The Joseph D. Mendoza Debate Society at Lee College
The Joseph D. Mendoza Debate Society at Lee College was re-founded in 2013, bringing intercollegiate forensics back to Lee College in Baytown, TX after a lengthy hiatus for intercollegiate debate at the College. Lee College President Dr. Dennis Brown and Academic Dean Dr. Jeff Thies were instrumental in helping provide guidance for Director of Forensics Joe Ganakos, as well as the resources needed to not only establish a debate program on the Baytown campus but to help make them competitive from their very first competition.
The 2013/2014 squad, led by Team Captains Zachary Martin and Cody Bijou, took to the podium for the first time at the 2013 Henderson State University "Caddo Classic Winter Warmup" in Arkadelphia, AR. With several awards at their first outing, the Lee College squad never looked back and quickly established a reputation for professionalism and competitive excellence amongst the colleges and universities of the International Public Debate Association. Capping off a record-setting season, the Lee College Debate Team traveled to the 2014 IPDA National Championships held on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN on April 10-13, 2014. There, Lee College not only won the 2013/2014 IPDA Season Community College Championship but brought home the 2014 IPDA National Championship Tournament Community College Championship. Graduating sophomore and Team Captain Zachary Martin was also named the 2013/2014 IPDA Novice Division Champion. All told, Lee College Debaters brought home over 50 awards and honors for the season and eleven team and individual honors from their first ever IPDA National Championship Tournament.
The 2014/2015 squad, led by Team Captains Cody Bijou and Reagan Dobbs, won more than 125 awards and honors over the course of the competition season and finished as the top-ranked program in Texas within a field that included Texas State, Texas Christian University, Stephen F. Austin and East Texas Baptist universities, among others. Again setting a new national record for season points by a community college, the Lee College Debate Team traveled to the 2015 IPDA National Championships held on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, ID on March 27-29, 2015. There, Lee College not only won the 2014/2015 IPDA Season Community College Championship but brought home the 2015 IPDA National Championship Tournament Community College Championship. Lee College was also named the 2014/2015 Team IPDA Squad Season National Champions,, with Team Captains Bijou and Dobbs taking home the 2014/2015 Team IPDA Season Championship. Freshman Kyle Diamond was named the 2014/2015 Season Varsity Debate Champion while Bijou was the 2015 Team IPDA National Championship Tournament Debate Speaking Champion. In April 2015, Lee College Debate Captains Bijou and Dobbs traveled to the Washington, DC area to compete in the prestigious James Madison Cup Debates & Public Forum, hosted by James Madison University. Lee College competed head-to-head against a variety of nationally recognized institutions including Yale University, Cornell, Rutgers, George Washington, as well as Texas programs SMU and the University of Houston, Not only was the Lee College team the first community college duo to advance to the Final Round, but they were the only first-year participant to win the Madison Cup. Based on their success in both the IPDA and the Madison Cup, the 84th Texas Legislature honored the Mendoza Debate Society at Lee College with the presentation of a House Resolution in May 2015.
The 2015/2016 squad, led by Team Captains Kyle Diamond and Rigo Ruiz, won more than 150 awards and honors over the course of the competition season and finished as the top-ranked IPDA program in Texas for the second consecutive year. Lee College hosted the 2016 IPDA National Championship Tournament on its campus in Baytown, TX where it won the 2015/2016 IPDA Season Community College Championship as well as the 2016 IPDA National Championship Tournament Community College Championship. Lee College was also named the 2015-2016 Team IPDA Squad Season National Champions, with Team Captains Kyle Diamond and Rigo Ruiz taking home the 2015/2016 Team IPDA Season Championship. Freshman Jerry McCauley was named the 2015/2016 IPDA Junior Varsity Debate Champion, the first time the division had been offered in competition. In April 2016, Lee College Debate Captains Diamond and Ruiz traveled to the Washington, DC area to compete in the prestigious James Madison Cup Debates & Public Forum, hosted by James Madison University. Lee College competed head-to-head against a variety of nationally recognized institutions including Stanford University, Cornell, Rutgers, the College of William & Mary, and others. Lee College advance to the Finals for the second consecutive year as they remained the only two-year school in the Madison Cup's two decades of competition to break through to Finals. Based on their success in both the IPDA and the Madison Cup, Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36) recognized the accomplishments of hte Mendoza Debate Society with a commendation in the Congressional Record.
