Rockland Community College Debate Team Ties for First Place

On February 25th, debaters from RCC, Dominican University, and Marist College competed in three rounds of debate at Dominican University. The event featured eight pairs or “teams” of debaters representing the three schools that competed. Two RCC teams and two Dominican teams each won two of their three rounds, tying for first place.

The tie was broken based on speaker points and Dominican took home first and second place. RCC’s team of Draisy Jakubowicz and Liba Snyder took home third place and RCC’s team of Daniel Ventura Zeas and Gabriella Siegel took home third place.

“It was a very close tournament,” said RCC’s debate coach Andrew Jacobs. “We are proud to hold our own with four-year colleges like Dominican University and Marist. It is a testament to the hard work and skill of our debaters.”

Two RCC alumni judged at the event: Rivka Mandel, an RCC Honors Program alum, and recent graduate of Columbia University, and Zamir Ben-Dan, a law professor at Temple University. RCC debater Evelin Ruballos observed.

The next debate tournament will be held at RCC on April 14. For more information about the RCC Speech & Debate Team or the Impromptu Debate League, contact Prof. Andrew Jacobs: Andrew.Jacobs@sunyrockland.edu

About Rockland Community College, State University of New York
Rockland Community College (RCC), located in Suffern New York, provides purpose driven educational opportunities in a supportive, affordable, and accessible environment, empowering individuals to positively transform themselves and their communities. RCC welcomes students from diverse backgrounds who appreciate small class sizes and personal attention from a distinguished, award-winning faculty that includes Fulbright scholars and SUNY Distinguished Professors. Many graduates go on to top universities to further their education on their own or through RCC’s institutional collaborations. RCC fosters an environment that attracts, recruits, supports, and retains faculty, staff, and students who value diversity. The College promotes a collegial and inclusive environment by recognizing, promoting, embracing, respecting, and celebrating the expansive range and dimensions of cultures, attitudes, ideas, and viewpoints contained within our campus community.

RCC is also proud to provide career training and professional development to adult learners looking to change careers or upgrade their skills through a variety of programs and educational opportunities including workforce training, certifications, and micro credentials. Many of the programs are developed with employers in the community in high demand industry areas to enable graduates to move into a new career upon graduation. More information can be found at www.sunyrockland.edu.