Forensics and Debate Team continues winning streak

BOWLING GREEN, O.—For the third weekend in a row, the BGSU Falcon Forensics and Debate Team celebrated victory. The team bested the competition by winning first in invitational competition.

Nov. 5 and 6, the win was at Morgan State University in Baltimore, where the Falcons topped the tournament, beating Cornell University, Bloomsburg University, West Virginia University and 14 other institutions to take the top ranking. Of the 28 events BGSU entered, team members placed 20 in final rounds, earning first place in five categories, including Persuasive Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, Informative Speaking, Dramatic Interpretation and Communication Analysis. In addition, four of the top six speakers overall at the tournament in Pentathlon were from BGSU. Sophomore Megan Sympson from Youngstown led the charge, followed by Rachel Rine of Bowling Green, Ashley Hendricks from Canton and freshman Spencer Coile from Illinois.

This weekend’s success follows on the heels of team wins at Suffolk University in Boston and Hillsdale College in Michigan.
 
On Oct. 22, Falcon team members pulled a major upset by winning the 33rd annual Suffolk University tournament, besting 11 other teams, including Emerson College, the University of Mississippi and Lafayette College. BGSU placed in 24 of its 33 events in final rounds, including first-place event finishes in Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, After Dinner Speaking, Dramatic Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Informative Speaking, Communication Analysis and Poetry Interpretation. The Falcons swept the individual sweepstakes competition, earning all of the top five speaker awards, in order:  freshman Chris Stack from Pittsburgh; Rachel Rine, Ashley Hendricks, Erin Veller from Perrysburg and Madeline Fening from New Middletown.
 
The Hillsdale College Richard M. Weaver Invitational also fell into the win column for BGSU as the Falcons topped the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Central Michigan University, Hillsdale and others to bring home the first place trophy. The team placed in 39 events in finals and swept the top three best speaker awards with Nicholas Blaine, a senior from Sylvania, placing first; Rachel Rine second and Spencer Coile earning third.

Forensics and Debate is a co-curricular, competitive program offered through the School of Media and Communication and Department of Communication, offering BGSU undergraduate students the opportunity to hone their communication and performance skills in competition with other colleges and universities from around the nation and globe.

This weekend, the Falcon team is hosting debate competitions on campus. Between 30 and 40 schools are anticipated, with over 1,000 participants including students, judges, observers, parents and faculty from 12 states. Director of Forensics and Debate Paul Wesley Alday is tournament coordinator. As a special honored judge, President Mary Ellen Mazey will be on the panel of distinguished judges for the final round of Informative Speaking. The event is free and open to the BGSU community.

For more information about forensics, speech or debate, contact Paul Wesley Alday at 419-372-8856 or BGSU4N6@yahoo.com.

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(Posted November 14, 2011 )