Debate team levels up in national debate competition

The Oakton debate team participated last weekend in the Mid America Cup, a national level competition sanctioned by the Cross Examination Debate Association (“CEDA”).

This was Oakton Debate’s first tournament in CEDA-style debate. Teamed with a student from Rutgers University, Oakton student Luis Toro was acknowledged as “Outstanding Community College Debater.” Competing in CEDA was a “new experience,” Toro said. “Being able to participate with a team I have so much respect for, in a form of debate I’d not yet experienced, was exciting.”

The Mid America Cup comes on the heels of Toro’s quarterfinalist showing at Penn State’s Rhetorical Spell tournament, which qualified Toro for the National Forensics Association’s National Championship in Lincoln Douglas style debate in April. Luis was also inducted into Pi Kappa Delta, a national forensics honor society. He will be competing at their national championship tournament in three weeks.

Debate coach, Professor Christopher Langone, said: “I am so proud of Luis that he is able to compete in CEDA Debate, which is the most elite form of debate in the country.”

“Oakton Debate is on the forefront of elevating the competitive opportunities for debate at the community college level,” Langone said. Prior to coming to Oakton, Langone was the Assistant Director of Debate at Cornell University, and helped coach that team to its title of the Number 1 debate team in the world in 2013. “I have a big vision for Oakton Debate, which I believe will be a leader among community colleges in debate at the national level,” said Langone.

Oakton Debate meets on Mondays and Thursdays at 5 pm, for more information contact Director of Debate, Chris Langone, at [email protected] or team Captain, Luis Toro at [email protected]