Debate Club Wins 14 Awards At State Competition

March 24, 2015

Photo of debate club — PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAM MURPHY

The Miami Dade College Debate Society Club won 14 awards at the 2015 Florida College System Activities Association State tournament in Jacksonville in February.

“Miami Dade College is the underdog, we are not known for the debate program,” said Club President Virgilio Capote. “We are like the bad news bears when it comes to debate clubs, so it feels good to achieve this as a team.”

During the five day tournament, the teams were asked to debate on specific real world topics. The team was awarded a first place debate sweepstakes state champion and fourth place overall sweepstakes.

They competed against Northwest Florida State College, Polk State College, Broward College, Tallahassee Community College and Florida Gateway College.

Speech and Communications professor, William Murphy, serves as the team’s coach.

Hector Gonzalez

Hector Gonzalez, 33, is returning to Miami Dade College where he will be pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Film at the North Campus. He will serve as a photographer and staff writer for the paper this year. Gonzalez obtained his Associate Degree in Mass Communications during the 2011-2012 school year while serving as Sports Editor for The Reporter. He earned the Best Sports Story award from the Florida College System Activities Association in 2011. He has also worked as freelance sports writer for the South Florida Sun Sentinel and the Miami Herald.