LINCOLN, NE – The Lafayette Forensics team kicked off the postseason last week when they attended the National Speech Championship at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. The field was extremely competitive, with over 40 schools from around the nation competing in the second installment of this new national tournament. Lafayette will be a fixture at this tournament for years to come.

Every single member of the team that traveled to this tournament won awards. Several members of the team advanced to elimination rounds, with sophomore Jennie Richardson making quarterfinals in After Dinner Speaking, sophomore Saeed Malami making quarterfinals in Prose Interpretation and Program Oral Interpretation, and senior Aaron Walker and sophomore Chris Mayer making quarterfinals in both Extemporaneous and Impromptu speaking. Kaitlin McNamara advanced to the novice final showcase in Poetry Interpretation and Scott Kamen advanced to the novice final showcases for Persuasive Speaking and After Dinner Speaking, an impressive start to their national careers.

Next up – the National Forensics Association’s National Tournament, the last – and largest – comprehensive national tournament of the season. This year, we will be traveling to the University of Wisconsin-Oskhosh for this memorable experience.