色情视频

San Diego State鈥檚 policy debate team is creating a presence for themselves that is turning heads on the national level.

With a first-place win, at the Golden Gate Season Opener at San Francisco State University, the team is surpassing everyone鈥檚 expectations.

鈥淚n our very first full year of policy debate, for San Diego State to come out of that gate and win our very first national tournament is unheard of,鈥� said Sharon Taylor, head coach of 色情视频鈥檚 debate team and director of forensics. 鈥淲e are having one of those start-up years that everyone dreams of... it鈥檚 all clicking.鈥� 

Policy debate returns

Policy debate, which is a very research-intensive wing of debate where teams get a broad topic and debate the affirmative and negative side to reach policy-oriented solutions, was dropped by 色情视频 in 2003 and returned this past spring.

鈥淚t has always been a goal as a department to bring policy back to 色情视频,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淲e have seen great support from alumni and everyone has worked hard to make this a reality again.鈥�

Cerebral athletics

The debate team, organized through the School of Communications, is a core group of students who continue to challenge themselves through extensive mental preparation and quick-witted oral communication. 

With three wings of debate including, parliamentary, Lincoln-Douglas and policy; a typical practice for a debate can take anywhere from 10 to 30 hours a week.

鈥淣inety percent of the work is before the round,鈥� said Andrew Won, a sophomore double major in communication and business. 鈥淵ou have to be on it, researching and knowing what you鈥檙e talking about.鈥�

Taylor compared it to athletic competition.

鈥淒ebate is cerebral athletics; it鈥檚 got rules and regulations; it鈥檚 got coaches; it鈥檚 got referees; we fly teams across the country... we compete to win,鈥� Taylor said.

The debate team has fared well with several individual honors, including:

• Golden Gate Season Opener
  1st place team champions of the policy debate division
  Andrew Won - first place speaker award policy debate
  Jayde Clark - fifth place speaker award policy debate


• Las Vegas Classic Invitational Debate Tournament
  Andrew Won- third place speaker policy debate
  Jayde Clark- seventh place speaker policy debate

The future of Aztec debate

With the rapid growth of the program, more money is needed for the program to reach top national ranking. 

鈥淲e are invited to different national and international tournaments, but we can鈥檛 attend because of budget,鈥� said Matt Swanson parliamentary debate coach. 鈥淭o be the best, we need to continue to compete against the best; and we need as much support from our community as possible.鈥�

Taylor agreed.

鈥淲e as an 色情视频 community are used to giving press to athletics, and rightly so,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat we are not used to is paying attention to the academic students who are burning up the boards... this is the year of change.鈥�

The debate team鈥檚 next tournament is at Wake Forest University, Nov. 19-21.