OCC Finishes Third in Debate Competition

Members of Orange Coast College’s speech and debate squad have talked their way to a third-place finish at the recent national championship in Chicago.

“Our real strength this year was in debate, and we proved that in the national tourney,” coach Norm Fricker said.

Though pleased with their performance, the team members said they were disappointed not to have wreaked revenge on the defending champions and hosts of this year’s meet, College of DuPage. DuPage took the national title from Orange Coast College in 1991, when the tournament was held in Costa Mesa.

But the Orange Coast squad is already looking like an early favorite for the 1997 championship.

“Half our team will be back next season, and that gives us a very solid nucleus on which to build,” Fricker said.