The Irvine Valley College Speech and Debate Team concluded the fall 2025 competitive season with remarkable success, earning a total of 82 individual student awards, and securing three team sweepstakes championships. Making the team’s results particularly noteworthy is the robust size of the team with 79 students participating throughout the fall semester. These tournaments included the PSCFA Warm-Up Tournament and the Crossman Invitational both held at El Camino College, the Griffin Invitational hosted by Grossmont College, the National Online Forensics Elm Tournament held virtually, and the PSCFA Spring Championships held at Mt. San Antonio College.
Arguably IVC Speech’s most successful tournament of the season was the PSCFA Fall Championships, which brought together 37 colleges and universities from across California and beyond, including Northern Arizona University. At this highly competitive championship, Irvine Valley College earned an impressive 31 awards in events ranging from oral interpretation of literature, platform speaking, impromptu and extemporaneous speaking, and both individual (IPDA) and team (NPDA) debate. Among the standout performances was Lily Drescher, who captured 1st Place Speaker in Novice IPDA Debate, surpassing a field of 100 competitors. Debate topics ranged from domestic issues like enacting a carbon tax and increasing regulations on cryptocurrencies, to international issues such as making a nuclear deal with Iran or whether the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam does more harm than good.
“This season represents the hard work, dedication, and talent of our students,” Co-Director Jules French noted. “Having 79 students actively competing and succeeding across nine days of tournaments speaks to the strength of our program and the commitment of our college to student achievement.”
The Irvine Valley College Speech and Debate Team continues to be a leader among community college forensics programs, fostering critical thinking and academic excellence. Building on this momentum, the team looks ahead to continue their success in the spring season.