by Kimberlee Runnion

EASTON, PA – “The art of persuasion, beautiful and just.” That is the motto of the oldest public speaking honorary in the United States: Pi Kappa Delta. Every individual on our team is a member of this organization, and each one of us, no matter what event we compete in, practices the art of persuasion. In forensics, language and form is beautiful in both sound and intent.

As members of Pi Kappa Delta, we are encouraged and empowered to use our voices as advocates for justice. Membership in this organization goes beyond competition. Competing in forensics is about communicating with others and building relationships with a community. While we receive honors for competitive excellence, we also share in fellowship and opportunity to strengthen and shape the communities we inhabit.

This year, we are introducing a new award among our own team: the Pi Kappa Delta award. This award recognizes a member of the Lafayette College Forensics Society who best embodies the spirit of Pi Kappa Delta through a balance of competitive success, academic excellence, team mentorship, dedication to service and community, and commitment to building and maintaining a positive team environment. When we gather for our end-of-the year celebration this Thursday, we’ll be presenting this award. Check back to see who our team members and coaches believe best embodies “the art of persuasion, beautiful and just.”

by Elaine Huang (’19)

MUNCIE, IN – After an entire academic year of writing and delivering speeches, perfecting performances, and accumulating research, the Lafayette Forensics Society ended their competitive season at the National Forensic Association’s championship tournament.  Hosted this year by Ball State University, the tournament featured 80 colleges and universities from around the nation.  Seven students qualified and accompanied the three coaches and one alumni volunteer to the prestigious tournament.

In debate, Seniors Vanessa Milan and Joseph Rothschild qualified for the elimination rounds with 4-2 records.  First-year competitor, Elaine Huang, narrowly missed with a 3-3 record in her first nationals.  Vanessa Milan advanced to the octofinal (final 16) after defeating Truman State University’s Dillon Laaker.  In the octofinals, Milan ended her fantastic career against Western Kentucky University’s Damon Brown.  Brown would go on to finish second in the entire tournament.  Joseph Rothschild advanced to the quarterfinal round (final 8).  Joseph defeated students from Western Kentucky University and Truman State University.  In the quarterfinals, Rothschild fell on a 2-1 decision to the eventual national champion, Alex Glanzman from Kansas City Kansas Community College.  These results were enough to place Lafayette in 4th place as a team in debate sweepstakes.  This is the fourth year in a row that Lafayette has placed in the top 5 and the 9th year in the top 10.  With only three students entered in debate, this is an amazing accomplishment for the team considering that the first and second placed teams had 8 and 14 entries respectively.

Five students participated in speech events at the national tournament.  Cassidy Reller (’16) and Vanessa Milan (’16) joined Aaron Walker (’18), Fayola Fair (’19), and Michael Wellnitz (’19) as qualifiers.  Despite not advancing any students to the elimination rounds, a couple of near misses and strong performances were enough to place Lafayette 5th in Division III team sweepstakes.

The students weren’t the only ones to win awards, Assistant Director John Boyer, was inducted into the National Forensic Association’s Hall of Fame.  The Hall of Fame considers three primary criteria for inclusion, competitive success, contributions to forensics, and contributions as a professional.  John competed at Otterbein College from 1997-2000 and has excelled as a coach at Lafayette and has made countless contributions to collegiate forensics.  He currently serves as a member of the NFA National Council as the Chair of NFA-LD Debate.  20 individuals were nominated this year and John was one of six to be inducted.  It is one of the highest honors that a coach can receive and the team is very proud.

Lafayette Forensics Society will return in the fall to welcome a brand new crop of students at the fall retreat in September!

by Elaine Huang (’19)

LEXINGTON, KY — The dedicated Lafayette Leopards started off their spring break like they do so many other weekends — at a speech and debate tournament.  Elaine Huang (’19), Aaron Walker (’18), Kaitlin Kinsella (’17), Cassidy Reller (’16), and Vanessa Milan (’16) flew to Lexington, KY to compete at the bi-annual Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament hosted by the University of Kentucky.  The team spent four exhausting, but meaningful days debating and speaking eloquently.

In addition to their usual events, the entire team tried out the Interviewing event.  After preparing resumes and spending time as an interviewer and interviewee, Kaitlin Kinsella finished in the top 30% and earned an Excellent award.  Moreover, Aaron Walker and Cassidy Reller were both quarterfinalists in impromptu speaking.  Cassidy was also a quarterfinalist in Persuasion and advanced to the final round of Editorial Impromptu, where he finished 4th place in the nation!

As always, food was an important part of the trip, and the celebratory Mongolian BBQ did not disappoint.  There was one other event on the weekend — team prepared to return to Philadelphia with a new obsession — Sherlock Holmes!  There is only one more tournament on the calendar.  The team is getting ready to compete at one more post-season tournament, NFA’s Championship Tournament at Ball State University in mid-April.  Wish us luck!

by Elaine Huang

HILLSDALE, MI – This past weekend, three Lafayette debaters and two coaches made the 10 hour trip to Hillsdale, Michigan to participate in the inaugural Richard M. Weaver Invitational at Hillsdale College.  Vanessa Milan (’16), Elaine Huang (’19), and Sarah Pungitore (’19) bravely endured the trip.  Despite being terrified by the coaches that they would be staying in cabins with communal showers, the team enjoyed the eclectic experience.  The campus was littered with statues and paintings of people from Margaret Thatcher to Pat Sajak.

