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Spring 2023 HPU Debate Society members, from left to right: Coach Kaikane Glorioso, Scarlett Baeza, Skyy Blue, Theo McLain, Adrian Stinardo, Jaedon Anthony, Amber Nelson .
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MA in Strategic Communication Event Planning course students, from left to right: Toni Difante, Kaikane Glorioso, Austin Stafford, Turner Jamieson.
On April 22 and 23, 2023, the Hawai'i Pacific University Debate Society hosted 16 teams from 10 universities at the 2023 Pan Pacific Debate Championship (PanPac), those universities being Hawai'i Pacific University, the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, the United States Air Force Academy, Regis University, the University of Alaska, Wheaton College, Northwest University, Concordia University Irvine, the University of California Berkeley, and Middlebury College.
This year, students from the University of Alaska placed first among all teams. The University of Alaska similarly won the "Top Speaker" award, while the University of California Berkeley won the "Top Novice Speaker" award.
The return of the Pan Pacific Debate Championship as an in-person event was officially recognized by the Office of City Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam and the Office of State Senator Stanley Chang. Mahalo to Councilmember Dos Santos-Tam and Senator Chang for this honorable and prestigious recognition. We look forward to future collaborations between the HPU Debate Society and Hawai'i's local government officials.
Regarding the return of PanPac, Professor of Communication John Hart, Ph.D., said, "It is good to see the tournament back. Kai did a great job. Looking forward to seeing even more teams here next year."
The HPU Debate Society extends a special mahalo to Hawai'i Pacific University's Department of Arts, Communications, Languages, and Media for the continued support not only during PanPac but throughout the entire 2022-2023 academic year, enabling the HPU Debate Society to host both the first in-person collegiate debate tournament in the State of Hawai'i since before the Covid-19 pandemic (The 2022 Hawai'i Pacific Autumn Invitational) as well as the first Pan Pacific Debate Championship since before the Covid-19 pandemic, inviting universities from around the country to once again return to HPU to compete. The HPU Debate Society also thanks the MASCOM Event Planning students, as these graduate students played a major role in the successful planning and execution of PanPac.
The HPU Debate Society works to empower students to be able to speak effectively and defend their own beliefs through rigorous practice and competition. The HPU Debate Society currently competes in the British Parliamentary Debate, a popular debate format used by a multitude of universities around the world.
For more information, please contact Kaikane Glorioso, HPU Debate Coach and MA in Strategic Communication student, at kglorioso1@my.hpu.edu.
