Debate Union Competes At Pan-Ams In South Beach

The Debate Union just returned from the Pan-American Debate Championship in Miami, Florida. This was a great start to the spring semester because varsity team Nick Heitsch (’17) and Chris Perkins (’17) finished as semifinalists in the tournament. This means they are tied as the fifth place team in the Western hemisphere!

Nick and Chris with their semifinalist award



In addition to Nick and Chris’s accomplishment, many other debaters saw improvement in their own speeches throughout the tournament. Varsity debater Dan Matthews (’17) commented that he felt well-prepared for a round on the commercialization of hip-hop culture, and novice team member Graeme McGuire (’18) noted that he felt overall more confident in his speech-giving abilities.

Debaters from left to right: Graeme McGuire, Dan Matthews, Marc Alhaji, Unni Kurumbail,

Nick Heitsch, Junior Ndlovu, Dan Matthews, and Chris Perkins



While we did not have much time for sightseeing, we did enjoy the sun and the delicious Cuban food. Furthermore, we celebrated the birthdays of our business manager, Junior Ndlovu (’17), and novice debater, Unni Kurumbail (’18).

The debaters relaxing between rounds

Overall, the debaters learned some key lessons on tournament preparation and speech construction. Many of the debaters who traveled to Miami, as well as their team mates who did not, are excited for upcoming tournaments in both Monmouth, New Jersey and Ithaca, New York. We wish them the best of luck!