This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
The Forensics Society finished second among 16 schools at the Feb. 6 Hugs and Kisses tournament hosted by West Chester University. The eight students earned 14 finishes of sixth place or higher.
Four students placed within the top five of extemporaneous speech. Joe Borland ’06 (Wilkes Barre, Pa.), a government and law major, took first place in extemporaneous and second in impromptu speech. His final-round extemporaneous question was, “Is North Korea a serious nuclear threat?”
Trustee Scholar and philosophy major Erik Heins ’05 (Center Moriches, N.Y.) won impromptu speech, took second place in extemporaneous speech, and finished sixth in dramatic duo with Christian Dato ’07 (Poway, Ca.), a history and government & law major. Heins’ final-round impromptu quotation was from the movie The Usual Suspects: “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
“West Chester was a great tournament, and it was good to see some of our new competitors starting this second semester as if they were already veterans,” says Heins.
Marquis Scholars Kim Moore ’05 (Longwood, Fl.), a psychology major, and Mark Kokoska ’08 (Bloomsburg, Pa.) earned fourth and fifth place, respectively, in extemporaneous speech. In addition, Kokoska placed first in Lincoln-Douglas debate, sixth in impromptu speech, and competed in informative speech.
“West Chester tournaments have always been a place where Lafayette is able to shine,” says Moore, who also competed in after-dinner speaking, informative speech, and persuasion. “The competition was tough, but we were able to do very well. Because we will be seeing some of these same teams at our upcoming state tournament, this tournament shows promise.”
Other notable finishes include Marquis Scholar Jeremy Bennett ’05 (Riverside, Pa.), a neuroscience major, second in debate; Bill O’Brien ’07 (Elmont, N.Y.), third in communication analysis and fourth in informative speech (he also competed in persuasion and prose reading); and Dato, fourth place in impromptu speech and sixth in poetry reading. Doug Weltman ’08 (Little Silver, N.J.) competed in debate, extemporaneous, and impromptu speech.
“I’ve always had a blast competing at West Chester University’s tournaments; they’re well organized and always thematically enjoyable. I took the opportunity to try out a lot of new material this weekend, and the audiences were receptive and encouraging,” says Bennett.
Scott Placke, director of forensics, and debate coach Jon Honiball accompanied the team at the tournament.
The team’s next competition was the Presidential Love Swing at Suffolk University in Boston last weekend.
Forensics Society members are active in other campus groups as well.
Bennett is president of the Social Gaming Network; a member of Haven, a student group stressing an alcohol- and drug-free lifestyle, Society for Creative Anachronism, and Lafayette Society for Neuroscience; a tutor for the Academic Counseling Center; a former McKelvy Scholar; and a squad captain for the varsity fencing team.
Moore is secretary for College Democrats, serves as a campus tour guide and a March After-School Help tutor through the Landis Community Outreach Center, and is a member of the orchestra, the Psychology Club, the Biology Club, and the Dry Surfers, a technology-oriented and substance-free living group.
O’Brien is a member of College Republicans and the Dry Surfers, a campus tour guide, a writer for The Lafayette, a Residence Hall Council representative, and a participant in the Marquis Players, a student group that produces an annual musical to raise funds for charities.
Dato is vice president and treasurer of College Democrats and a member of the Social Gaming Network and Haven.
Heins is vice president of Haven and a member of the Social Gaming Network.
Kokoska is a member of the table tennis club.
Prior tournament reports
Last season’s national tournament and links to all 2003-04 articles