University of La Verne Debate Team Wins California Cup

Members of the University of La Verne’s debate team won the 2016 California Cup, a three-day tournament that drew teams from across the country.

Senior biology majors Kandin Maraquin and Tanner Long garnered enough points during the Nov. 18-20 competition to emerge victorious over about 65 other teams representing more than 14 universities.

“I am extremely proud of this team and for winning such a prestigious tournament,” said Robert Ruiz, director of forensics.

Senior philosophy major Meaghan McHenry and Matthew Schaupp, a senior political science and speech communication major, also performed well, making it to the final rounds on Day 3 of the event. The university sent four teams and four judges to the competition.

Students from colleges including Pepperdine University, University of California at Berkeley, and New York University competed in British Parliamentary-style debate at University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, and Claremont McKenna College.

Each team competed in four preliminary rounds, with only four advancing to the championship rounds each day. Maraquin and Long made it to the championships all three days, placing first on Day 2 of the competition, and second the other two days. Their cumulative points earned the team the California Cup.

La Verne debaters are known for having a successful track record, being top ranked in the world championships in 2000 and 2001, and the only American team to advance to the elimination rounds in 2003. The team also won the National Open in 2006, and the U.S. Universities National Debate Championships in 2007. Ruiz has shared in that success. He was team captain for two years as a student and now leads the team as an instructor.

The team was named the overall winner of the inaugural Politicon roundtable debate in October 2015.

The next stop for the debate team is the World Universities Debating Championship in the Netherlands in December.