Rockland County, NY – Rockland Community College (RCC) showcased its debate prowess in a tournament against Dominican University on February 23, securing multiple top placements and reaffirming its reputation for excellence in competitive speech and debate.
RCC’s Patricia Gibby and Julie Saadatmand emerged victorious, defeating four two-person teams from Dominican University after three intense rounds of debate. Gibby also claimed the prestigious Top Speaker Award, while teammate Kai Weiss secured fourth place in speaker rankings, tying with RCC’s Hassan Akua and Dominican University’s Shannon Kelly.
Adding to RCC’s strong performance, the debate team of Christine Williams and Noel Nyamewya contributed to the college’s impressive representation at the event. RCC alum Rivka Mandel, now a student at Columbia University Law School, returned to judge the competition, further strengthening the connection between past and present RCC debaters.
The tournament, part of the Impromptu Debate League, follows a rigorous three-round format in which teams debate various scenarios. Colleges and universities field multiple two-person teams, with awards presented for team victories and individual speaking performances.
“Patricia and Julie are new to college debate, and it was thrilling to see them win their first tournament,” said Professor Andrew Jacobs, Director of Forensics (Speech & Debate) at RCC. “Once again, RCC has a deep talent pool, and I’m eager to see what the rest of the season holds.”
The RCC debate team will next compete at Dominican University on March 23.