It has been a standout semester for Grossmont’s Speech and Debate team, with students placing as semi-finalists in an international competition in Athens, Greece, and earning gold at a national tournament in Bethesda, Maryland.
On May 26, the team will host a showcase featuring award-winning performances from national and international competitions open to Grossmont students. The event will take place in the 26-220 from 7 to 9:30 p.m.
Various curated debate pieces, speeches and impromptu performances that have earned the team recognition during the highest levels of competition this semester will be presented at the event.
For the first time in 16 years, the team won both a Silver Sweepstakes Award for Debate and a Bronze Sweepstakes Award for Overall Competition based on the team’s collective success across events.
“Every day, I get to watch students find their voice, and this year, the forensics team made Grossmont incredibly proud,” Speech and Debate Coach Andrew Jassick said in an email.”They didn’t just improve; they leveled up and raised the bar.”
The event is a chance for the campus to get a glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes for the team.
“This showcase isn’t just a performance. It’s the result of months of growth and the belief in the seemingly impossible,” Jassick said. “So, when you attend on May 26, please believe that you’re not just seeing speeches and debates. You’re seeing confidence built, skills sharpened, and students becoming something that this school and the world truly need.”
For the team members, this event is an opportunity to demonstrate the personal transformation that has resulted from their participation at Grossmont.
Sophia Lepari is a third-year Pre-Nursing major at Grossmont College and will be graduating this semester with the class of 2026. Lepari returned to the team after a one-year absence following her first year.
“I’m glad I did this before nursing school because now I realize, ‘Huh, maybe I can do something as hard as nursing school,” Lepari said. “It’s possible, and I didn’t think I was able to do that, like I didn’t have the confidence, and I think I do now.”
Most recently, Lepari won gold in IPDA Debate and Bronze in Parliamentary Debate at the National Phi Rho Pi tournament in Bethesda, Maryland. Lepari was also a Semi-Finalist for IPDA Debate and Persuasive Speaking at the International Forensics Association Speech and Debate tournament held in Athens, Greece.
During her time in Greece, she received a seventh-place Speaker Award out of 63 competitors.
William Schares, a third-year computer science major at Grossmont, has been on the team for two years. He also said the showcase will be an opportunity to show students and staff the range of skills required for speech and debate.
Schares said, “It teaches you to develop your voice, how to listen to other people’s voices, and ultimately the ability to take the ideas you have and share them with the world.”
He added that speech and debate is an important activity because it provides a platform for a diverse community of speakers: “The thing to see is that people’s voices are very different. Voices of all kinds are important to give a space for, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from.”
According to Schares, there are many misconceptions about speech and debate.
“There’s this expectation in speech and debate where people are sort of giving these really long wordy speeches,” he said. “It’s not quite as academic as people might think it is.”
One way for students to know for sure, Schares said, is by coming to the showcase.
“The clearest sign I think you might have of whether or not you’d be interested in this sort of thing is actually seeing the events that we’re working on,” he said.
This season of success for the Speech and Debate team is a testament to the hard work and dedication of both the students and coaches involved at every step in helping them succeed.
Many current award-winning students said they started just as curious audience members, not realizing what potential they had. Speech and debate provides an opportunity not only to develop skills as a speaker but to grow as a person, experience one-on-one training, develop life-long friendships and even travel the world.
“From San Diego to LA, and Greece to Washington DC, the Grossmont Speech and Debate team has represented with pride every step of the way,” Jassick said. “I cannot possibly begin to describe how proud I am of all of them. Go Griffins!”
Students interested in joining the team can start by registering for COMM 238: Speech and Debate Competition I in the fall. For any additional information, reach out to the Speech and Debate Coaches: Jassick, Roxanne Tuscany and Michael McHan.
