Michigan State's debate team argued its way to first place in the national championship this month, and students on campus need to realize how cool that is.

The team is basking in the glory of its win in the 58th National Debate Tournament on April 5 at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. It triumphed over 77 other teams.

Take that, Ivy Leagues. There's a new smart guy in town. This little public cow college that could is showing everyone that it knows a thing or two as well.

Michigan State is the third public school in 20 years to win the tournament, and this is the first time MSU has taken a first-place win. The debate team pulling through like this says a lot about both MSU's dedication and its brains.

The big question is, why doesn't anyone care about this? Sure, the debate team might not be playing a physical contact-sport, but that doesn't mean the participants don't train just as hard. Seniors on the team spend about 40 hours a week working on their skills. The 12-15 students on the team know how to compete and they learn new things about the world. Winning a national competition like this is a huge deal.

Students should wear a little more pride on their sleeves for this win - the debate team was the underdog among the more prestigious schools at the contest, but it shouldn't be the underdog among our own college teams as well.

The status this win gives MSU is enormous. More incoming students are going to consider MSU an academically prestigious school and more students will take our academic teams seriously. It's important for the school and it's important for the students.

Way to go, debate team. MSU's got brains as well as brawn, and now we're flaunting both.