Debate Society Competes in Preparation for Regionals and the US Universities Championship

Submitted by Communication Department faculty Lea Dan Yee

In order to build the HPU Debate Society travel squad, we sent two freshmen, Pre-Law/Criminal Justice major, Lisette Robbins, and Environmental Studies major, Kaleigh Smith, along with two senior Communication majors, Leilani Feleciano and Kate McDaniel to compete in the November 2016 California Cup, a three-day tournament, hosted by USC, UCLA, and Claremont McKenna College.  While it was quite the grueling weekend, the families of both the freshmen joined us for additional team support.

Coming off of Winter break, our team worked together to host the 9^th Annual Pan Pacific Championship this past February. It began on a Friday night with our 4^th Capitol Debate. In order to advertise for the event, our very own HPU Student Body and Debate Society President, Chris Morrow, joined former UH Månoa Debater, Ian Ross, and Civil Beat’s Pod Squad host, Chad Blair, on a live podcast, which may be accessed here. Our very own Debate Society Vice President, Kate McDaniel, submitted an op-ed piece on the Rail Debate to Civil Beat. McDaniel and Feleciano represented HPU that evening to debate against UH Manoa, The United States Air Force Academy, Willamette University and East China University of Science and Technology. Adjudicators that evening were former Sen. Will Espero, Rep. Gene Ward, Rep. Cedric Gates, Civil Beat’s Rui Kaneya, Kirk Fehn, and Cody Hensarling.

The HPU Debate Society hosted 12 teams at this year’s tournament: Beijing Foreign Studies University, Brooklyn College, the Christian Homeschoolers of Hawai‘i, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Louisiana Tech University, Cal Poly Tech – San Luis Obispo, University of British Columbia, the United States Air Force Academy, Windward College, Willamette University, and the East China University of Science and Technology. After another challenging three days of competition, The United States Air Force Academy earned the 1st place title for their 3rd year.

The HPU Debate Society will send two teams, Smith and Robbins and Morrow and Ruqi Pei, and one adjudicator, Feleciano, to compete in the West Coast Regional Championship in Tacoma, Washington, at the end of March. We also hope to send three teams to the United States Universities Debate Championship in Denver, Colorado, in April.

Wish them luck!