![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/absolutely-appalled-1024x681.jpg\")
Photo by Dominic Feo | The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\nGrace Tabor (pictured left), president of USFSP\u2019s Turning Point USA chapter, wasn\u2019t just the co-host of the event \u2014 she also stood at the podium and joined the conversation as a debater. <\/p>\n
Photo by Dominic Feo | The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n
By Jasmin Parrado<\/p>\n
Rosaries clutched in raised hands, slogans strung on baseball caps and T-shirts, a choir of heckling and tongues ready to cite scripture and Constitutional amendments across two podiums.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Political discourse materialized at the Left vs. Right: Ultimate Student Debate, held on Nov. 3 at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg\u2019s University Student Center Ballrooms.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The event was a joint effort between the campus\u2019s College Democrats and chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) to facilitate candid discussions in review of today\u2019s political climate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI realized that one way we could get students involved in politics on campus is by hosting debates like this in an open forum, that way students can be able to speak their minds,\u201d College Democrats president Tyler Williams told The Crow\u2019s Nest.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The event received an unanticipated turnout of 140 attendees, exceeding its initial 100-seat cap for the night. The complementary pizza and soda provisions ran dry and the organizations had to hastily increase the event\u2019s seating capacity by expanding the ballroom unit.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Williams believes the overwhelming reception was a sign of students\u2019 desires to address politics on behalf of both parties \u2014 and the debate gave them the space to do it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think today we saw that,\u201d Williams said after the event. \u201cProof beyond imagination for me. It just made me so happy to see this many interested people from left and right.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The stage was divided into two sides: agree or disagree. With a podium representing each opinion, participants responded to prepared prompts by approaching either podium. Each student was allowed 45 seconds to speak and 15 seconds to rebut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A total of eight selected topics were introduced. In order, these topics included the state of the economy, abortion, mass deportations, gun reform, the United States\u2019 involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict, climate change, national guard deployment, vaccine mandates and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Photo by Dominic Feo | The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n
Each topic was allowed 10 minutes total for discussion.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nicole Lobato, a junior double-majoring in economics and political science, moderated the event. As president of USF St. Petersburg\u2019s Ethics and Debate club, she felt it made sense that she was asked to take on the task.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very interesting,\u201d Lobato told The Crow\u2019s Nest. \u201cI feel like there was some discourse that was more logically prepared. Some was purely based on logic, and others had a lot of passion involved \u2014 and some had both.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The substantial differences in the line queues represented the campus\u2019s political standing, which is perceived to skew left with more students aligning with traditionally left-leaning beliefs. \u00a0<\/p>\n
One debater, Nickolas Peter Correia Soussa Perisse, a freshman in health sciences and TPUSA\u2019s events coordinator, was a prevalent speaker on all topics during the event. He expressed that he was disappointed by the heckling that he received for most of his statements during the debate, but he wasn\u2019t surprised \u2014 and he was pleased to be a part of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew that was going to happen,\u201d Perisse said. \u201cI knew I was going behind enemy lines. This is a very liberal campus. But again, I don\u2019t care what your political affiliation is. I love to have civil dialogues with everybody, with every single person. And honestly, this is why I\u2019m staying here right now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though some students pointed out that they felt the event did not give sufficient time for debaters to fully present their arguments, all expressed that they were pleased with the event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Liv Doura, an environmental science and policy major who also spoke frequently during the debate, said she enjoyed the chance to speak on issues she feels are important. If the event were happening every week, she\u2019d be there, she said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI genuinely love having spaces for this and allowing students to speak their mind and share their ideas with one another,\u201d Doura told The Crow\u2019s Nest. \u201cI feel like that is the only way that we can build community and actually get to know one another and stay connected.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Doura also noted, alongside other debaters, that she was able to reflect on certain policies, such as the U.S. embargo on Cuba, during conversations with opponents after the event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the event\u2019s co-host, Williams enjoyed getting to watch debaters engage in conversation and what pleased him was how certain students ventured between sides on various policies, showing a capacity to interpret topics without solely relying on partisanship.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Williams also observed that students found more nuance and middle ground in their stances on certain issues such as the Israel-Palestine conflict, which was interesting to note, he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Grace Tabor, the vice president of USF St. Petersburg\u2019s TPUSA chapter, told The Crow\u2019s Nest that she enjoyed the opportunity to help coordinate the event and partake in it. She expressed that it was also beneficial to give space to those who felt ostracized based on their beliefs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more that each political side doesn\u2019t talk, the more polarizing things get, and I think we all need to learn how to talk to each other and be able to do that with respect and grace,\u201d Tabor told The Crow\u2019s Nest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clemence Sawadogo, a junior majoring in health sciences, shared a similar sentiment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like enforcing the importance of ethical behavior and respect to one another is very important,\u201d Sawadogo said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s very interesting to talk about those issues. They can be talked about in a way that\u2019s entertaining, and it\u2019s not harming other people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sawadogo feels that partisanship has exploited and divided groups on matters that actively affect their communities and politicians must understand the responsibilities they are held to. So, this event was a great opportunity to bring those responsibilities to light, she believes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that for people in office, there needs to be a reset, to remember why you\u2019re in this game in the first place,\u201d Sawadogo said. \u201cIt\u2019s not to say you have the most powerful voice in the world. It\u2019s to give a voice to the voiceless.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/nick-and-his-rosary-1024x819.jpg\")
Nickolas Peter Correia Sousa Perisse, a freshman in health sciences, held a rosary before the audience in a display of support for the six-week abortion ban when it was discussed during the debate.
