Forensics Team building off winning fall season

Bloomsburg University’s Forensics (Speech and Debate) Team won the 2nd Place Team Sweepstakes award (out of 5 schools) at the Collegiate Forensic Association’s Annual Fall Tournament at Bloomsburg University.

Ten out of 14 BU students won individual speech and debate awards. As a team, BU finished ahead of Liberty University, Shepherd University, and Wilkes University in the team sweepstakes competition. Randolph-Macon College won first place at the tournament, edging out BU by only 20 sweepstakes points.

The following students won individual/team speech and debate awards:

• Noah Roux: 3rd Extemporaneous Speaking; 1st Communication Analysis; 1st Lincoln-Douglas Debate; 6th Pentathlon
• Lindsey Garnel: 1st After Dinner Speaking, 5th Informative Speaking
• Isaac Osborn: 2nd After Dinner Speaking, 3rd Lincoln-Douglas Debate
• Joseph Touey: 3rd After Dinner Speaking, 4th Impromptu Speaking; 3rd Place Parliamentary Debate with Taylor Baker
• Taylor Baker: 2nd Lincoln-Douglas Debate; 4th After Dinner Speaking; 3rd Place Parliamentary Debate with Joseph Touey.
• Jacob Beitz: 3rd Impromptu Speaking
• Emme Reiser: 5th Dramatic Duo with Katarina Chiogna-Solovey
• Katarina Chiogna-Solovey: 5th Poetry; 5th Place Dramatic Duo with Emme Reiser
• Jonathan Roe: 3rd Single Dramatic Interpretation, 4th Lincoln-Douglas Debate
• Tarah Kelley: 2nd Place Best Speaker in Parliamentary Debate

The other students on the BU Forensics Team contributing to the team’s performance included Nick Sorkine, Shawn Edwards, Kyle Bower, and Jared Garrison. Neil Strine, director of forensics, judged for BU at the tournament. Erin Brummett, of communication studies, along with Michael Martin, of English, and Mark Usry, of accounting, assisted with coaching the team and judged at the tournament. Approximately 20 BU faculty, staff, and graduate students served as community judges at the tournament.

Randolph-Macon College/CFA Invitational Tournament

BU’s Forensics Team won the 1st Place Team Sweepstakes Trophy out of five schools at the Randolph-Macon College/CFA Invitational Tournament in Ashland, Va, this fall. BU finished ahead of Randolph-Macon College, Lord Fairfax Community College, the University of Richmond, and the University of Lynchburg.

Fifteen of 16 BU students competing won at least one speech and debate award. In total, BU students brought home 38 awards, including five individual first place event awards. BU was represented by at least one student in every final round at the tournament.

The following students won speech/debate awards:

• Taylor Baker: 2nd Lincoln-Douglas Debate; 3rd Single Dramatic Interpretation; 5th Place Best Parliamentary Debate Speaker
• Jacob Beitz: 6th Impromptu Speaking
• Kyle Bower: 2nd Impromptu Speaking; 5th Place Parliamentary Debate (with Isaac Osborn)
• Katarina Chiogna-Solovey: 1st Persuasive Speaking; 3rd Informative; 5th Dramatic Duo (with Emme Reiser); 6th Prose
• Shawn Edwards: 1st Extemporaneous Speaking; 3rd Impromptu Speaking; 3rd Parliamentary Debate (with Noah Roux)
• Lindsey Garnel: 3rd After Dinner Speaking; 5th Informative; 6th Prose Jared Garrison: 4th Persuasive Speaking
• Tasha Hill: 5th Communication Analysis
• Isaac Osborn: 1st Lincoln-Douglas Debate; 2nd After-Dinner Speaking; 5th Parliamentary Debate (with Kyle Bower); 6th Pentathlon
• Emme Reiser: 1st Communication Analysis; 5th Dramatic Duo (with Katarina Chiogna-Solovey)
• Jonathan Roe: 3rd Lincoln-Douglas Debate; 4th Single Dramatic Interpretation
• Katie Rose: 2nd Communication Analysis; 4th Poetry; 5th After Dinner Speaking; 5th Lincoln-Douglas Debate; 5th Pentathlon
• Noah Roux: 3rd Parliamentary Debate (with Shawn Edwards); 4th Lincoln-Douglas Debate; 5th Extemporaneous Speaking; 6thCommunication Analysis; 6th Place Parliamentary Debate Speaker
• Nicholas Sorkine: 2nd Declamation; 5th Single Dramatic Interpretation; 4th Prose
• Joseph Touey: 1st After-Dinner Speaking; 4th Impromptu

Andrew Kline also contributed to the BU victory at the tournament. Neil Strine, director of forensics and associate professor of political science, served as a speech and debate judge at the tournament. Erin Brummett, of communication studies, and Michael Martin, of English, assisted with coaching the team.

The BU Forensics Team meets every Monday and Wednesday at 9 p.m. in Bakeless 306. Students from all majors are welcome to participate on the team. No prior experience is required. The BU Forensics Team is supported by CGA.