Welcome to our team!
The Hellenic American University Debate Team offers students the chance to hone their critical thinking, teamwork, and public speaking skills. Through closely coached weekly practice sessions and competitive debates with teams from other schools in Greece and the US, members improve their ability to craft sound and persuasive arguments and deliver them with confidence and clarity. The team serves as well a broader mission to help foster open dialogue and reasoned debate within the broader university community.
Current team
This year’s team, who are also all founding members, is made up of Or Ayash (BSPSY ’26), Jonathan Cacatian (BSI ’24), Androniki Fili (BAELL ’25), and Andriana Gounalaki (BSPSY ’24). They are co-coached by provost Dr. Kaniklidou and Stephen Bacigal, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment and adjunct faculty member.
Training and practices
The team meets, usually on-site, once a week throughout the academic year. During these practice rounds, team members receive training in argumentation, critical thinking, and research skills. They also prepare, deliver, and defend positions in peer-to-peer practice debates on a range of ethical issues, current events, and interdisciplinary topics. Team members also read and discuss a set of fundamental texts that provide an understanding of the main philosophical frameworks used in debates, such as utilitarianism and social contract theory.
The Great Debate at Rollings College, Florida (November 2023)
This November, the Debate Team traveled to the campus of Rollins College in Silver Lake, Florida to compete in the “Great Debate Forum”. This annual event is an international cultural and debate exchange that Dr. Eric Smaw, founder and coach of the Rollings Varsity Debate Team, created when he saw the potential impact that his team at Rollins could have beyond the college. Learn more...
How to join
Participating in the Debate Team is a great way to improve your research, critical thinking, and public speaking skills and the same time be part of a friendly, supportive group of students who share an enthusiasm for discussing important ideas.
If you are interested in joining the team or just want to find out more about what the team is all about, contact us at