Forensics team takes first in competition

The Bloomsburg University Forensics (Speech and Debate) team won the 1st Place Sweepstakes Award out of six schools at the Randolph-Macon College Invitational Tournament held Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22-23, 2021, in Ashland, Va. This is the second straight year BU won first place at this invitational tournament.

Bloomsburg students brought home a total of 40 individual speech and debate awards, including seven first-place trophies, and finished ahead of Randolph Macon College, University of Lynchburg, University of Richmond, Shepherd University, and Lenoir Rhyne University.

Dr. Neil Strine, BU's director of forensics, served as a speech and debate judge at the tournament for Bloomsburg University. The BU Forensics Team will travel to the University of Richmond for the Collegiate Forensic Association's Annual Fall Tournament, Nov. 5-6. The BU Forensics Team is funded by the Community Government Association.

The following students won speech/debate awards at the Randolph-Macon Invitational Tournament:

Luis Donayre: 4th Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Lindsey Garnel: 2nd Poetry; 2nd After-Dinner Speaking; 4th Dramatic Duo with Emme Reiser; 5th Persuasive; 6th Communication Analysis

Jared Garrison: 5th Extemporaneous Speaking

Jacob Geedey: 4th Impromptu

Scott Miller: 4th Informative; 6th Extemporaneous Speaking; 6th Single Dramatic Interpretation

Eric Nock: 1st Informative

Isaac Osborn: 2nd Informative; 2nd Lincoln-Douglas Debate; 2nd Best Speaker Parliamentary Debate; 4th After Dinner Speaking; 4th Pentathlon; 5th Poetry; 5th Parliamentary Debate with Jonathan Roe;  6th Declamation

Emme Reiser: 1st Communication Analysis; 4th Dramatic Duo with Lindsey Garnel

Jonathan Roe: 1st Persuasive; 1st After-Dinner Speaking; 1st Lincoln-Douglas Debate; 1st Pentathlon; 2nd Best Speaker Parliamentary Debate; 2nd Dramatic Duo with Nick Sorkine; 2nd Declamation; 5th Parliamentary Debate with Isaac Osborn

Zachariah Shultz: 4th Extemporaneous Speaking; 6th Single Dramatic Interpretation

Nicholas Sorkine: 2nd Impromptu; 2nd Extemporaneous Speaking; 2nd Dramatic Duo with Jonathan Roe; 2nd Pentathlon; 3rd Persuasive; 5th Prose; 5th Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Natalia Warfel: 1st Poetry; 4th Prose

Erik Weibel: 6th Impromptu

Mason Kay also competed for Bloomsburg University and contributed to the team's first-place finish.