By Lookout Staff
November 28, 2017 -- The Santa Monica College (SMC) debate team furthered its winning streak at two tournaments in October and November, school officials announced this week.
Team members won a Gold and three Bronze awards at the first annual Crossman Invitational at El Camino College on October 14. Eleven SMC debaters were among the 99 students from 20 community colleges and four-year institutions that competed.
Less than a month later, SMC students earned 10 awards at the Robert Barbera Collegiate Forensics Invitational Tournament at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) on November 11.
Ten SMC students competed were among the 233 students from 24 community and four-year colleges from California and other southwestern states participated in the event.
“Even though we all compete against each other at tournaments, there's a communal sense of pride whenever someone from SMC brings home an award," said Andrew Mishkin, who won multiple awards at the tournaments.
"The Speech and Debate team has given me a new-found confidence, but also a new circle of friends.”
Mishkin won Gold and Bronze awards at the Crossman Invitational and placed second in both Impromptu Speaking and Extemporaneous Speaking at the Robert Barbera Invitational Tournament.
Baylynne Brunetti, Shaindi Schwebel and Edward Lee received Bronze in Debate in at the Crossman Invitational.
Andrea Conte took 1st place in After Dinner Speaking at the Robert Barbera Invitational Tournament, with Baylynne Brunetti taking 2nd place.
Finalists in Impromptu Speaking included Lee, Schwebel and team captain Ben Kolodny. Kyle Lee won 3rd place in both Impromptu Speaking and Extemporaneous Speaking, and Nick Graves was a finalist in Extemporaneous Speaking.
The SMC team is gearing up for the final tournament of the Fall -- the Pacific Southwest Collegiate Forensics Association (PSCFA) Fall Champs -- December 1 to 3 at Moorpark College.
The tournament "will help determine the squad of SMC speakers and debaters who will be invited to the national Phi Rho Pi National Speech and Debate Tournament in April," college officials said.
For more information on the SMC Speech and Debate team, contact Professor Brianna Broady at broady_brianna@smc.edu.
