Underestimated for being on a community college debate team, Robert Maxwell and Stirling McKenzie are now showing everybody just what a the duo can do.
The team has won many awards and gained huge attention for their performance in the California Double-Up Tournament last month.
“We joined the team the same year,” Maxwell, 21, said. “We became friends quickly. We are just so similar.”
Maxwell joined the team after taking a basic speech class, which is the same way McKenzie eventually joined the team.
“The wife of the debate coach told me I should join,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell said he wants to go to law school and become an attorney; so joining the debate team for him was an easy transition.
“Being on the team has helped me in everyday life. (It has really helped) improve my analytical and logical skills and just keeping me informed (with current events).”
McKenzie, 20, said Mark Crossman, now an assistant coach, told him to join after taking a speech class.
“It’s funny because he told me ‘You are going to be on the debate team,’ and that’s how I joined the team,” he said.
Debating since high school, it was easy for McKenzie to make the team.
“I got way into it. Debate has helped me in problem solving skills and public speaking. It has helped me in so many ways, I don’t even know,” McKenzie said.
The California Double-Up Tournament at Concordia University and Azusa Pacific, was where the duo got their nickname, “Team Charisma.”
Competing against big name colleges like USC and Pepperdine, the pair won a silver medal and a gold medal.
“Robert and Stirling were both the stars of the tournament,” Mark Urista, assistant coach, said.
Urista said that it was the best the entire debate team had ever done at the tournament, and that was largely due to the performance of both Maxwell and McKenzie.
After the tournament, both of them were getting several scholarship offers from big name universities.
Despite the success, neither one has bragged much about the attention or the awards.
“We have just stayed grounded by not get too ahead of ourselves,” Maxwell said.
“Not only do we go out there trying to win, but to also show that junior colleges can compete with universities,” McKenzie added.
Both McKenzie and Maxwell have said that their families and friends have been very supportive.
“Our family and friends come to watch us whenever they can,” McKenzie said.
“Some of the tournaments are pretty far away, so it’s great when they come.”
In addition to being underestimated because he is from community college, McKenzie said that he has also been underestimated because he is African-American.
“People are surprised (by my race) all the time,” he said. “But our whole team is diverse, not just by race but where we come from and our political backgrounds.We are probably the most diverse team when we are in tournaments”, Mckenzie said.
Both of them have been recognized for their debating skills in many ways, apart from winning awards.
“One of my favorite moments was making the Nationals team and being the No.1 seed last year in April,” Maxwell said. “Also last year in our second semester we went 6-0 in debates.”
The success for the duo looks to be only the beginning.
The team still has a few tournaments to get through before members are selected for the Nationals team, but the EC debate team will be surprised if “Team Charisma” is not a part of it.
Even with all the awards, scholarship offers and recognition, McKenzie and Maxwell’s favorite part of debate is being a part of a team.
“Being on the team, with all the people I have met, has definitely made it all worth it.”