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The Forensics Society continued its strong start this season by placing third in a 21-team field at the West Chester Rose Bowl Tournament last weekend.
Colby Block, a first-year student from Boca Raton, Fla., took first place in novice prose. She finished fourth in novice poetry and also competed in impromptu speech and dramatic interpretation.
Junior history major Rachel Korpanty of Summerville, S.C., earned fourth place finishes in after dinner speaking and dramatic interpretation. Korpanty and Erik Heins, a sophomore from Center Moriches, N.Y., also teamed up to finish fourth in dramatic duo.
Michael Lestingi, a junior mechanical engineering major from Tallmadge, Ohio, and first-year students Rodrigue Alexandre of North Miami, Fla., and Joseph Borland of Wilkes Barre, Pa. enjoyed second place victories in Lincoln Douglas debate, novice impromptu speech, and novice extemporaneous speech, respectively.
“This was a great early showing,” says Scott Placke, director of forensics. “I am looking forward to the future.”
Jeremy Bennett, a sophomore from Riverside, Pa., was a quarterfinalist in Lincoln Douglas debate; Benjamin Berlow, a first-year student from Palmerton, Pa., placed sixth in novice poetry; and Sandra Welch, a first-year student from Philadelphia, Pa., took sixth in novice prose.
Paul Kritzler, a sophomore history major from Monkton, Md.; Kimberly Moore, a first-year student from Sandy, Utah; and Ryan Sundra, a first-year student of Hazleton, Pa., also competed at the tournament.
“We all put 110 percent into this activity,” says Korpanty. “I think in the end, all the work paid off.”
Lestingi adds, “I am excited about how well we did. Lafayette had a really strong presence at the tournament. I was proud to be a part of that presence.”
Placke and John Honiball, debate coach, accompanied the students on their trip.
Next weekend the team will travel to Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., to compete in the Age of Aquarius Tournament.
A group of nine first-year Forensics Society students earned the top three places in extemporaneous speech, scored the top two honors in impromptu speech, and won several other commendations in a 17-team field at the Bloomsburg Novice Tournament Sept. 28.
The team scored its highest finish ever at the Pennsylvania State Individual Events Association Championships Feb. 16-17 last school year and continued its remarkable ascent with a second-place finish at the Collegiate Forensics Association Tournament March 2-3 in Ocean City, Md. Nine students competed in 17 speech events and eight debate events at the National Forensics Association Championship Tournament April 18-22 at Berry College in Mount Berry, Ga.