St. John's Debate Society Finishes Third In National Championship

April 30, 2012

The St. John’s University Debate Society reached their final debate placing third this past weekend at the United States Universities National Championship tournament held on the campus of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

The team of Nipun Mahajan and Kamya Chandra bested 156 other teams from all over the United States and Europe to participate in the final round to determine the 2012 National Champion in Worlds format debating. St. John’s defended the motion, “This house believes the coming U.S. cuts to defense spending will make the world a better place.” The Final Round consisted of teams from University College Dublin, Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Yale University.

University College Dublin won the final debate, but since they are not from an American institution, they could not qualify to become the U.S. champion. That title went to Hobart and William Smith Colleges, with Yale and St. John’s University as runners up.

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