COM Kudos: UTSA Debate Team: ‘Archiving a Legacy of Champions’
by Red Madden, M.F.A.
One knows they are among champions and witnessing a legacy, like when I saw the UTSA Debate Team Coaches, Philip DiPiazza and Ashley Denney, hauling wagons of trophies down to the ground-level storage room, a few weeks ago. They must do this in order to make room for the new awards & accolades the team achieved in 2016, and certainly there are more to come in the upcoming year!
Since I began teaching in the Dept. of Communication in Fall 2013, and was given the key to my office on the second floor of Main, I’ve shared a special audible connection to the UTSA Debate Team—because there is only a thin wall between us.
On a weekly basis, I’ve heard practice runs, I’ve heard new births of children to esteemed coaches, music & film debates among passionate youth, and last year, Coach Eno even granted me permission to share one of his most talented Debate seniors, Jesse Nation, so he could join my inaugural NSAC Team. He competed with 14 others at the District-10 AAF Con., last year. No doubt, I’m a HUGE fan of Debate Team at UTSA—these students and coaches are the most brilliant I’ve HEARD and experienced as community neighbors in our department.
The UTSA DEBATE TEAM is a sight (and sound) to behold, and a true legacy at UTSA. Although we are privileged to be their “host department,” here in Communication, they are a university-wide competitive team and a unique entity unto themselves, but this team is open to all majors to join.
So, I challenge the most intelligent, ambitious, strong-willed and exceptionally-minded to inquire in COM. Do you have what it takes to dare & debate? If so,
Join the UTSA DEBATE TEAM!