UC Davis Debate Team

Finished 2nd place at the UCSD Tournament. January 2007

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<lymurakami AT ucdavis DOT edu>

The UC Davis Debate Team is a little known group of students who compete at the local, state, and national level. What separates the UCD Debate Team from other debate teams is that there is no hired coach. Instead, the students coach one another making it student run.

Between 2002 and 2004, the debate team was headed by students Katie Bryant and Aaron Cohen. During this period, the debate team earned its highest honors to date, with one team placing first in the nation for year-long victories during the 2003 year, and with UC Davis placing ninth in the nation among universities and two-year colleges during the 2004 season.

UC Davis tying for 1st Place at CSU Fresno

During the 2005 and 2006 seasons, the team was lead by student Henry Soong. For the 2006-2007 school year it is being run by Student Directors Larissa Murakami, Alexander Tcholakov, and Casey McQuillan with Dr. Don Abbott as the advisor. During the winter quarter of the 2005-2006 school year, the debate team competed at Diablo Valley College, Point Loma University, San Francisco, and at Oregon State for Nationals.
Group picture at dinner after a long day of debating at Nationals

The debate team is funded by the university and is actually a class. One can earn one unit of English for a four hour class twice a week at night (usually from 6-8 pm). The debate team is also hired by California high schools to be judges for their tournaments.

SteveOstrowski achieved a 2-6 record at the National Parliamentary Tournament whereby he successfully debated against whale killing navy sonar and opposed sending food aid to Africa. Even though he was eliminated after the first 5 defeats he attempted to argue for eminent domain, torture, Israel, tougher immigration laws, and other interesting topics.

In 2008, many new members joined the team. UCD debaters took first place at two tournaments in the novice division. At Novice Nationals, HarrisonNoah and Charlie Tierney placed in the top five teams and Harrison took the title of First Place speaker.