What do Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Richard Nixon, Oprah Winfrey, Adam Sandler, and Bruce Springsteen all have in common? Besides fame, fortune, and worldwide impact, these individuals all participated in Forensics.

For those who are unfamiliar with the term, “forensics” is essentially competitive public speaking. For some, that’s a big and immediate “nope.” But for many who participate in the world of forensics, they quickly see this event as the single most influential, educational, enjoyable, and professionalizing experience of their entire college career.

For starters, its fun! Forensics participants select a topic of their choice and over the course of several weeks or months, research and prepare a speech. In the meantime, they work with a dedicated forensics coach, build friendships, experience team bonding, and even help other teammates. When tournament time comes, they are ready!

Secondly, it’s challenging. Students compete against other forensics teams from around the country in a variety of categories including:

• Extemporaneous speaking
• Original Oratory
• Dramatic Interpretation
• Humorous interpretation
• Duo interpretation
• Poetry
• Impromptu
• After Dinner Speaking
• Radio Broadcasting

But Forensics is not all travel and competition. It’s also an important and exciting part of the Grace College environment. The Forensics team sponsors several events throughout the year including poetry and story slams, and also work with local high schools through mentoring, judging, and coaching.

Effective communication skills are near the top of desired traits for nearly all professional positions, regardless of major field of study or career industry. As a result, forensics is a great extracurricular activity for students from any major! It’s free to join, worth applied learning credit, and will change your life. What more could you ask for!

The team has witnessed exciting growth and success in their few years of existence, already bringing home several national championships. But they are always looking for more participants who desire to accelerate their academic and professional abilities!

If you would like to hone your presentation skills while at the same time, learning to work as a team, build confidence, compete, and have fun!, contact Melanie Eller, Director of Forensics, at ellerm@grace.edu

Some of the team’s recent successes!

National Team Awards

2019 1st Place Sweeps National Public Communication Speech and Debate League Division II National Individual Events Sweepstakes

2019 1st place Sweeps National Christian College Forensics Invitational for Division III School

National Individual Awards

2019 Two PCSDL National Champions Titles:  Duo Improvisation, Poetry Slam

2019 Three PCSDL 3rd Place National PCSDL Titles: Public Narrative, Poetry Slam, Audition Monologue

2019 5th Place National PCSDL Title: Audible Interpretation

2019 National Christian Communicators Forensics Invitational: 4th Place in Novice Prose     Interpretation

2019 National Christian Communicators Forensics Invitational:  4th Place Varsity Faith Interpretation Literature

 

State Tournament Awards:

6th Place Novice Prose

6th Place Novice Poetry

Eastern Michigan University

5th Place Varsity Dramatic Interpretation

5th Place Novice Prose

 

Bowling Green State University/Ohio

5th Novice Prose Interpretation

 

Muskingum University

3rd Place Varsity Rhetorical Criticism

4th Place Varsity Program of Oral Interpretation

7th Place Varsity Festival Storytelling