The top debater at St. Petersburg College will be decided next Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the final competition of the 2016 Great Debate. It will be held from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at the Seminole Campus Digitorium (UP-160), 9200 113^th St. N.

Ten finalists from the preliminary competition held at five SPC campuses the week of Oct. 10 will compete for over $2,400 worth of prizes, with the winner taking home a $500 gift card and an iPad mini. Given three-minute presentations and one-minute rebuttals each, they will debate the pros and cons of this statement: Suppression of Free Speech Has Gone Too Far, Especially on College Campuses. The positions they take will be assigned randomly just before the debate, so each student must be prepared to argue both sides of the statement.

About the Great Debate

The Great Debate is a competitive academic event that invites students at SPC’s five primary learning centers to engage in debate of topical issues outside the classroom. The debate allows the student debaters to develop their communication skills on stage, before an audience of peers and faculty, practicing the elements that make for effective public speaking.

The Great Debate, sponsored by SPC’s Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions and the Student Life and Leadership Council, promotes critical thinking, effective communication, independent research and teamwork. In the process, it also promotes civic engagement and builds esprit de corps.

For students who attend, it presents an opportunity to be inspired by debate, to gain knowledge about the policy issues assigned, and to evaluate both sides of an issue. And for the student body as a whole, competitive events among campuses enhance the college experience by fostering friendly rivalry and building student connections within the greater SPC community.

The Judges

Serving as judges of the finals will be Dr. Joe Leopold, Dean of Communications; Dr. Susan Demers, Dean of the College of Public Policy and Legal Studies, and Dr. Joseph Smiley, Dean of Social and Behavioral Science.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend the debate competition and cheer their campus’ champion debater to victory.

The Finalists

First- and second-place winners representing the five campuses are:

Clearwater: Ashana Patterson and Alexis Deveaux.

Downtown/Midtown: Michael Jones and William Trippett.

St. Petersburg Gibbs: Max Johnson and Jade Jackson.

Tarpon Springs: Christina Chatfield and Justin Ferrell.

Seminole: Aiden Sherman and Kristina Keller.

For photos and videos from the 2016 Great Debate Preliminary Competition Week, you may visit the event page.

By David Klement
Executive Director
Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions
St. Petersburg College