The unusually cold weather was only matched by the fire of intellect among top college students on Dec. 7 and 8, as they faced off over current event controversies at the Seattle University debate tournament.

Northwest University debate team members Marlene Pierce and Calvin Horne reached the the Final Four of the competition, while Eagle teammates Isaac Sloat and Sephanas Pizelo, also made the finals in the novice division.

“The two wins at the last tournament of fall semester ended one of the most successful string of wins for Northwest in years,” said NU debate team coach Gary Gillespie. “While some students didn’t win awards, everyone on the 13 person program gained a wealth of experience, watching and speaking against the best and brightest students in four states and British Columbia.”

Ten colleges and universities brought 64 students to spar over topics announced fifteen minutes before each round.

Willamette University, Portland State University, George Fox University, University of Alaska Anchorage, Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia and La Vern University of California, along with Northwest University of Kirkland, all competed.

There were five preliminary rounds on Saturday with semifinal and final rounds on Sunday.

Some of the topics debated included banning bit coin online currency, violent sports, war in Syria, abortion policy and organ donations.

Horne and Pierce were the fifth top seed going into finals and Sloat and Pizelo were the third seed in the novice division. Sloat and Pizelo argued against giving financial incentives to women who choose against abortions in the single novice final round.

The senior Northwest team placed first in semifinals to advance to the final round, where four teams faced off on the topic of assassinating perpetrators of genocide.

Assigned an opening opposition, Horne and Pierce argued that the assassination plan was impractical, unjust and would cause more harm than good. The three-judge panel voted to give first place to Simon Fraser University and second place to University of British Columbia. Portland State and Northwest University were finalists. This result meant that the Northwest team was among the top four out of 32 teams.

In addition to wins and losses, judges rank students on speaking ability and the best speakers were honored. Horne, the Eagle debate team captain, received an award for ranking as the fifth best speaker out of 64 top students at the contest.

Northwest University professor of English Jacob Witt ran the computer tab for the tournament and was praised by tournament director Melissa Franke for his competence at the awards ceremony. NU graduate student and former debater Kyle Hamar and Gillespie served as judges.