The Mendoza Debate Society at Lee College is a proud member of the International Public Debate Association. Founded in 1997, the International Public Debate Association is one of the fastest growing interscholastic debate associations in the nation with competitive programs ranging from California to Florida, from Texas to Michigan. Our mission is to provide an opportunity for individuals to develop their advocacy skills in a forum that promotes appropriate and effective communication. For more information about the IPDA, please visit their website at www.ipdadebate.info.
The 2013/2014 squad, led by Team Captains Zachary Martin and Cody Bijou, took to the podium for the first time at the 2013 Henderson State University "Caddo Classic Winter Warmup" in Arkadelphia, AR. With several awards at their first outing, the Lee College squad never looked back and quickly established a reputation for professionalism and competitive excellence amongst the colleges and universities of the International Public Debate Association. Capping off a record-setting season, the Lee College Debate Team traveled to the 2014 IPDA National Championships held on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN on April 10-13, 2014. There, Lee College not only won the 2013/2014 IPDA Season Community College Championship but brought home the 2014 IPDA National Championship Tournament Community College Championship. Graduating sophomore and Team Captain Zachary Martin was also named the 2013/2014 IPDA Novice Division Champion. All told, Lee College Debaters brought home over 50 awards and honors for the season and eleven team and individual honors from their first ever IPDA National Championship Tournament.
The 2014/2015 squad, led by Team Captains Cody Bijou and Reagan Dobbs, won more than 125 awards and honors over the course of the competition season and finished as the top-ranked program in Texas within a field that included Texas State, Texas Christian University, Stephen F. Austin and East Texas Baptist universities, among others. Again setting a new national record for season points by a community college, the Lee College Debate Team traveled to the 2015 IPDA National Championships held on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, ID on March 27-29, 2015. There, Lee College not only won the 2014/2015 IPDA Season Community College Championship but brought home the 2015 IPDA National Championship Tournament Community College Championship. Lee College was also named the 2014/2015 Team IPDA Squad Season National Champions,, with Team Captains Bijou and Dobbs taking home the 2014/2015 Team IPDA Season Championship. Freshman Kyle Diamond was named the 2014/2015 Season Varsity Debate Champion while Bijou was the 2015 Team IPDA National Championship Tournament Debate Speaking Champion. In April 2015, Lee College Debate Captains Bijou and Dobbs traveled to the Washington, DC area to compete in the prestigious James Madison Cup Debates & Public Forum, hosted by James Madison University. Lee College competed head-to-head against a variety of nationally recognized institutions including Yale University, Cornell, Rutgers, George Washington, as well as Texas programs SMU and the University of Houston, Not only was the Lee College team the first community college duo to advance to the Final Round, but they were the only first-year participant to win the Madison Cup. Based on their success in both the IPDA and the Madison Cup, the 84th Texas Legislature honored the Mendoza Debate Society at Lee College with the presentation of a House Resolution in May 2015.
The 2015/2016 squad, led by Team Captains Kyle Diamond and Rigo Ruiz, won more than 150 awards and honors over the course of the competition season and finished as the top-ranked IPDA program in Texas for the second consecutive year. Lee College hosted the 2016 IPDA National Championship Tournament on its campus in Baytown, TX where it won the 2015/2016 IPDA Season Community College Championship as well as the 2016 IPDA National Championship Tournament Community College Championship. Lee College was also named the 2015-2016 Team IPDA Squad Season National Champions, with Team Captains Kyle Diamond and Rigo Ruiz taking home the 2015/2016 Team IPDA Season Championship. Freshman Jerry McCauley was named the 2015/2016 IPDA Junior Varsity Debate Champion, the first time the division had been offered in competition. In April 2016, Lee College Debate Captains Diamond and Ruiz traveled to the Washington, DC area to compete in the prestigious James Madison Cup Debates & Public Forum, hosted by James Madison University. Lee College competed head-to-head against a variety of nationally recognized institutions including Stanford University, Cornell, Rutgers, the College of William & Mary, and others. Lee College advance to the Finals for the second consecutive year as they remained the only two-year school in the Madison Cup's two decades of competition to break through to Finals. Based on their success in both the IPDA and the Madison Cup, Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36) recognized the accomplishments of hte Mendoza Debate Society with a commendation in the Congressional Record.
The Mendoza Debate Society at Lee College is a proud member of the International Public Debate Association. Founded in 1997, the International Public Debate Association is one of the fastest growing interscholastic debate associations in the nation with competitive programs ranging from California to Florida, from Texas to Michigan. Our mission is to provide an opportunity for individuals to develop their advocacy skills in a forum that promotes appropriate and effective communication. For more information about the IPDA, please visit their website at www.ipdadebate.info.