Bowling Green, Ohio March 14, 2007

On March 7-10, 2007, the BGSU Forensics, Speech and Debate Team placed 3 rd at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament and Convention held on the campus of Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Amongst a field of 57 teams from across the nation, BGSU placed 3 rd overall. The Falcon Forensicators earned a total of 36 individual awards, including 10 top 10%, 8 top 20% and 12 top 30%. Of these, two BGSU team members earned top speaker in the nation: Junior Michelle Baker ( Loudonville, OH) earned first place in Discussion and junior, Jennifer Cole ( Detroit, MI) took first in Communication Analysis/Rhetorical Criticism. In addition, six BGSU team members were honored in showcase rounds exhibiting the top four participants per event. 10 BGSU events were ranked within the top 6 in the nation, including:

(Top 10%)
1st Communication Analysis/Rhetorical Criticism, Jennifer Cole, Junior
1st Discussion, Michelle Baker, Junior
2nd Extemporaneous Speaking, Lewis B. Smith, Senior
2nd Program Oral Interpretation (tie), Michelle Baker, Junior
2nd Program Oral Interpretation (tie), Sarah Griffith, Senior
2nd Prose Interpretation, Jennifer Cole, Junior
3rd Poetry Interpretation, Kenny Rogers, Junior
4th Communication Analysis/Rhetorical Criticism, Michelle Baker, Junior
4th Informative Speaking, Sarah Smith, Senior
4th Broadcast Journalism, Lewis B. Smith, Senior

This is the third consecutive year BGSU has won the National Title in Communication Analysis/Rhetorical Criticism and the second for Discussion. This is the third year in a row BGSU has placed in the top 10% at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament. BGSU entered a total of 33 events with 30 earning national honors. Pi Kappa Delta is a National Communication Honorary which emphasizes the educational value of speech and debate and the greater value of communication within the community. Our chapter is BGSU’s oldest active student organization, chartered in 1930. Whereas at most tournaments only the top 6 participants receive awards, at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament, honors are offered based on quality placement: the top 10% receive “ Superior”, top 20% receive “Excellent” and top 30% receive “Good”. The BGSU “Excellent: and “Good” honor recipients include:

(Top 20%)
E Extemporaneous Speaking, Michelle Baker, Junior
E Duo Interpretation, Cole/Rogers, Juniors
E Duo Interpretation, Rogers/Griffith, Jr/Sr
E Informative Speaking, Michelle Baker, Junior
E After Dinner Speaking, Kenny Rogers, Junior
E Dramatic Interpretation, Sarah Griffith, Senior
E Discussion, Lewis B. Smith, Senior
E Impromptu Speaking, Kenny Rogers, Junior

(Top 30%)
G Impromptu Speaking, Amanda Hensley, Freshman
G Impromptu Speaking, Lewis B. Smith, Senior
G Persuasive Speaking, Michael Hensler, Senior
G Persuasive Speaking, Amanda Hensley, Freshman
G After Dinner Speaking, Michelle Baker, Junior
G Prose Interpretation, Kenny Rogers, Junior
G Prose Interpretation, Sarah Griffith, Senior
G Dramatic Interpretation, Michael Hensler, Senior
G Informative Speaking, Kayla Combs, Sophomore
G Communication Analysis/Rhetorical Criticism, Sarah Smith Senior
G Poetry Interpretation, Amanda Hensley, Freshman
G Poetry Interpretation, Lewis B. Smith, Senior

With respect to the team’s competitive success, Director of Forensics and Debate, Paul Wesley Alday said, “This was an amazing experience for the team. Placing third in the nation against such quality programs is an outstanding honor and I am proud of each member of our program.”

In addition to the national competition, the event was offered in conjunction with the National PKD Convention where students had the opportunity to participate in seminars, workshops and panels. BGSU team members further actively participated in business meetings, receptions and officer elections. This year, Director of Forensics and Debate, Paul Wesley Alday was elected to the provincial office of Lieutenant Governor and Michelle Baker was re-elected to the provincial office of Student Governor. BGSU belongs to the Province of the Greater Northeast which includes all 13 original U.S. colonies, plus Ohio and Michigan, thus, in terms of number of states, making it the largest province in the national organization. Alday was also honored by the Pi Kappa Delta National Office, and was included in the “Coach Honor Role” for 20 years of service to forensic education.

This year also marked an important benchmark for the BGSU program, as it chartered its alumni chapter, one of the first in Ohio. This charter reflects BGSU’s only National Alumni Organization for persons in Communication and only nationally affiliated alumni society. “I am pleased that our alumni have formed a recognized national charter and look forward to helping our organization connect with our alumni around the world and to reach out to the greater community in the spirit of communication.”, noted Alday.

This tournament caps off an exceptional year for the BGSU team. The program earned over 340 individual honors, 16 team awards and qualified 57 events for participation at the National Forensics Association National Tournament, the nation’s largest forensics competition. In mid-April three representatives from this group will travel to Rome, Georgia to participate in the N.F.A. National Tournament, in which BGSU was a founding member. Alday puts this in context, “Forensics offers a number of different national organizations, each of which supports their own national tournament drawing schools from around the country. N.F.A. is the largest of these organizations, and this year’s tournament looks to be an exceptional challenge for our program.”

The BGSU Forensics, Speech and Debate Team is a competitive, co-curricular program offered through the School of Media & Communication and Department of Communication to undergraduate students interested in developing their communication and performance abilities. For more information regarding the BGSU Forensics, Speech and Debate Team, contact BGSU4N6@Yahoo.com or visit our web page at http://scs.bgsu.edu/forensics