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Forensics Society placed fourth in its division at the National Forensic Association’s (NFA) annual tournament held at Berry College in Rome, Ga. this past April.
Lafayette’s finish, among the 74 schools from around the nation in attendance, was the highest in team history.
Of the 110 debaters, 127 extemporaneous speakers, and 172 impromptu speakers, only the top 24 competitors in the nation were selected to compete in the quarter-final round in each event. The top 12 of those competitors moved on to compete in the semi-final round. The top six of those competitors advanced to the final round.
Trustee Scholar and mathematics-economics major Elizabeth Wehler ’09 (Gettysburg, Pa.) placed second overall in Lincoln-Douglas debate.
“This tournament was an amazing way to end our season,” she says. “The success of our younger members proves that the team has immense potential and I think the national circuit should watch out for us next year.”
Teevrat Garg ’10 (Haryana, India) placed third in the final round of extemporaneous speech and was a quarter-finalist in impromptu speech.
“The NFA nationals were a grand culmination of the forensic season for Lafayette’s team,” he says. “Our success in our division is a reflection of the work that the entire team put in, especially the coaches. This year, Forensics Society has redefined its place in the national forensics community.”
Two other students also participated in elimination rounds. Trustee Scholar and mathematics and philosophy double major Joe Dudek ’09 (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) was a quarter-finalist in impromptu speech and also placed third in an early round of extemporaneous speech. Marquis Scholar and computer science major Mark Kokoska ’08 (Bloomsburg, Pa.) was a semi-finalist in impromptu speech and a quarter-finalist in extemporaneous speech.
Other students participating in the tournament were Ryan Benjamin ’10 (Bronx, N.Y.), Kyle DeCant ’10 (Orange, Conn.), Marquis Scholar Sam Derrick ’10 (Etters, Pa.), Jordan Kaplan ’10 (Livingston, N.J.), history major Bill O’Brien ’07 (Elmont, N.Y.), and Amy Solomito ’09 (Coopersburg, Pa.), a Marquis Scholar and English major.
Scott Placke, director of forensics, and John Boyer, debate coach, accompanied the students to the tournament. Also in attendance were history graduate Rachel Korpanty Lee ’03 and independent judge Pearl Harris.
Placke believes the team’s success is a huge step for the forensics program.
“I am so proud of this team. The forensics team has never before had anyone make it to a final round of the national tournament before,” he says. “This year, we more than doubled the number of breaks we had at any previous nationals.”
Previous tournament reports: