Rakhshan Zahid '07 wanted to debate in college, but she had no idea before arriving here that Bates had such an established and successful program. "We compete in a circuit with prominent schools like Harvard, Yale and MIT," says the Karachi, Pakistan, philosophy major. "The most fulfilling moments for me have been beating those teams who have an advantage simply because of their names," she says.

Debating at Bates began soon after the college's founding, in 1855. Today, Bates debaters rank among the best in the nation and are respected competitors in such international events as the annual tournaments at Oxford and Cambridge.

Zahid joined the Brooks Quimby Debate Council during her first year on campus. "It was intimidating initially, but the nervousness exists for only the first few competitions," she says. "Now debate is a very big part of my life here."

Much to Zahid's pleasure, the team travels extensively. Stanford University was her favorite competition, she remembers, as she and her teammates enjoyed two days in San Francisco with "phenomenal weather." Her sophomore year included trips to Cambridge University in England just before Thanksgiving break, featuring a few extra few days in London, and a week in Dublin for the World University Debate Championships. "There was time to see Dublin and the countryside," she recalls.

Her advice to first-time debaters: "Just jump in. You learn to think on your feet. You learn to see different perspectives. Sometimes you have to defend things that are contrary to what you believe, but it helps in forming a coherent world view."