Long Beach State Forensics Team Triumphs at Ground Hog Invitational

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach State‘s Beach Forensics team celebrated a significant victory at the Ground Hog Invitational Tournament, held February 1-2 at Grossmont College. This team, founded in 1953, showcases the passion for competitive speech and debate among its members.

Beach Forensics boasts a rich history of participation in various events, including persuasive speech, dramatic interpretation, and parliamentary debate. The club is open to all students, regardless of major or prior experience, promoting inclusivity in public discourse. According to the team’s representatives, there are no prerequisites for joining.

First-year communication studies major Guadalupe Guzman, who has over a decade of experience in speech and debate, emphasizes the importance of advocacy fostered by the club. “It really helped me advocate for things that I am really passionate about,” Guzman said. “Now at the university level, I advocate for myself and people like me who don’t have a voice.”

Guzman also shared the impact of her experiences on fellow participants. “In a competition last fall semester, I had some people come up to me and thank me for a speech I did, telling me that they were glad I shared my experience because they had gone through similar situations,” she said.

In recent competitions, Beach Forensics has amassed impressive accolades, including an international title won by member Cydney Izabal at the International Forensics Association in Dublin, Ireland, in March 2024. Additionally, debate partners Curtis Ortega and Daniel Medina secured victory at the Rutgers Brick City Round Robin competition in policy debate.

Ortega, a third-year Africana Studies major, expressed excitement over their championship win. “It feels amazing. My partner and I were extremely excited to travel to New Jersey to win the championship. This is our first year debating together,” he said. “The beginning of the year was a little rocky, but winning the championship shows that we have what it takes.”

The duo dedicates substantial time to preparation, honing their strategies for debate competitions. Ortega explained, “In Round Robin Tournaments, you typically know your competitors and the topics for debate, so you have to prepare extensively for each round.”

Beach Forensics prides itself on fostering a family-like atmosphere amongst its members, as highlighted by Guzman. “We understand each other and go through similar experiences,” she said. “The majority of the team are minorities, so we support one another.”

The Beach Forensics team meets every Tuesday and Thursday in PSYCH-202, encouraging students to join and express their passion for debate and public speaking.