This year's novice class is an incredibly talented and diverse group of individuals, and we are all thrilled to be a part of the team. Some members of Brooks Quimby's newest cast of characters include...

Wong Yoon Loong (who goes by Andrew) hails from Malaysia and debated throughout high school. In his spare time, he enjoys knitting and gardening--both of which he claims enrich his public speaking skills.

Nathan Kane was born in bred in Rockland County, New York (not know for its rocks). He attended his local public school, and comes to the debate team in his sophomore year at Bates with no prior experience.

Colin Etnire hails from San Francisco, California. He led his Menlo School mock trial team to the state championships, but strangely knew very little about parliamentary debate. A prospective Economics and Politics major, Etnire's main interests include needle point and taxidermy.

Monica Rodriguez was raised in Stamford, CT and attended Greenwich Academy, an all-girls private school. She is considering a double major in Politics and Chinese. Her interests include Chinese, Spanish and a love for photography.

Alicia Roy was raised in Franklin, Massachusetts. She is considering a major in Politics with minors in French and Japanese. She is interested in piano and foreign languages.

Andrew Decker hails from Lynnfield, Massachusetts. A member of the Bates Student Government, he is a prospective Politics major. He did not debate in high school but is looking forward to learning the ropes from the varsity members of the team and succeeding on behalf of the BQDC.

Ian Mahmud was raised in Duxbury, Massachusetts. He is considering a major in Economics and loves cookie dough ice cream as well as skiing and sailing.

Michael Pasek was raised in Lower Merion Township (also the hometown of Kobe Bryant [no relation]) located just outside of Philadelphia. He attended Friends' Central School, where he participated in debate and Model UN.

Ally Mandra was raised in North Salem, New York. She is interested in English and Philosophy. She also enjoys skiing and writing.

Alison Turner is from a small island off the coast of Maine. She considers majoring in Politics and History. She enjoys ballroom dancing and traveling.

Andrew Kageleiry is a first year at Bates and a novice this year; he had no debate experience prior to joining BQDC. Andy is interested in medical ethics, and can solve a Rubik's cube in under a minute.