Examination Debate Association national ranking. The team entered the season ranked No. 68 out of 117 teams and ended the season ranked No. 6.
It was the best finish for the team in at least 25 years and possibly the best finish ever, Kellie Roberts, director of UF forensics, said.
Willis came in last year and has been an integral part of the success, Roberts said.
“[I] walked in with goals, direction and a plan,” Willis said.
He set goals that were difficult to reach, but he worked with his squad to complete them.
The team accomplished every one.
“As of right now, Florida can beat up on Harvard,” said policy and debate captain and 20-year-old mechanical engineering junior Jonathan Prescott .
He understands a lot of work is required to stay at the top, though. Prescott doesn’t want the team’s success to simply be a one-time national finish in the Top 10.
The debate team is working with the UF speech team to recruit new members during every freshman Preview session.
In addition, each debater is required to do background research on the upcoming debate topic and compile a 300-page document of the findings over the summer.
Successful debating requires a high level of preparation, hard work and dedication, Prescott said. Now that the UF policy team is considered one of the best debate teams in the nation, it has a target on its back.
Although personal success is important to Prescott, seeing his teammates succeed is the most rewarding part of being the team captain.
The squad’s philosophy is, “To the last man.”
“As long as a Florida team is in the tournament, the whole team is there to help and support,” Prescott said.
