The Sacramento State debate team will head to Folsom Lake College on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. to fact check for the Ami Bera v. Doug Ose debate.

       Students on the debate team, along with some students from the Los Rios Community College School District, will watch the congressional debate live on televisions from a computer lab in Folsom Lake College.

       The students will check candidates’ statements for their validity, and then have the power to share that information via Twitter using the #operationfactcheck.

       “The Ose/Bera debate is a huge part of what our future looks like here in California,” team graduate assistant Amanda Burk said. “This opportunity gets students involved directly and helps them participate in the conversation.”

       Jared Anderson is the coach for the debate team and said the fact checking opportunity also gives students on the team a chance to explore non-competitive aspects of debate.

       Many may assume the team is strictly travel and cutthroat, public debates, but not all members are required to participate on a public stage.  

Caitlin Taffe is a senior communications and digital video major who acts as co-captain for the debate team. Although Taffe is passionate about debate, she said the team is vastly misunderstood on campus.

“I think what most people don’t understand is that this is a legit, school-sponsored team,” Taffe explained.  “This has been the biggest benefit to my academic performance and education.”

The team is similar to any sports team on campus: they travel, have practice and receive academic units.

Burk, Anderson and Taffe all stressed that although debate is “named” COMS 111, it is a team, not a club or class.

Brandon Garcia is a junior government, international relations major. He has debated since high school and joined the debate team his freshman year despite the upper-division qualifications.

“Debate is what you make it of it,” he said, assuring others not to be intimidated of the team.

“If you say something wrong in a debate in Chico, it’s okay, you will never see those people again, and move on.”

He said in life we debate on a daily basis anyway and we might as well learn to be good at it.

For those who do not want to submerse themselves completely in debate, the fact checking night will help introduce students to other aspects of the team.

On Oct. 8 at 7 p.m., start checking the Twitter feed for #operationfactcheck. If nothing else, it will help students to stay informed.