Author: Taure Shimp

The Modesto Junior College Speech and Debate team returned with big wins from the Northern California Regional Championship tournament that took place on February 28-March 1 in Chico, California. The tournament drew top competitors from two-year and four-year institutions. MJC students won awards in limited preparation, platform speaking, and debate.

The results for Individual Events are as follows: In novice extemporaneous speaking, Eman Ghaith took third place while Clarice Perez took first place. In open informative, Ghaith was a finalist. In open Persuasive speaking, Alexis Gerardo took third place. The results for debate are as follows: In junior Lincoln-Douglas debate, Grant Tallent was recognized as the 9th place speaker. These points are calculated separately from a competitor’s win-loss record and are based on their use of logic, clear refutation, and delivery over the course of the tournament. In novice parliamentary debate, Vic Bayley and Matt Kingdon talked their way into the semi-final round. Bayley was also recognized with the 8th place novice speaker award. In junior parliamentary debate, Perez and Tallent took semi-finalist awards. Perez was recognized with the 8th place junior speaker award while Tallent was awarded third place speaker. The team is looking forward to the upcoming state and national tournaments.

The Modesto Junior College Speech and Debate team competed in an online debate tournament on February 23, 2020. Students logged in to video-debate competitors from around the nation on a variety of topics including solar energy, civil liberties versus security, and who would be the best presidential nominee for the 2020 election.

Students competed in novice, junior, and open division. Three MJC students in the junior division were recognized with top speaker awards. Eman Ghaith took fourth, Alexis Gerardo took third, and Derek Tristao took second. These awards are determined separately from a debater’s win-loss record and is based on the cumulative “speaker points” they earn over the course of the tournament. The team is gearing up for their regional championship tournament, and this is a promising start.

The Modesto Junior College Speech and Debate team won big at their first tournament of the semester from February 7-9 in Livermore, CA. Students from two year colleges and four year universities spent three days talking their way into final rounds. MJC students took home awards in every category they entered including debate, limited preparation, oral interpretation, and platform speaking.

Results are as follows.

In IPDA debate, Donia Ghaith took a silver award in novice while Alexis Gerardo took a silver award in varsity. Alex Ciprian was recognized with the third-place speaker award in varsity IPDA debate. Speaker awards are calculated separately from a competitor’s win-loss record and are based on the cumulative speaker “points” that they earn in each round. In varsity parliamentary debate, Derek Tristao and Eman Ghaith were quarterfinalists. In limited preparation, Donia Ghaith took sixth in novice impromptu while Clarice Perez snagged third place. Grant Tallent took home the fourth-place award in varsity impromptu. Tristao took fifth-place in novice extemporaneous speaking while Eman Ghaith was awarded second-place. In varsity prose, Donia Ghaith took fifth place. In varsity persuasion, Gerardo took third.

For more information about the team visit their website at www.MJCForensics.org