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Issue 8 • Friday, Feb. 23, 2018 • deltacollegian.net
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Delta to host speech state, debate championship in Sacramento By Mikael Honzell Senior Staff Writer
Delta College is hosting the State Championship Tournament for speech and debate March 8-11 in Sacramento at the Sacramento Marriott. The tournament is usually held in the Bay Area, but Professor Kathleen Bruce, communication studies, put in a bid to host it this year. “On even numbered years, it’s in Northern California, and on odd numbered years it’s in Southern California,” Bruce said. “But typically it’s a Bay Area school that hosts it, that’s typically who has hosted it in the past, and almost exclusively it’s been held in the Bay Area. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf gives a speech on African AmeriI just put in a bid for it. So we’ve never hosted can identity and his struggle coming up in a negative society. it, so typically it gives your school like a lot of Abdul-Rauf was suspended from NBA while sitting during acknowledgment and it does a lot for name recthe National Anthem in 1996. The suspension lead to him ognition, so that’s one of the incentives to host.” finding spiritual purpose and finding out where he belonged. The event would have been held at Delta ColToday, Abdul-Rauf is a motivational speaker who lets othlege, but the campus and it’s classrooms aren’t ers know not to give up in the face of adversity. big enough to hold an event as large as this one. “I don’t want to die with unfinished business,” said AbStockton’s hotels aren’t ideal either. dul-Rauf. “I probably could’ve asked University of the Mahmound Abdul-Rauf ’s speeches were one of the series Pacific because they have enough classrooms, but events going on at Delta in commemoration of Black History the bigger issue was actually a hotel,” Bruce said. Month. PHOTO BY ALICIA NORTON “There wasn’t a hotel large enough in the city of Stockton to house everyone that was needed. So you need about 400 hotel rooms and a ballroom that could fit about 400 people and there was no hotel that existed like that in the city.” There will be a total of 14 events at the tournament, three of which are debate oriented and the other eleven are speech oriented. By Catlan Nguyen There is also an event called the Reader’s TheEntertainment Editor atre, a theatrical presentation that’s put together by three or four people, according to Bruce. On Feb. 15, Delta College students Alexandra Chacon, “The easiest analogy I have for speech and deGuadalupe Mesa and Maira Sanchez held a student-orbate is that it’s like a track and field team, where ganized Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals rally to there’s a bunch of events,” said Bruce. “So you go raise awareness of what exactly DACA is. to a track and field event and it happens over the It also raised awareness about the upcoming date of course of a weekend and there’s like the long jump, the vote to keep or terminate the program. the shot put, there’s the 200, the 800, the sprint and DACA is a program that gives eligible immigrant the relays, speech and debate is very similar. youths who came to the United States when they were There are a total of fourteen events that are children administrative relief and protection from degoing to be happening at the tournament, so obportation and a work permit. viously a competitor specializes in like two or President Donald J. Trump announced last year he three events, they don’t specialize in all eleven or would phase out the DACA program on March 5. thirteen. But there will be students that comOn Feb. 15, the United States Senate blocked all four pete in each event.” immigration-related amendments, leaving the future of Bruce is currently the president of the CaliforDACA and immigration regulations up in the air. nia Community College Forensics Association The organizers of the event held the rally to uphold Delta College hosted a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivand this will be her last year as president. the American Dream. als (DACA) rally event to bring awareness to the upcoming “I’m also directing that tournament,” Bruce Chacon, along with other students, plan on holding DACA changes. PHOTO BY CATLAN NGUYEN. said. “It’s a two-year term and this is my last more events and rallies to bring to light other prominent year, so I’m going to be termed out after this.” issues. Judges are still needed for the tournament. “The discontinuation of DACA is tearing apart famThe rally started with Wendy Byrd, the interim AssoBruce is looking for judges that can meet certain ciated Students of Delta College director, encouraging ilies. It is ruining childhoods and it just baffles me that requirements. students to understand the dire importance of staying this is even something that is being voted against. This “So the requirements for judging, it’s one of two politically aware and to pay attention to the elected offi- country is suppose to be a country of equal opportunity things or both. Either someone has a bachelor’s and yet with our current political climate, it is destroying cials and their actions. degree, or somebody that has at least two year’s The event provided an open mic to anyone who want- families. Support DACA. Support your neighbors. Supexperience in forensics in speech and debate,” she port families,” said Potnaude. ed to state their opinion on DACA. said. “We are looking to hire judges right now. The crowd applauded every speaker. Many agreed Speakers included Bryan Barajas, Nayeli Ramos I am in the process of hiring judges right now, Camacho, Alisson Celva Salazar, Fernando Cardenas, with what they had to say. I’ll probably need an additional like six or seven “A lot of what he’s saying is true. People often don’t think Luis Chaves and James Potnaude. judges before the event starts.” The speakers either spoke of how they were DACA of the difference between the U.S. and Mexico but if you Students can attend and watch the tournarecipients or how they have seen those close to them be were actually there and experiencing it, you’d be shocked,” ment at the Sacramento Marriott. said Carlo Becerra in response to Cardena’s speech. affected by deportation.
Former NBA player brings motivation to campus
DACA rally hosted during College Hour
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