Your Head Coach completed three years of high school debate, then became part of the National Championship program at his Alma Mater, the University of Kansas. Proudly, Coach was the winningest debater in Kansas history–a record that stood for seven years after my graduation just a wee bit more than a half century ago. With highly motivated UCSD students, I started building UCSD Speech & Debate in the Fall Quarter of 2018. I teach and coach speech and debate, because my reasonably successful 45-year business career was driven by my analytical, presentation, and persuasion skills acquired via KU Debate. My fun fact is fairly obvious: “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, KU basketball !!”
Julian Mackenzie - President, IPDA Coach
Hi my name is Julian. I’m a student at Muir College double majoring in Political Science (Public Law) and History (focus on Latin America). I’ve been competing in Speech & Debate for 8 years now across three different teams. I joined the Championship UCSD team in the Fall of 2022 and have competed in NPDA (Team Debate) and IPDA (Individual Debate) ever since. This year as the Team's President I plan to help prepare the team for tournaments and to oversee all operations. I’m also looking forward to Co-Coaching IPDA (Individual Debate). Outside of debate I enjoy comics books, traveling, movies and kayaking! Looking forward to meeting everyone!
Ignacio Evans - Teaching Assistant
Jared Hoffart - Assistant Coach
As a recent alum of the team, I am working at a law firm downtown and studying for the LSAT. Always happy to talk about law stuff and whatever else!
Lucas Howard-Ron - Assistant Coach
Sup y’all, I’m a recent graduate from UCSD and the team, currently working as a server at a restaurant back home. I’m currently researching online PhD programs and potential full-time jobs in the business world. Lemme know how I can help ya!
Emily Bianchi - VP Administration
Hello all, this is my second year at UCSD Speech and Debate and my third year in collegiate debate overall. I transferred from Mt. San Jacinto Community College with my Associates in Communications, Sociology, and Social Behavioral Science and I am now currently finishing my Bachelors in Sociology as a senior in Seventh College. My experiences in community college, MSJC debate, coming to UCSD and being welcomed on this team has sparked my many academic passions over the years. Education is power, it’s my purpose. Though, outside of my curriculum, debate teaches many valuable skills outside of the classroom that I will utilize for a lifetime. Like most, I do feel uncertain about the future. But, with the experience I’ve gained, I am certain that at times, ‘I may not know what I’m doing, but I know how to do it’. This sport refines the ability to problem solve quickly, articulate one’s thoughts confidently, and work with a team as if it’s second nature.
Hi everyone! I’m Odessa, and I'm a third year at Marshall studying Business Economics with double minors in Data Science and Finance. This is my third year doing speech and debate, and I currently compete in NPDA, IPDA, and Impromptu. Creating community and emphasizing the fun aspect of speech and debate is a big thing for me as a coach and as VP Admin, and I hope to continue to promote the sense of togetherness and competitiveness that makes you stay on the team the same way I have! Outside of practice, you can find me pickleballing (I’m always looking for more people to play with), keeping up with F1, gymming, or being involved with Kaibigang Pilipino, the Filipino org on campus! Super stoked to meet all of you, and if you have anything you’d like to talk about (debate or not debate-related), let’s chat!
Indira Iyer - VP Finance
Hi everyone, I’m Indira but I often go by Indy. I am a 4th-year Structural Engineering major with a focus in aerospace structures. I grew up in Michigan where I competed in oratory and duo on my highschools forensics team. I now compete in British Parliamentary. Outside of debate, I enjoy trying out new restaurants/cafes, surfing, and traveling. Looking forward to meeting everyone!
Dasha Okolysheva - VP Finance
Hey everyone! My name is Dasha and I’m a fourth year majoring in Real Estate Development and minoring in Finance. I am from Saint-Petersburg, Russia and I’ve lived in 4 countries throughout my life. I joined the team because of my passion for international politics and because I wanted to gain public speaking skills. Excited for my last unforgettable season!
Chaturika Bandara - VP Coaching
Hi my name is Chaturika and I’m a fourth year General Biology major in Sixth college. I started debate in high school and really enjoyed competing and meeting new people. I love to crochet and hike on my free time. At UCSD, I’m a part of AMSA, Crochet for Kids, and I volunteer at UCSD Health. I’m excited for the upcoming school year and to meet everyone!
