Blind debater delivers despite self doubt

Share: As Speech and Debate director Cindy Phu and head coaches Allan Axibal-Cordero and Jay Arntson were breaking down the syllabus, explaining events, and outlining upcoming tournaments on the first day of class, student Laura Davila listened nervously while already deciding when to drop. Her plan of escape was interrupted once introductory icebreakers started and she was required to introduce herself. Follow:

Small town girl with a huge voice

Share: A small town Louisiana girl can feel out of place within the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles’s many suburbs, like Pasadena. When Alicia Batice needs some time to settle, she’s unwinding in front of the Veteran’s Memorial Wall where the pine trees and the distant voices remind her of Franklinton, a small town she once called home. “Louisiana’s quieter, but California’s so busy,” the communications major said. “Everyone’s on the go. Nobody has time to just take it in. I’m like, ‘Everything’s so …

Lighting the competitive fuse

Share: Alexis Arredondo has a lot on her mind: six classes, daily speech and debate practices, an upcoming One-Acts play, a string of competitions this semester, and lines on top of lines that she recites in her head when she wakes up, showers, puts on her makeup, and even when she’s on break. But unlike most energy drink-fueled college students, Arredondo looks as though she’s had a full eight hours of sleep. If there’s one thing a performing arts academy has taught her in the …