St. John’s University students participated in debates against leading student debaters from Ireland during two matches held at the university’s Queens and Manhattan campuses on April 13 and 14.
The events were part of The Irish Times Debate Championship Tour, a national competition in Ireland that starts with about 300 competitors and ends with three winning speakers who then debate against US university students. The purpose of the tour is to help students test ideas, challenge assumptions, and learn how to reach audiences with different viewpoints.
Stephen M. Llano, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Rhetoric in the Department of Communication Studies, said, “The Irish Times Debate Tour is a vital reminder that the university does not exist just to fill our minds with facts. It exists to show us what to do with facts and information, how to use them to reach one another in eloquent moments to find agreement and disagreement, and build our shared future.”
During the debates, students discussed whether the United States should return to a policy of isolationism using a parliamentary-style format. Audience members voted before and after each debate; initial uncertainty gave way to divided opinions by the end. Most St. John’s participants had only taken Public Speaking or Global Debate courses as their prior experience. Llano said, “They have no other experience debating, nor have they done any intercollegiate debate… Two of them have participated in high school mooting contests or equivalent.” Despite this limited background compared with their Irish counterparts—two of whom are regulars on the debate circuit—the St. John’s team presented poised arguments.
Senior Arianna Santos described her motivation: “I enjoy pushing myself to do things that make me uncomfortable… I enjoy talking to people and debating is a more formal way of doing that, and playing devil’s advocate. It’s about pushing the boundaries of how people think.” She added that “debate forces you to entertain different opinions.” Nicole Varriale said: “I’ve always been good at articulating myself. My voice is my most powerful tool… I love advocating for others…to advocate for those who can’t get justice.” Yusuf Ozmen reflected on his participation: “I love familiarizing myself with the material and then using that knowledge to sway my audience…when Dr. Llano presented me with this opportunity, I thought why not go head-to-head with the best of Ireland?”
Irish debaters also commented on their experiences; Cian Carew joined his law school society for fun after secondary school debating: “I really enjoyed public speaking…and was really shocked to have won.” Roisin McCormack noted she became involved again through this competition after stopping when she entered college; Athena Wu remarked: “It makes me think more about what I believe because I’m always confronted with the other side…It has changed everything about me.” Llano concluded by saying debate helps loosen preconceptions: “Debate can dissolve or loosen [judgment] a bit…The quality of our students’ performance was so impressive.”
St. John’s University supports initiatives through its centers focused on multicultural efforts locally and globally; it features campuses in Queens and Manhattan as well as international sites in Rome, Paris, and Limerick; it operates as a Catholic Vincentian institution dedicated to liberal arts education offering over 100 undergraduate majors across six schools—all according to the official website. Rev. Brian J. Shanley serves as president.
