The “Intercollegiate Speech and Debate: Understanding the Events” was presented as part of the Humanities/ Social Science Lecture Series in Kreider Hall Thursday.

Speakers included members of the award winning speech and debate team which is also known as forensics. Glendale’s team is in its third year of competition and has received various awards in regional and national competitions. This is a nationwide academic activity with a focus on creating quality public speakers using both traditional presentation techniques and performance-based methods.

Head coach Josh Fleming said, “speech and debate is an outlet for performance and it makes you more informed person.”

Students involved in the program learn of various different current events, works of literature, and public speaking skills. All are areas which better prepare students later in life.

Forensics vice president Tiffany Brain performed “Ren True Things” by Miranda July, one of her oral interpretations of a prose (a performance of works of literature composed into one piece). Brain and her duo partner and president of forensics Robert Cannon won top community college for Glendale at AFA (American Forensics Association) this year with duo performance.

James Heller and Grant Toumasian performed an exhibition debate on why Batman is better than Superman. Toumasian shot down many of Heller’s arguments on Batman, humorously stating, “Batman as lots of mental problems.” The debaters had the audience members laughing with low blow after low blow with arguments of homosexuality and slavery being thrown around. Heller and Toumasian displayed the many areas of debate that can be learned in being part of the forensics team, as well as all the fun that is to be had.

“Debate is a way to communicate through analysis,” Fleming said.

For any information about Speech and Debate contact either:

Jean Perry, Director of Forensics at [email protected] or call 818-240-1000 ext.5504 or Josh Fleming, Head Coach at [email protected] or call 818-240-1000 ext. 3179