Carter Castillo - VP Coaching, NPDA Coach
I am a senior in Muir college majoring in Political Science/Comparative Politics. I have been a competitor in forensics since high school, and I absolutely love competing and coaching. I participate in a wide variety of events including Parliamentary debate, IPDA, Extemporaneous speaking, and Original speech. I hope my wide breadth of competitive and coaching experience means I can assure everyone receives top quality mentoring and guidance through my position as Vice President of Coaching. Outside of Debate you can find me covering major campus events as the News Editor for the UCSD Guardian, the student run campus newspaper. In my free time I love to read, write, travel, hike, play video games, and jam out to alternative rock and emo music.
Zachary Reisner - VP Marketing
Hi everyone. My name is Zachary, but you can call me Zach. I am a third year Revelle student majoring in political science. My favorite form of debate is NPDA and IPDA. I am super excited to be your VP marketing this year. Feel free to reach out anytime!
Darief Maes - VP Technology
Hey all, I’m Darief! I’m a fourth year majoring in Business Economics with a minor in Data Science. I hail from a town called Zoetermeer in the Netherlands. During my time in high school, I used to do model UN, where you represent a nation within a UN committee. I joined UCSD Speech and Debate in my sophomore year to improve my public speaking, critical thinking, and rapid decision making. This year, I will be active as the VP of Technology, where I will be responsible for our social media and other technical aspects!
Sibi Sivaram - VP Tournaments, NPDA Coach
What’s up! I’m Sibi Sivaram, a sophomore in Eighth College doing a double major in Math and Physics. This will be my 6th year doing Speech and Debate, and my 2nd year on the UCSD Speech and Debate team. This year I’ll be managing everything regarding tournaments, so feel free to reach out to ask any questions you might have, or just to talk! When I’m not debating, I’m probably reading a book, geeking out about physics, or at the gym. Excited to get to know everyone next year!
Rafi Overton - The Gold Plastic Managing Editor, Original Speech Coach
Hello! My name is Rafi, and along with Kevin and Marina, I am one of your Original Speech Coaches! This being my fourth year in Original Speech, I love the event because it allows individuals to take any topic they are knowledgeable and/or opinionated in and tell the world about it. In addition to coaching, I am Managing Editor of our team’s weekly periodical, The Gold Plastic. I am a senior majoring in Economics with minors in Political Science and Cognitive Science. But I’ve taken classes in almost every major, so feel free to ask me about classes, academic planning, etc.! In my free time, I enjoy creative writing, trail runs, hiking, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and discovering food of all cuisines. I also work in a linguistics lab that studies speech perception/production. You can always reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns about Original Speech, speaking in general, college, mental health, or hobbies—or just to chat!
Marina Hu - Team Statistician, Original Speech Coach
Hey everyone! My name is Marina, and I'm a third-year student at Revelle majoring in Biology with a Specialization in Bioinformatics and minoring in Computer Science. I grew up in Chandler, Arizona and have been participating in speech since high school. I absolutely fell in love with the community this activity brings and have been a part of the UCSD team since my freshman year. Outside of speech and debate, I love going to Scripps to watch the sunset, playing the piano, going coffee shop hunting with my friends, or binging another anime or kdrama series. Feel free to reach out to me about anything, and I'm excited to meet everyone!
Khoa Le - Co-Statistician
Hey Future debaters, I’m Khoa, the Co-Statiscian for the Team. I am Senior at Sixth College majoring in Business Economics while minoring in Supply Chain. I play Badminton, do Speech and Debate, and sell stuffs online. I mainly competed in IPDA, Extempt, and Impromptu. See yall at practice:D
Karam Sodhi - Treasurer, Photographer
Hi everyone, I’m Karam and I’m a third year international economics student at Sixth College. I moved to San Diego from London. I joined the Speech and Debate team with no prior experience, it’s really not common outside the US. That being said, I love it and currently compete in IPDA, Extemp, and Impromptu. I really love to travel as well as anything aviation :)
Brianna Newton - Social Chair
Hi all, my name is Brianna but I go by Bri and I am a second year Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience student at Sixth College! I was drawn to Speech and Debate to hone in my talkative nature into structure and sophistication, even with no prior experience. Currently, I compete in impromptu, original, and IPDA. Outside of Speech and Debate, I’m active on the competitive scene of Splatoon 3, volunteer at the VA Medical Center, and assist with TBI rat research! Please reach out to me if you want to nerd out about video game history, theme park psychology, or the importance of orchestral soundtracks in media! :D
Cindy Chanay - LD Coach, NPDA Coach
Hello! My name is Cindy Chanay and I'm a third year in Revelle College majoring in Political Science: Comparative Politics with a minor in Environmental Studies. I'm happy and excited to be coaching NFA-LD this year and co-coaching NPDA! I've been debating since my freshman year in high school, primarily competing in the policy circuit. Now, I primarily compete in NPDA, NFA-LD, and Poetry (Interp). Some fun facts about me are that I've played guitar for seven years and love cooking. Don't ever hesitate to reach out for any reason.
