Bound for my Last Forensics Tournament, in Gatlinburg, TN

Please scroll down to the post below for tips on a safe and healthy spring break at a vacation destination, or coping with returning to your family for a week. I hope the post below is helpful to others, as none of it applies to me. :-) Surprise, surprise… I’m spending my spring break at a Forensics tournament! Sadly, it’s the last tournament of my competitive career.

Today I am traveling to Loudonville to join some members of my team at Michelle’s parents’ rental cabin for extensive preparation… (check out SecludedCabins.com) then it’s back to BG to spend Thursday driving to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for the Pi Kappa Delta Forensics Honorary tournament.

You may recall earlier in the spring BGSU won the CFA Nationals for a fifth consecutive year, then recently I explained how other teams attend NFA or AFA Nationals. You see, unlike sports, where there is one end-all, be-all championship, Forensics has a few. AFA draws wealthy programs, CFA draws New England schools, NFA draws those who are blood thirsty and endurance filled and PKD is a nationwide mix of those belonging to this honorary. (There is a second speech honorary, but I don’t recall their letters, but yes, they hold a national tournament too.) It would be virtually impossible, by restrictions of scheduling and finances for a team or even individual to attend all of these nationals. I am impressed and grateful that BG is attending two.

Last year, for a first time in several years, Lew, Michelle and I attended this tournament in St. Louis. While three people cannot possible place as a team at such a large tournament, the three of us did so well individually, we lobbied for specific funding to send the whole team this year. So eight of us, Michelle, J*Cole, Mike, Anna, Kenny, both Sarah’s and I will be heading down with coaches Paul and Tony. Sadly, Lew volunteered for military duty and Kent is off being Superman, building houses for the poor and others had other obligations, but eight is still a good group.

[Above, Lew and I at the St. Louis Arch, after both winning National Championships at the PKD tournament.]

Hopefully I’ll be able to blog from the tournament, as I did last year from Webster University in St. Louis. Check out those posts from last years PKD tournament: Greeting from St. Loius, St. Louis is the Bazaaro World of Forensics! and Results from St. Louis.