Revenge came sweetly for the Forensics team this year.
For the past two years, the Forensics team has come in second place to South Orange County College in winning the National Parliamentary Debate Association Award, but took first place at the San Diego competition.
“To win the NPDA award was our goal all year long. We were second the last two years, so it’s great to actually get at one,” Francesca Bishop, Forensics adviser said.
With EC losing the previous two years to South Orange County College, tension mounted between colleges.
“It’s always a huge rivalry in competition with them and last year, they beat us. So you know we had to take revenge,” Mary Freitag, team member, said.
Freitag also won four medals: A gold medal in informative speaking, a silver medal in extemporaneous speaking, and two bronze medals in parliamentary debate and Lincoln-Douglas debate.
Along with Freitag, Jason Ellefson also won three medals and thanks the advisers for his and the team’s success in San Diego.
“El Camino is a very successful team; I personally think our team is ahead of most community colleges,” Ellefson said, who attributes the team’s success to its coaches and advisers.
“I think, honestly, we just have a really good coaching staff and it stems back to the coaches we have here, Dr. Mark Crossman, Francesca Bishop and Diana Crossman because of those three individuals,” he said.
Ellefson won a gold medal in team parliamentary debate with Corey Turpin, a gold medalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate and bronze medalist in programmed oral interpretation and extemporaneous speaking.
Other medalists include Daisy Kim, who won a silver medal in the Lincoln-Douglas debate and two bronzes in parliamentary debate and extemporaneous speaking.
Neil Miller and David Croom both took home a bronze in parliamentary and impromptu speaking; Catherine Lloyd took a silver medal in parliamentary debate along with Daniel Madden, and Laura Hampton and Jennifer Clarry who both took a bronze in the same debate.
“El Camino is consistently breaking at every single tournament throughout the years no matter what. We are number one,” Ellefson said.
