Speech and Debate Team is league champ

Speech and Debate Team is league champ

The South Orange County Community College District Speech and Debate Team finished the season by winning the yearlong sweepstakes award in the Pacific Southwest Collegiate Forensics Association in April. The team, which is made up of students and coaches from Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College, accumulated more league points this year than any other two-year or four-year school. South Orange County took the top award with a score of 208 points during the season, while second place OCC had 203 points. CSULB was third. Over 40 schools competed in league tournaments.

The district team has won the championship 11 out of the last 13 years.

The team cemented its yearlong sweepstakes victory with a first place sweepstakes win during the final tournament of the season at Palomar College.

According to Forensics Coach Gary Rybold, the final tournament win was a showcase of the talent that now makes up the team because the competition was for novice debaters only. For many of the students, this was their first tournament and Rybold expects the students to do well in competition when they return in the fall.

Debate Award Winners:

First place debate – Shahtaj Siddiqui & Jennifer Witherspoon

First place debate – Adel Nabjani & Bryan Fazio

First place debate – Aria Jalali & Nakhaee

Individual Event Award Winners:

Bryan Fazio – 1st Extemp, 4th Impromptu

Lisa Gillian – 1st Impromptu, 2nd Speech to Entertain

Jennifer Witherspoon – 3rd Informative, 3rd Impromptu

Olga Rappaport – 3rd Persuasive

Vaughn Atchinson – Finalist Persuasive

Matt Forrest – Finalist Cultural Artifact

Kristin Rogas – Finalist Informative