After clinching a victory last month at Binghamton University’s annual debate tournament, the Phyllis Schatz Invitational, the BU Debate Team was honored by State Sen. Lea Webb for winning a national championship earlier this year.

Webb and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, Binghamton’s representatives in Albany, passed a joint legislative resolution during the 2023-24 session honoring the members of last year’s team for winning the Cross-Examination Debate Association’s National Tournament Championship back in March. The national win was the first for a SUNY and a second for a New York team.

Akif Choudhury — one of the debaters whose performance led the team to victory and a senior majoring in economics — accepted the award while his teammate, Eli Louis, a senior majoring in Africana studies, competed in a tournament in Kentucky. The resolution honors the team’s March performance that led to a 5-2 victory over Wake Forest University in the final round.

“The success of the Binghamton University Debate Team is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and the power of intellectual engagement,” Webb said. “Eli and Akif’s victory at the CEDA National Tournament has brought immense pride not only to their university but to our entire state. They serve as an inspiration to all young people pursuing academic excellence and leadership through debate. I am proud to partner with Assemblywoman Lupardo to recognize their outstanding contributions.”

The team also brought home wins at their recent tournament. Irene Cui, a sophomore majoring in business administration, and Liam Nyberg, a sophomore majoring in philosophy, took home first place for open debate at the BU-hosted competition.

Nina Patel, a sophomore majoring in English and a member of the novice debate team that won the Phyllis Schatz Invitational, shared her experience preparing for and competing in the tournament. Patel and her partner Sofia Loyer, a sophomore majoring in computer science, won their first contest of the BU tournament against a team that previously beat them at a George Mason tournament. The pair continued debating over the weekend, eventually making the final round.

“We had two debates on Friday night and three on Saturday,” Patel wrote about the Phyllis Schatz Invitational. ”Sofia and I managed to go 4-1 in the preliminary rounds, so we got a bye for double octofinals. On Sunday morning, we got lucky with another bye since we would have been up against another Binghamton team. Our first debate on Sunday was against the team from West Point that had won the George Mason tournament. We were very nervous but we ended up winning, which was definitely one of the highlights of the tournament.”

The pair went 7-1 over the entire weekend, with Patel describing the last tournament as “probably the best and most fun we’ve ever had.” They both received speaker awards in the novice division.

“Teamwork is one of the most important things in debate,” Patel wrote in an email. “Being able to communicate with your partner is huge both in and out of round. But it’s not just about the partnership; the entire team was a huge part of our win. As a novice, it was amazing to have other more experienced members of the team to talk strategy with, or even just to chat with. Everyone on the team is so amazing and inviting, and all were willing to help even when they were no longer competing.”

Joe Schatz, the director of speech and debate, said it was exciting to have BU students ranking first among the 72 students in the novice division while praising the team in Kentucky for going 5-1 and qualifying for the quarterfinals. He added that this was the first time his team had advanced to elimination rounds at the two national tournament openers.

The recognition from the State Legislature, he said, added significant weight to the team’s accomplishments.

“It was incredible to receive recognition at such a high level from the government for winning nationals last year,” Schatz wrote in an email. “It really sends a statewide signal that Binghamton University is truly an academically exceptional institution with its debate team as a flagship program symbolizing that success. Since winning nationals last year, we’ve seen a huge interest in students wanting to join the debate team. Being recognized by the New York State Legislature will certainly increase the interest in high school students who will be interested in applying to Binghamton to join our debate program more than there already is.”

The team continues to engage with the local community, hosting weekly workshops with the Binghamton City School District along with the National Prison Debate League. The third-annual Common Read Public Debates, aimed at helping students learn how to participate in dialogue and disagreement, will be held on Oct. 30 in Old Union Hall.