After all the well-deserved hoopla over Carroll College's sterling 2007 football season, it is appropriate to take a moment to praise one of the college's more academic achievements as well.

Carroll's Talking Saints finished the last semester ranked fourth in the nation in parliamentary debate. That's among more than 200 colleges of all sizes ranked by the National Parliamentary Debate Association - a remarkable result for such a relatively small institution, but one that we've come to expect from Carroll debaters over the years. The Talking Saints won a national title in 1999, and have regularly been listed in the top 10 over the last decade.

In addition to the team's intercollegiate success, its recent graduates are spreading the expertise. Manda Hicks, a 1997 Carroll graduate, is coaching the eighth-ranked Boise State University debate team, and Aaron Donaldson, a 2003 Carroll graduate, coaches the 11th-ranked University of Oregon team.

Carroll debate coach Brent Northup said Hicks and Donaldson are "building reputations as two of the finest young coaches in forensics." What they also are doing, of course, is building the reputation of the college program that gave them their start.

Carroll's football success is sure to give the school a boost, both financially and in terms of enrollment. But the institution's overall excellence - a well-rounded record of success that will inspire any prospective Carroll student - in the end is what matters most.

The Talking Saints, whose record is attracting top high school debaters from throughout the region, is a case in point.