The San Jacinto College North Campus speech department will kick off the Bayou Swing Debate Tournament on Oct. 18 where debate students from near and far will spend the weekend arguing a wide range of topics until one team earns the title of tournament champion.

North Campus speech professor and debate team director Floyd McConnell said the tournament is an essential opportunity for San Jac students because they gain experience competing with “big universities” like Texas State University, University of Texas, and Rice University.

Meanwhile, McConnell said debate tournaments are lengthy events, because they require many rounds of argumentation until the team with most points wins. In separate rooms, each school debates another with the highest scorers advancing to the next round until the two schools with the most points face off in the final round. Topics range from academic subjects to worldwide events, but students are not privy to the subject matter until the debates begin.

McConnell said students interested in joining the debate team must register for the Argumentation and Debate Class, SPCH 2335, but scholarships are available through an audition process.

“I give anyone a try,” he said. “It requires hard work, but it is not hard to get in.”

Christina Carrico contributed to this report.