The Fresno State Barking Bulldogs debate team has risen to No. 11 in the national rankings and retained its district position at No. 1”” encouraging news for a group whose eyes are set on March’s National Debate Tournament.

In recent wins at the Cal Berkeley-Chico Invitational on Jan. 18-19, the Barking Bulldogs were led by Candis Tate and Sierra Holley. The duo earned two first-place finishes. Erica Barton and Carla Caffrey-Casiano also earned wins, their team defeating Pepperdine, Weber State and Sacramento State.

The Bulldogs are on the rise after debate director Deven Cooper restructured Fresno State’s program. Taking over last fall, Cooper introduced a “very structured and very organized” way of doing things — which led to some people quitting the team and others evidently work harder.

“In order to be successful, you’ve got to put in a lot of work, and a lot of people were not willing to do that,” Cooper said.

However, with the likes of Tate and Holley, success became a reality.

“Sierra and Candis have almost single-handedly helped us retain our position as No. 1 in Pacific District 1 and helped us gain No. 11 in the nationals rankings,” Cooper said.

With four tournaments scheduled this semester, the team’s ultimate goal is to see Tate and Holley reach the NDT along with the second team of Nadia Lewis and Jamila Ahmed. Lewis and Ahmed made college debate history at the Henry Clay Invitational Tournament last fall, becoming the first two African-American non-traditional speakers to ever win first and second, respectively.

However, botDebate team ranked No. 11 nationally

The Fresno State Barking Bulldogs debate team has risen to No. 11 in the national rankings and retained its district position at No. 1”” encouraging news for a group whose eyes are set on March’s National Debate Tournament.

In recent wins at the Cal Berkeley-Chico Invitational on Jan. 18-19, the Barking Bulldogs were led by Candis Tate and Sierra Holley. The duo earned two first-place finishes. Erica Barton and Carla Caffrey-Casiano also earned wins, their team defeating Pepperdine, Weber State and Sacramento State.

The Bulldogs are on the rise after debate director Deven Cooper restructured Fresno State’s program. Taking over last fall, Cooper introduced a “very structured and very organized” way of doing things — which led to some people quitting the team and others evidently work harder.

“In order to be successful, you’ve got to put in a lot of work, and a lot of people were not willing to do that,” Cooper said.

However, with the likes of Tate and Holley, success became a reality.

“Sierra and Candis have almost single-handedly helped us retain our position as No. 1 in Pacific District 1 and helped us gain No. 11 in the nationals rankings,” Cooper said.

With four tournaments scheduled this semester, the team’s ultimate goal is to see Tate and Holley reach the NDT along with the second team of Nadia Lewis and Jamila Ahmed. Lewis and Ahmed made college debate history at the Henry Clay Invitational Tournament last fall, becoming the first two African-American non-traditional speakers to ever win first and second, respectively.

However, both teams have experienced frustration over recent judging standards regarding non-traditional speakers — a style more dependent on personal experiences and creative poetry — following successful wins.

In recent tournaments, there has been backlash within the debate community over traditional judges being biased toward traditional speakers, a disadvantage for other styles.

“Sometimes there are judges who do not want to hear what they’re [non-traditional speakers] talking about,” Cooper said.

Tate, Holley, Lewis and Ahmed all follow this style and fear there are additional challenges when competing before certain judges.

“It’s always a concern, but it’s something that we kind of have to get over,” Tate said. “Some people are just going to have to judge you, so you have to learn to adapt.”

Yet, as Tate explained, adaptability and strategy are all part of the prepping process. In order to reach the NDT, Tate believes the right preparation is key.

“It’s about prepping the most and getting your mind right for that tournament so you can just go in and knock everyone out,” Tate said.

The team formally practices up to 9 hours a week together, but prepping is “a continuous thing,” Tate said.