BU Forensics Team wins "Southern Excursion" Tournament

The Bloomsburg University Forensics Team won the First Place Sweepstakes Award out of six schools at the Collegiate Forensic Association's annual "Southern Excursion" Tournament hosted by Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, W.V. on Feb. 11-12.  

Bloomsburg finished ahead of Florida College, Randolph-Macon College, Shepherd University, University of Lynchburg, and Liberty University. This is the third straight tournament where Bloomsburg has won first place during the 2021-22 academic year. In addition, every team member won at least one speaking award.

BU students won a total of 35 speaking awards

• Luis Donarye: was first in Informative Speaking; took fifth Extemporaneous Speaking; fifth in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate; and fifth in Parliamentary Debate (with Erik Weibel); 5th Pentathlon
• Jared Garrison: was fifth in Informative Speaking
• Jacob Geedey: was third in Parliamentary Debate (with Eric Nock); and fourth in Informative
• Eric Nock: was second in Informative Speaking; third in After-Dinner Speaking; third in Communication Analysis; and third in Parliamentary Debate (with Jacob Geedey)
• Jonathan Roe: was first in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate; first in Persuasive Speaking; first as a Dramatic Duo (with Nick Sorkine); first in Pentathlon; second in After-Dinner Speaking; second in Impromptu Speaking; fifth in Declamation; and sixth as Best Speaker Parliamentary Debate
• Carson Rush: was second in Parliamentary Debate (with Zachariah Shultz); and sixth in Extemporaneous Speaking
• Zachariah Shultz: was second in Parliamentary Debate (with Carson Rush); second as Best Speaker Parliamentary Debate; third in Extemporaneous Speaking; fourth in Prose Interpretation; fourth in Single Dramatic Interpretation
• Nick Sorkine: was first as Dramatic Duo (with Jonathan Roe); third in Pentathlon; fourth in Extemporaneous Speaking; fourth in Lincoln-Douglas Debate; fifth in Persuasive Speaking; fifth in Communication Analysis; and fifth as Best Speaker in Parliamentary Debate.
• Natalia Warfel: was fourth in Poetry; fifth in Prose; and sixth in Declamation
• Erik Weibel: was fourth in Impromptu Speaking; and fifth Parliamentary Debate (with Luis Donarye)

Isaac Osborn '21, and Dr. Neil Strine, BU Director of Forensics, served as speech and debate judges for BU at the tournament. The BU Forensics Team will travel next to the CFA Beach Tournament in Ocean City, Md. on March 4-5.