Please join me in congratulating the Palomar Speech and Debate Team students and faculty on their fruitful efforts again this year!  The team won Gold in the Debate Category of their Division for the second year in a row at the Phi Rho Pi National Tournament in Washington D.C.   James Nee took Bronze in both Extemporaneous and Impromptu Speaking as well as a Silver in NFA Lincoln Douglas.  Matt Duburg and Jacob Tucker placed Bronze in Parliamentary Debate.  Jacob Tucker won Gold in NFA Lincoln Douglas.  In addition, Palomar College won 4^th place sweepstakes in the Community College Division of the National Parliamentary Debate Tournament.

In addition to winning over 50 trophies throughout the 2016-2017 competition season, the team had the pleasure of hosting debaters from the Peoples Republic of China for the second year in a row for a public debate.   This was the fifth time Palomar has hosted debaters from China.  Team members’ majors include Journalism, Political Science, Communications, Finance, and Gender Studies. The Speech Team will transfer students in Fall 2017 to San Diego State University, California State University, Long Beach, and San Marcos, and the University of California at Berkeley.