Gallaudet debate team wraps up triumphant 2023-2024 season in Paris

Gallaudet debaters Aubrie Bauer and Lorelei Becktel competed at the Transatlantic Dialogues finals held at Ecole de Guerre in Paris, France in June. Becktel earned second place overall speaker at the event, which featured teams from George Washington University, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Patrick Henry College, Pepperdine University, and several other schools.

The accolade marked the end of the Gallaudet debate team’s historic 2023-2024 season. This spring, Bauer and Becktel won Gallaudet’s first-ever tournament championship at the Transatlantic Dialogues in Washington, D.C. Just one week later, teammates Jonathan Summers and Trent Mora won the Sierra Sustainability Summit at Yosemite National Park.

Although they were not able to pull off a “three-peat” at the Ecole de Guerre event, which focused on military recruiting strategies, it felt like another victory for the team. “I never imagined I would have the opportunity to travel and debate in Paris as a Gallaudet student,” Bauer says. “I got to observe championship debaters in action, learning how they organize and frame arguments. I got to learn more about military issues facing Western liberal democracies and their possible solutions. Visiting the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, dressing up for a very French gala, and learning from my coach, mentor, and teammate made this opportunity unforgettable.”

Becktel appreciated the effort organizers made to include the Gallaudet team. “They led all of the participating debaters on a walking tour the Friday before the tournament, and they made a point to stop at the Paris school for the Deaf,” says Becktel, who enjoyed the collaborative nature of the tournament. 

Head coach Brendan Stern says that Gallaudet’s participation in this level of competition demonstrates the University’s commitment to student excellence. “Lorelei Becktel and Aubrie Bauer were empowered to work with a senior French military mentor on key issues facing Western liberal democracy militaries and compete against some of the finest university debaters in the country throughout the spring and summer semesters,” he notes.

Becktel and Bauer’s achievements in France and at their debate championship demonstrate why Gallaudet’s debate program is so important. “They have opened eyes about what Gallaudet students can achieve with equal opportunity and access. I want to congratulate Lorelei Becktel and Aubrie Bauer on their extraordinary success and thank President Roberta Cordano, Provost Khadijat Rashid, and Dean Caroline Solomon for making this unforgettable experience possible,” Stern adds.