This content was published: April 3, 1997. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC Debaters No. 1 at Nationals!
Photos and story by Mark Evertz
Please contact Lawrence Galizio, 977-4274, for a look at the debate team in action. The team meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 to 4:50 p.m. in Performing Arts Center classroom, room 101, on the Sylvania Campus, 12000 S.W. 49th.
The Portland Community College forensics team recently took first place among community colleges at the National Parliamentary Debate Tournament held at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, March 20 to 24. After all the tallying of points, PCC’s team emerged as the top community college in the country for their performance.
"We beat out 16 other community colleges from throughout the nation," said Lawrence Galizio, director of the forensics team and a speech instructor at PCC’s Sylvania Campus. "I’m working with a dynamic, competitive group of students this year. They’re terrific."
The PCC team is composed of Jil Freeman of Northwest Portland, a speech communications major; Dave Clement, who lives in Beaverton and plans to transfer to Carroll College in Montana this fall; Tomi Douglas of Milwaukie, a theater arts and speech major; and Jay Mobley of Northwest Portland, a computer science major.
"PCC finished the year with 56 sweepstakes points, putting us at 15 in the nation for all colleges and universities," said Galizio. "Not bad." The PCC team beat out schools like William and Mary, Lewis and Clark, Johns Hopkins, Oregon State University, University of Wyoming, University of Denver, U.S. Air Force, University of Colorado and many others. "I’m extremely proud of our students’ performance and dedication," Galizio added.
Portland Community finished twelfth overall at the national tournament: 152 teams competed. The following resolutions were debated at the tournament: "This House believes that businesses should be responsible for the welfare of their workers"; "Be it resolved that the U.S. has sacrificed aesthetics for convenience"; "This House fears for our judicial system"; "This House believes that issues of class are more important than issues of race"; "Be it resolved that media have significantly damaged public discourse"; "This House would expand NATO"; "This House would enact campaign finance reform"; "This House Believes That gangsta’ rap reflects more than it affects."