The Debate Society at the Ithaca College Tournament and Novice Nationals, where Colgate’s novice team won the championship in February.
Colgate athletes aren’t the only teams that bring home trophies. The Debate Society has had a triumphant season, and this weekend, we will cheer them on as they set out to bring home yet another trophy after competing in the Northeast Regionals at Western Connecticut College.
The Debate Society is currently ranked third in the United States and 11th in the world, according to World Universities Debating Championship rankings. One of their most recent wins includes the Novice Nationals Tournament, in which two team members brought home first and third place and the team was declared champions.
Some of the team’s bigger tournaments have included competitions at Oxford and Cambridge universities in England and a championship in India in December.
A most memorable moment of the season was hosting a public debate with Australian visitors a few weeks ago, recalled Julia O’Neil ’16, president of the society. “Both were really successful debaters — one was the second best speaker at Worlds and the other judged the final,” she said. “We always try to interact with and learn as much as we can from other teams. They were really helpful and even ran a couple of different workshops.”
The team just recently came back from Montreal, where they were competing in the North American Women’s Championship. Only the female members of the team could compete, but the men attended as judges. “Each tournament is unique and we always learn so much,” O’Neil said.
“Debate has helped me to find a voice and has exposed me to a great intellectual atmosphere,” O’Neil added. “It’s been a great experience to be able to apply what we learn from the classroom as well as talking to people from all over the world and hearing their ideas.”
At the end of March, the society will host its own tournament on campus, the fifth annual Colgate IV, which has gained notoriety for being one of the top tournaments in the country. It is expected that the top debate teams in the nation and the world will participate.
Along with the Mock Trial Team, Model United Nations, and the Student Lecture Forum, the Debate Society is a member of the Colgate Speaking Union. The teams are fairly separate, but are spearheaded by one coordinator, John Adams.
The Spanish Language Team, although not a member of the Union, is another successful team on campus. Because most schools do not have a Spanish and English division, the Spanish Language Team and Debate Society only work together for a few competitions and events. However, the language team is achieving its own successes, most recently breaking into the semifinals at the Pan American Championship Tournament.