Debate Team Takes Honors

Titans kick off the season with strong showing, including a third place for individual speaking

October 10, 2006

By Valerie Orleans

Cal State Fullerton’s award-winning debate team recently sent four two-person teams to the first debate of the season at Gonzaga University in Spokane. Both teams and individuals are recognized in debates. The team of Brenda Montes and Luis Magallon finished in the top 8 at the tournament competing against teams from across the country.

In addition, Montes was recognized as the third highest ranked speaker and Magallon was recognized as eighth.

The team of Pooja Chopra and Parija Patel finished in the top 16, and Chopra was ranked eleventh in individual honors.

Montes and Magallon, based on the strength on their top-5 finish at the national championship tournaments last year, received an invitation to the Kentucky Round Robin, the most exclusive event in the fall debate schedule. CSUF has never attended this event. Other invitees include teams from Berkeley, Harvard, Emory and Dartmouth.

In addition, the debaters competed at two additional tournaments: at UC Berkeley and Georgia State.

At Berkeley, Chopra and Patel made it to the final 14 and Chopra was named seventh individual speaker overall. Freshman Bryce Bridge was fourth in the individual speaker junior varsity division and Matt Graham and Nicholas Mazzeo made it to the final four in the novice division.

At the national season opener at Georgia State, Montes and Magallon finished third overall with Montes taking second place and Magallon fourth in individual speakers. Following the competition, Magallon and Montes were invited to the Kentucky Round Robin, which invites only the top 9 teams form the nation, according to John Bruschke, professor of speech communication studies and debate team coach.