Forensics Press: BGSU FORENSICS WINS FIFTH CONSECUTIVE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

I have just finished sending the following release to several publications. Hopefully there will be press coverage abound!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 30, 2006

BGSU FORENSICS WINS FIFTH CONSECUTIVE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

For a fifth year in a row, BGSU’s Forensics, Speech, Debate and Competitive Performance team traveled twelve hours via train to the Collegiate Forensics Association’s National “Winter Weekend” tournament in Montreal. The event culminated Saturday morning, January 28, when BGSU narrowly withheld Tallahassee College to defend their Championship status for a fifth straight year. Though the tournament doubled in size this year, BGSU remained the winningest team in CFA’s twenty-six year history. Additionally, this is an eighth consecutive win for coach Paul Wesley Alday, who won with another school prior to accepting his position at BGSU.

Each of BG’s ten competitors placed in at least one event; in total receiving 17 awards, including the team championship. Individual awards are as follows:

Junior IPC major and PKD President from Loudonville, Michelle Baker, won an individual National Championship (1st place) in Rhetorical Criticism, 3rd place in Dramatic Duo*, 4th in Extemporaneous Speaking was 4th in Pentathlon.

A junior Theatre major from Cleves, Michael Hensler, place 3rd in both Dramatic Duo* and Rhetorical Criticism.

Graduating senior Theatre major from Rockford, Abby Bollenbacher, won a National Championship in Dramatic Duo* and 4th in Rhetorical Criticism.

Lewis B. Smith, a senior History major from Wauseon won a National Championship in Dramatic Duo* and placed 2nd in Rhetorical Criticism.

*Dramatic Duo partners were Baker/Hensler and Bollenbacher/Smith, who successfully defended there past status as National Championship partners in this event.

Novice and graduating senior Construction Management major from Swanton, Kent Truckor, placed 2nd in Persuasive Speaking and 6th in Informative Speaking.

Sarah Smith, a junior Medical Technician major from Delta and novice to the team won 3rd place in Informative Speaking and 4th in After Dinner Speaking.

A graduating senior in Political Science from the District of Columbia, Andrea Brew, though a novice on the team, won the National Championship in Poetry Interpretation.

Senior English and Creative Writing major from Wooster, Sarah Griffith, won 4th place in Informative Speaking.

Jennifer Cole, a junior IPC major from Detroit, MI won 2nd in After Dinner Speaking

Sophomore Political Science and English major from Peoria, IL, Kenny Rogers, won 5th place in Persuasive Speaking.

Five coaches traveled with the team and serve as the judges for other schools during the tournament. The head coach is Paul W. Alday. He teaches in the Theatre Department and holds a Masters in Communication/Theatre Arts Composite from Eastern Michigan University. He has coached Forensics for eighteen years and while a competitor, was a National Pentathlon Champion.

Jeff List is BGSU’s Forensics’ Graduate Assistant. He is a Masters candidate in the Theatre Department.

Team alumni also donate their time as volunteer coaches. Derrick Jones is a Residence Hall Director and received his Masters in Theatre from BG. He is a past PKD President and team co-director; in four years of competing he earned fifteen awards at the Varsity State Championships.

Leah D’Emilio is currently working on her Masters in Communications Studies. While on the team she was a PKD President, three-time National Champion and attended the 2005 Interstate Oratory Association contest in Boston.

Tony Wise holds a Bachelors of Arts in Communications in Theatre from BG. He was a four year competitor and won the 2005 State Triathlon Championship.
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The Bowling Green State University Forensics (Speech & Debate) Program is a co-curricular, competitive team offered through the Department of Theatre and Film to any B.G.S.U. undergraduate student in good academic standing. Students, with the help of an experienced coaching staff, prepare speeches, debates and interpretive performances, competing with similar students from other academic institutions. The Forensics team and Pi Kappa Delta Forensics Honorary are among the oldest organizations on campus. For more information click here.

In the attached photo from left to right: Abby Bollenbacher, Lewis B. Smith, coach Paul Alday, Andrea Brew, Sarah Smith, Kent Truckor, Jennifer Cole, Kenny Rogers, Sarah Griffith, Michael Hensler and Michelle Baker.