Wednesday, April 19, 2023 (Suffern, NY) – Rockland Community College’s (RCC) Speech & Debate Team has proven their depth of talent once again, as Perry Kornbluh was awarded the top speaker award at Dominican University’s tournament on Sunday, April 16. This marks the second top speaker award this season for RCC, following Maya Lauture’s win at RCC’s tournament two weeks prior.
Kornbluh, alongside debate partner Matt McCann of Bergen Community College, won two out of three matches to emerge victorious in the tournament. McCann also performed impressively, earning the second place speaker award. RCC’s team of Maya Lauture and 3lizabeth Taub secured third place at the tournament, a testament to the team’s overall strength in two-person teams.
Andrew Jacobs, coach of the RCC Speech & Debate Team, praised the team’s success, stating, “RCC demonstrated the depth of our debate roster. It was a good conclusion to the debate season.”
Beyond the impressive showing of current RCC students, the tournament also featured notable alumni in attendance. Two former RCC debaters, Rivka Mandel and Zamir Ben-Dan, both returned to judge at the event. Mandel, a transfer student at Columbia University, and Ben-Dan, a law professor at Temple University, represent the excellence of RCC’s program and its ability to prepare students for success in future academic and professional pursuits. The third alum in attendance, Zuzu Tadeushuk, a graduate of Wesleyan University, now serves as an adjunct instructor at RCC and is also a graduate of RCC’s Honors Program.
RCC’s Speech & Debate Team has consistently demonstrated their talent and ability to compete at the highest level. The team’s success at Dominican University’s tournament is a testament to the dedication of the students and coaches involved. As the debate season comes to a close, RCC can celebrate the impressive accomplishments of its students and look forward to continued success in the future.
For more information on RCC’s Speech & Debate Team and its success at Dominican University’s tournament, please contact Andrew Jacobs [email protected]. Team meetings are Mondays, 4:30-5:30 via Zoom and Thursdays from 12:30-1:15 pm in 2111. Interested students can sign up for team email.
