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The Forensics Society finished third overall last weekend among 22 teams at two tournaments in Boston, Mass., marking the sixth time this season that it has finished third or better at an individual event or two-tournament weekend “swing.”
The separate competitions, together called the Suffolk University/University of West Florida Presidential Love Swing, included schools such as Cornell University and University of Pennsylvania.
On Saturday, Trustee Scholarship recipient Erik Heins ’05 (Center Moriches, N.Y.), a double major in philosophy and government & law, finished third in dramatic interpretation, was an octa-finalist (final 16) in Lincoln-Douglas debate, and was named third-place speaker in debate. On Sunday, he again was a debate octa-finalist, was named fifth-place speaker in debate, and placed fourth in informative speech and sixth in dramatic interpretation.
Government and law major Joe Borland ’06 (Wilkes Barre, Pa.) took third place in extemporaneous speech and sixth place in impromptu speech Saturday and third place in extemporaneous speech Sunday.
Marquis Scholar Colby Block ’06 (Boca Raton, Fla.), a government and law major, earned fifth place in dramatic duo with Marquis Scholar Christian Dato ’07 (Poway, Calif.) and first place in poetry reading Sunday, and fourth place in poetry reading Saturday. Dato also placed fifth in dramatic interpretation Sunday.
Marquis Scholar Kim Moore ’06 (Longwood, Fla.), a psychology major, teamed up with Bill O’Brien ’07 (Elmont, N.Y.) in dramatic duo, taking fifth place Saturday and sixth place Sunday. She also was sixth in informative speech Saturday.
Also competing for Lafayette were government and law major Paul Kritzler ’05 (Monkton, Md.) and Jennifer Rusak ’04 (Ashley, Pa.), a double major in psychology and philosophy.
Scott Placke, director of forensics, attended the tournament with the students.
“[This] was the largest tournament we have been to all year,” says Heins. “The results show that while our team can always be striving to improve, we are at a nationally competitive level.”
“This weekend was a great chance to see what our team has to face at the national tournament,” says Block. “We saw some of the best out there, and our team is up to that level of competition. I cannot wait until the upcoming state tournament (next weekend at Ursinus College) to see what we can do.”
“The competition was stiff and I know the tournament taught us a lot,” notes Dato. “With any luck, we’ll turn those lessons into success at next week’s state tournament.”
“This weekend was probably the biggest test of a tournament I have personally faced all year,” says O’Brien. “I was very pleased with both how I did personally and how the team did. This team continues to impress me with its excellence at such high levels of competition. I am proud to be a member of this team and am very excited heading into states this weekend.”
Heins’ informative speech discussed the application of the writings of Niccolo Machiavelli to the modern day political world. Informative speech contestants give a factual talk from memory for up to ten minutes; visual aids are permitted. Heins’ dramatic interpretation came from the play Nocturne by Adam Rapp.
Borland’s final round extemporaneous question on the second day was “Will any of the other Democratic presidential contenders play a role in the campaign if Kerry wins the Democratic nomination?” In extemporaneous speech, contestants select one of three topics on current national and international issues or events and have 30 minutes to prepare a speech of five to seven minutes on it.
Dato’s dramatic interpretation came from the play QED by Richard Parsells.
Colby Block poetry was “In Dachau” by Sherman Alexie.
The dramatic duo by Moore and O’Brien was “Does this Woman Have a Name?” by Theresa Rebeck. In dramatic duo, two individuals read lines from a play involving two or more characters.
Kim Moore’s informative speech was about the quest to develop a viable male contraceptive pill.
Members of Forensics Society are active in other areas of campus life as well.
Block, who serves as secretary of Forensics Society, is working with the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office to create a Youth Court Program. She is public relations chair for Student Government and adviser for Freshman Class Council, to which she belonged as a first-year student. She is in her second year as a member of the Dance Team and participates in College Theater, playing the role of Johnny in last year’s production of The Club. She is also a member of the Marquis Players, a student group that produces an annual musical to benefit charity, and is choreographer for this year’s production, Sugar. She also is a supervisor for Recreational Services, a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, and a resident adviser in South College.
Kritzler is president of History Club, Games Club, and Haven, a student group stressing an alcohol- and drug-free lifestyle, as well as a member of Lafayette Communications Union and various intramural sports teams.
O’Brien is the Residence Hall Council representative for McKeen Hall, a member of The Lafayette (school newspaper) staff, Marquis Players, History Club, and Arts Society, and a DJ on campus radio station WJRH.
Dato is vice president of College Democrats and a member of Lafayette Christian Fellowship, History Club, and Haven. He also is a Civil War re-enactor.
Moore is president of the Dry Surfers, a special-interest living group whose members share interests in technology and a substance-free lifestyle, and a member of College Democrats and Psychology Club. She also plays violin in the orchestra.
Rusak is president of the Alternative Spring Break Club service organization and the student chapter of Psi Chi, the national psychology honor society, as well as a member of Lafayette Intercultural Networking Council and Lafayette Communications Union.
Heins is a member of the varsity fencing team, Haven, and Games Club.
Past forensics competitions:
Jan. 31-Feb. 1, Cornell University
January interim session tournaments
Dec. 6-7, University of Rhode Island
Nov. 15-16, New York University
Nov. 8, St. Anselm College
Nov. 1-2, Bloomsburg University
Oct. 18-19, Towson University
Oct. 10-11, West Chester University
Sept. 19-20, Purdue University and Sept. 27, Bloomsburg Novice Tournament
2002-03 National Tournament