By Richard Bammer

Members of Vacaville High School’s Migrant Education English debate team, in some ways, have taken a page from “McFarland, USA,” the 2015 fact-based film about a cross-country team from a predominantly Latino high school in California’s Central Valley.

Guadalupe Arroyo, Bibiana Ortiz, Lydia Kim and Monserrat Huerta, all seniors, said it is more than just mastery of debating skills, among them critical thinking, articulate speech, research, that may lead to a repeat of their state champions title Saturday in Fresno, where they will compete at the sixth annual State Speech and Debate Tournament.

Other important, more abstract elements, such as a drive to succeed, confidence, self-esteem, and teamwork, they agreed, will figure into their outcome at the daylong event, sponsored by the California Migrant Education Program.

Source: Vaca High’s Migrant Education debate team seeks to repeat as state champs