SC DEBATE TEAM PAIR MAKE IT TO U.S. NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Photo Courtesy of Ernesto Rivera

SC Debaters Joaquin Arreola and Khamani Griffin.

BY XIOMARA VILLARREAL-GERARDO

There is no debating that the 2021 Southwestern College debate team is extraordinary.

Khamani Griffin and Joaquin Arreola are the first team from SC to qualify for the prestigious National Debate Tournament, an elite invitation-only event in its 75th year. Students from Ivy League colleges, private universities, state universities, and community colleges across America competed against each other for top honors.

Veteran coach Eric Maag said he was happy to be part of the team led by new head debate coach Ryan Wash. Maag has coached forensics and debate at SC for 16 years, he said, and was “thrilled” to see students from the college qualify for the hyper-competitive NDT. Maag said it is beyond impressive that Wash was able to lead students to the NDT in his very first year.

“It just speaks volume about his commitment to debate and his intelligence,” Maag said. “The way he pushes and motivates students is exceptional. I am really excited about having him on board.”

Wash joined SC as Director of Debate just eight months ago, but has years of experience as a national student debate champion and coach. When his students qualified for NDT, Wash kept things cool.

“I am a big stickler about doing what got you here,” he said. “I told the students they should be really excited, but I did not want that to change the way they got ready because it would have taken them out of their comfort zones.”

Griffin, a communications and African-American Studies major, has been on the team for just over a year.

“It is a huge honor,” he said. “It means a lot to qualify for the NDT with the team that I did.”

Griffin said qualifying was a team effort.

“It is the first time I felt like I did not have to do everything on my own,” he said. “We had immense support from individuals who were truly dedicated and wanted to see us succeed.”

Arreola, a philosophy and communications major, and Griffin were partnered up just three months ago. Griffin said he and Arreola bonded because they “shared the same vibe.”

“Joaquin and I are good friends,” he said. “It makes it a lot easier when you are competing with someone that you get along with and have a really good working relationship with.”

Arreola said he was proud to compete at the NDT. Coming from a community college made it even sweeter, he said.

“It is reassuring that my partner and I were able to make it (as community college students),” he said. “Being the first Latino and Black students to reach the tournament is also very powerful.”

Before being partnered up, Arreola worked with Roberto Villagomez and Griffin with Abel Zambrano. Maag said the work of Villagomez and Zambrano was significant to the qualifying process. SC tallied four wins and four losses in the tournament, Wash said, punching above its weight for a community college up against major universities.

“I think this is a super great showing,” he said. “(Griffin and Arreola) are sophomores competing against mostly seniors and juniors, and they were holding their own. I think they have become excited about their futures in debate.”

Griffin said he has learned a great deal from debate. He confessed feeling scared at first due to the intense preparation.

“Policy debate taught me how to be a better civilian,” he said, “but more specifically, a better Black civilian in a world I feel is very unpredictable.”

Arreola said debating helped him become more confident.

“Public speaking is one of (Americans’ greatest) fears next to death,” he said. “I think that if anyone at SC is interested in boosting their confidence and striving to make the best of their community college experience, then I would definitely recommend joining the debate team.”