Lillian Theis - IPDA Coach
Hi everyone, I'm Lillian and I’m excited to coach you all in IPDA. I only started speech and debate last year, but I'm super passionate about it and can't wait to share what I’ve learned with you. I'm a sophomore in ERC majoring in poli sci- public law on the pre-law track. Outside of speech and debate I'm a gymnastics coach and former competitive gymnast. I also listen to a lot of music, including alternative rock, shoegaze, emo, grunge, and psychedelic rap. Being on this team can be daunting at first, so pleaseeee don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m chill I swear.
Annika Dengel - Extemp Coach
Hi! My name is Annika, and I am a third-year majoring in Political Science: Comparative Politics with minors in Spanish Literature and Computational Social Science at Eleanor Roosevelt College. This is my third year on the team, primarily competing in Extemp and IPDA, but I’ve done speech events since my sophomore year of high school, where I did impromptu speaking and original oratory. This is also my second year as a coach for the team, which I’m so excited for! I genuinely feel like forensics has given me so much personal growth, and I love the team environment. Outside of practice, you can find me at the gym, bouldering, running, cooking, or practicing my Spanish and German. Feel free to reach out!
Srujam Dave - Extemp Coach
Hi Everyone! My name is Srujam Dave, a sophomore in Eighth College studying Computer Engineering. This is going to be my seventh year participating in Speech and Debate. I started out competing in Public Forum in middle and high school, and began competing in NPDA, IPDA, and Extemporaneous Speech once I arrived at UCSD. This year, I’ll be your coach for IPDA and Extemporaneous Speech. You’ll find me on campus doing work for engineering organizations like IEEE and ACM, at RIMAC, or going about my classes. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about debate, or if you want to talk about anything from gymming to Bollywood movies. I can’t wait to have a fun and successful year on the team!
Aracely Tobias - Interp Coach
Hello everyone. My name is Aracely Tobias and I’m a second year in Seventh College majoring in Anthropology with a Concentration in Climate Change and Human Solution. I joined Speech and Debate last year and have since been competing in Interp and Original. I was looking forward to furthering my public speaking skills and becoming a part of such a warm environment. Outside of Speech and Debate you might find me running, playing the tenor saxophone, and just trying new things in general. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone, feel free to reach out if anything comes up.
Keira Mcllvenna-Davis - Interp Coach
Hi all! My name is Keira McIlvenna-Davis and I am an ERC third year studying Sociology with a focus on Law & Society. I am planning to attend law school after undergrad, and am very excited to be one of your speech coaches this year! I joined Speech and Debate last year and mainly compete in Interp and IPDA. Being part of this team has allowed me to learn valuable skills to take me through my future career and life, and I am looking forward to working with everyone. I will always be available via text or email, and can’t wait for an amazing year!
Paulina Andreani - Impromptu Coach
Hola! My name is Pau Andreani, and I’m a fourth-year transfer student at ERC majoring in Political Science: International Affairs. I have been doing some kind of speech/debate activity since 7th grade in Mexico but competed in forensics for the first time last year. For me, it’s all about having fun and creativity, and I can’t wait to teach you alongside my amazing co-coaches. If I am not yapping with the team, you can find me taking grad classes, reading, learning another language, volunteering, or listening to Taylor Swift. Feel free to reach out for any reason!
Kevin Colorado - Original Speech Coach
Hey! My name is Kevin Colorado, and I am a third year Political Science: Public Law major at Muir. I'm currently in my second year of Speech & Debate spending most of my first year on the team with the amazing people in Original speech and am very excited to take a mentorship role with the greatest co coaches one could ask for! In my free time I'm always finding new albums to listen to and I apply my deep appreciation for music into arrangements that I make in Ableton (inspired by vaporwave, cloud rap, shoegaze, plunderphonics, etc.). This year I am also running our campus’ radio station, KSDT, as the station’s new general manager. You will also probably find me doom scrolling on tiktok or playing video games. Don't hesitate to get in contact with me, especially if you want to talk about underground music or Honkai Star Rail. what i DO 💜.