Photo by Dominic Feo\u00a0| The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n
Here is what USF St. Petersburg students thought about the nation\u2019s most contentious political questions. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The economy\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the issue of America\u2019s economic status, there were disagreements on the state of affordable housing, gas prices and opportunities for financial growth under President Donald Trump\u2019s administration. The majority of debaters disagreed with the statement that the economy is in a good state.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Those who disagreed affirmed that limited access to resources has impeded on basic human rights and that American capitalism systemically marginalizes groups.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, those in agreement with the country\u2019s current economy asserted that capitalism is an optimal route for citizens to thrive in their respective financial pursuits. Additionally, debaters like Perisse distinguished that the economy is not in its ideal state right now but is improving under Trump\u2019s administration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we argue about if the economy is improving from the standpoint that the American people are paying less for what they\u2019re getting, they\u2019re earning more for what they\u2019re working for, but most importantly, they\u2019re able to afford housing, then it is, absolutely,\u201d Perisse said during the debate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The issue sparked audience reactions mostly in criticisms of politicians on both sides, from Trump\u2019s personal investment in the White House\u2019s ballroom project<\/a> during the ongoing federal government shutdown to Democratic politicians\u2019 agendas, such as those of Zohran Mamdani<\/a>, New York City\u2019s mayor-elect and state representative.\u00a0<\/p>\n The six-week abortion ban\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n On the issue of abortion, religion was heavily cited as a moral premise for those in support of the ban \u2014 and the consensus that life begins at conception. Those opposing the ban argued that even in the context of life, women\u2019s rights to bodily autonomy prevail over religious beliefs or legal oversight.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gabriele Concepcion, a junior double-majoring in political science and criminology who argued against the abortion ban, also referenced studies that challenged the notion of the six-week heartbeat detection in ultrasounds. She said the topic got her to talk, despite her attending just to watch.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI did my [honors] thesis paper last year about abortion legislation and what is appropriate legislation that\u2019s most humanitarian and utilitarian for the American people,\u201d Concepcion said. \u201cSo, obviously, hearing a question talking about the six-week abortion ban and how they mentioned fetal heartbeat, that was a big thing for me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Debaters on both sides also expressed that there is a need for access to resources and sex education to aid in fundamentally avoiding the scenario altogether.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Mass deportations\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Debaters then turned to the issue of mass deportations of immigrants under policies instated by Trump\u2019s administration.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Debaters agreeing with those policies affirmed that the administration does not intend to target legal immigrants and is solely enacted to locate criminal individuals that may have entered the country while providing a fair environment for those that entered legally.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those in disagreement argued that in practice, Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) has inhumanely treated and arrested individuals on the basis of racial profiling. Furthermore, debaters said that many of those detained were already undergoing legal residency or citizenship efforts and that the citizenship process has become substantially more difficult.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cObviously you want criminals out of this country,\u201d Lauren Gomez, a freshman in political science, said at the podium during the debate. \u201cBut I believe there are so many more precise ways we can do that than just racially profiling. It is racial profiling \u2014 and I hate to say that is what it has come to in this country.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Gun reform\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLet the games begin,\u201d Lobato said to a wooing crowd as debaters prepared to speak at the podiums.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The gun reform topic was considered especially heavy in light of right-wing political activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk\u2019s death<\/a>, after he was shot at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In fact, Kirk\u2019s influence before and after his death brought some debaters to the event, including senior economics major Camden Bedinghaus.