Before the Forensics Debate Team approaches its season finale, it prepares for the championships for the third year in a row Directors said, Wednesday.

“EC has been ranked as the top community college in the country in debate out of 250 colleges,” Mark Crossman, director of the forensics team, said. “That includes every UC and State university in the country. EC has also been ranked as a top community college.”

There are three tournaments left in the season. One regional tournament at L.A. Valley College, then a state tournament and finally nationals.

There are continuous practice debates in preparation for the upcoming event.

At a competition, the team does not know which topics will be brought forth, but rather it is the style of debate which will be critiqued.

“It can be anything from the president’s recovery plan to whether or not octo-mom should be locked up in a loony bin, which is very difficult to argue against,” Crossman said.

The team then only gets 20 minutes to prepare its debate.

“All the tournaments have the same events in them,” Francesca Bishop, co-director of the forensics team, said.

Because the nationals consist of different regions, it is difficult in the way they have to perform because of the difference of people from different regions in the country. The students need to adapt to different styles. The team will handle the last local tournament “with an eye toward the national tournament,” Bishop said.

After the three tournaments and after the season ends the forensics team prepares once again by recruiting potential members for the next year.

“There is no room for slackers here”, Crossman said. “A potential team member is articulate, intelligent and well read. Most of the entire student is willing to dedicate time and effort to the team.”

Out of 360 in the class, only two are selected.

“It is in the selective recruitment where we gather a strong team. We are very picky in our selection,” Crossman said.

Now that the season is ending, the team shows support in the community when in recess.

The forensics team will host 200 high schools from all around the area at EC as an outreach. Students interested in the debate team ought to enroll in Speech Communication 4.

Also students interested in what the debate team is doing can get more information at EC’S Web site,” Crossman said.

“They locked the championship for the third year in a row and will finish strong,” Bishop said.

The forensics team begins its season in August, through winter intersession, and it ends in April.