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI really looked up to [Charlie Kirk], and he was assassinated for his views,\u201d Bedinghaus said. \u201cSo, it inspired me to start standing up for my own. And regardless of people\u2019s views, free speech is something we all agree should be a thing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Those who agreed with strengthening gun reforms stated that what happened to Kirk, as well as to students killed the same day in a shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado, should never have occurred \u2014 and that the broader rhetoric that Kirk subscribed to on leniency toward gun laws ultimately conditioned a more conducive environment for gun-related deaths.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those who spoke against gun reforms countered that Kirk\u2019s speech<\/a> was misconstrued and that he was rather emphasizing that legislation around guns won\u2019t realistically prevent gun violence in practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n Both sides emphasized that increasing and focusing on mental health resources would be beneficial to consider in future policies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Israel-Palestine\u00a0conflict<\/p>\n The topic on U.S. involvement in Israel\u2019s occupation of Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, stirred the audience further as issues of international law, human rights and foreign policy initiatives were spotlighted.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those in favor of the United States\u2019 aid toward Israel and of Trump\u2019s 20-point peace plan<\/a> asserted Israel\u2019s right to existence and that its occupation of Palestine was acceptable in an international legal context, due to threats it suffered during the Six-Day War in 1967.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, those against Israel\u2019s occupation countered that Palestine also has the right to exist and that civilians suffer disproportionate violence and human rights violations in what is monitored via the international community as a genocide. They also emphasized that the stance against Israel is not anti-Jewish but rather anti-Zionist.\u00a0<\/p>\n Debaters like Gomez lightly agreed on both sides that the United States\u2019 taxpaying dollars and resources are unreasonably funneled toward Israel while remaining unapplied to its own citizens\u2019 interests.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t send money anywhere except to Israel,\u201d Gomez declared at the podium. \u201cThey have free healthcare. They go to college for $2,000 in total. They are reaping the benefits of American citizens\u2019 taxpaying dollars, and it\u2019s time we stop paying money to fund a genocide.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n With the heavy lineup of students on the first five topics, time ran short, and Lobato asked that one last topic be chosen through a vote on the remaining options. The audience overwhelmingly raised the most hands for DEI.\u00a0<\/p>\n DEI\u00a0<\/p>\n USF, among other universities across Florida and the nation, has seen the removal of its DEI programs and offices over the past couple of years. So, students were eager to express their opinions on the policy framework.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those who agreed with DEI policies argued that they exist simply to encourage equity for marginalized groups that may not have the same circumstances for success and that these policies do not impede on the opportunities of citizens that have been historically favored.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Those who disagreed affirmed that DEI is inherently discriminatory toward citizens as it undermines progress based on merit. \u00a0<\/p>\n In his stance against DEI, Bedinghaus recited Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s \u201cI have a dream\u201d prompting a large reaction from the audience, quoting specifically King\u2019s initiative that \u201cchildren will one day live in a nation where they are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Reflections<\/p>\n Despite how vocal the crowd was, Williams was impressed by how debaters and audience members conducted themselves throughout the event.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt definitely got heated,\u201d Williams said. \u201cBut it didn\u2019t get disrespectful. And that made me very happy, because I was going to draw my very clear line once we reached into ad hominem attacks. But I think the atmosphere was productive.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Tabor agreed, stating that she enjoyed the opportunity to speak with those who disagreed with her and getting to see where everyone stood.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully we can continue to grow this event so it can become bigger and sort of a tradition here on campus,\u201d Tabor said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Williams is set on making that happen. He said he looks forward to co-hosting another debate next semester.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI want the student body to remain engaged,\u201d he told The Crow\u2019s Nest. \u201cThis is something we\u2019re going to continue to do more. I\u2019m really interested to see the way it plays out next semester.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Gabriele Concepcion, a junior double-majoring in political science and criminology, argued against the abortion ban during the debate, citing her honors thesis on abortion legislation.
Photos by Dominic Feo | The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/audience-2-1024x681.jpg\")
Photo by Dominic Feo | The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/line-debaters-1024x724.jpg\")
Photo by Dominic Feo | The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/a>
Written by: Jasmin Parrado<\/a> on November 11, 2025.
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