At the tournament, the team faced off against The Ohio State University, Clarion University, John Carroll University, Central Michigan University, and the hosts from Hillsdale.  After four preliminary rounds, Vanessa (3 wins-1 loss) and Sarah (2-2) advanced to quarterfinals. Unfortunately, both Sarah and Vanessa dropped to their opponents from Hillsdale and The Ohio State University.  Sarah Pungitore was also named the 5th place speaker and top novice at the tournament.  Elaine Huang (2-2) was the 6th place speaker and the 2nd best novice debater at the tournament.  Collectively, the team placed 1st overall in team sweepstakes.  Tim Polelle from Hillsdale College was the individual champion in debate.

Up next – Sarah Pungitore and Fayola Fair (’19) represent Lafayette College at the Novice National tournament at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

by Vanessa Milan

EASTON, PA – This weekend the Lafayette College Forensics Society hosted the Pennsylvania State Forensics Association Championship Tournament. Pardee Hall was packed with competitors from Penn State University, West Chester University, St. Joseph’s University, Wilkes University, and Bloomsburg University competing in a variety of speech events and parliamentary debate. As always, Lafayette competitors demonstrated their dedication to Forensics in every way they could—from wild warm-ups to passionate and intellectual speeches.

At the conclusion of the tournament, every member of the Lafayette Forensics Society left wearing at least one medal—including two state championship medals. Kaitlin Kinsella (’17) was named state champion in rhetorical criticism for her speech on a photography project in New York City. Michael Wellnitz (’19) was named state champion in informative speaking for his speech on transparent solar panels. Fayola Fair (’19) and Aaron Walker (’18) were runner-up finishers in poetry interpretation and extemporaneous speaking respectively. As a team, the Lafayette Forensics Society finished 3^rd in the state of Pennsylvania. In addition to his competitive success, Aaron Walker was elected as one of the two student representatives for the state.

Director of Forensics and President of the Pennsylvania Forensics Association, Scott Placke, remarked that the state tournament is one of the most rewarding tournaments every year because it is experienced as a Lafayette Forensics Society family. With so many alumni returning to judge, it was heart-warming to see multiple generations of Lafayette Forensics laughing together and sharing their love of forensics. The Lafayette Forensics Society is thankful for their contributions to the tournament and to the team. Alumni judges included Erik Heins, Jen Rusak, Nicholas Moore, Mark Kokoska, Rachel Heron, Elizabeth Wehler, Samuel Derrick, Ryan Benjamin, Teevrat Garg, Joseph Dudek, and James Hilbert.

One of the best things about hosting the state tournament is the opportunity to showcase forensics for the college. Several staff and faculty members also donated their time to act as judges for the tournament. Lafayette Forensics Society would like to extend a special thanks to the Director of Religious and Spiritual Life, Alex Hendrickson, Professor of Economics, James DeVault, and Professor of Economics, Rose Marie Bukics. The contributions of the host community at any forensics tournament enriches the educational and co-curricular experience.

The Lafayette Forensics Society travels to Hillsdale College in Michigan for their last invitational of the year in early March. After that, the team will travel to various national tournaments in March and April.

Full results

Cassidy Reller ’16 – 3rd in Extemporaneous Speaking, 3rd in Persuasion, and 3rd in Rhetorical Criticism

Vanessa Milan ’16 – 6th in Persuasion

Kaitlin Kinsella ’17 – 1st Place in Rhetorical Criticism and 3^rd in Duo Interpretation (Walker)

Aaron Walker ’18 – 3rd in Extemporaneous Speaking, 2nd in Impromptu Speaking, and 3rd in Duo Interpretation (Kinsella)

Fayola Fair ’19 – 2nd in Poetry Interpretation and 3rd in Impromptu Speaking

Michael Wellnitz ’19 – 1st in Informative Speaking and 5^th in Persuasion

Sarah Pungitore ’19 – 4th in Extemporaneous Speaking

3^rd place – Team Sweepstakes

by Elaine Huang

HARRISONBURG, VA – This past weekend, senior Cassidy Reller, competed at James Madison University for the final time. Despite his veteran status, it marks the first time this season that Cassidy has competed in Persuasive Speaking. In a stellar debut, Reller advanced to the final round and finished 5th at the tournament in Persuasion. This finish qualifies Cassidy for the national tournament in that event. He also competed in Extemporaneous Speaking and Impromptu Speaking, both events that he has previously qualified for nationals.

Traveling with Director of Forensics, Scott Placke, Cassidy also got the opportunity to experience a smorgasbord of southern food.  Despite being the lone competitor at the tournament, Cassidy performed valiantly and represented the team and Lafayette College well!

by Joseph Rothschild

ST. LOUIS, MO – After spending four and a half days shuffling through classes, Lafayette Forensicators Sarah Pungitore (’19), Vanessa Milan (’16), and Joseph Rothschild (’16) piled onto a plane to attend one of the largest tournaments of the year, Webster University’s Gorlok Gala. Though most of the team ended up sick as a result of the combined three hours of sleep they got over the weekend, their sniffling and coughing wasn’t enough to prevent them from picking up multiple top finishes in both speech and debate.

After six excruciating rounds of debate, fourth-year Gorlok participant Joseph Rothschild was awarded Top Speaker, only dropping 1 and a half speaker points out of the 180 available over the weekend. After a top 16 break, he dropped in a highly competitive round against Western Kentucky’s Bailey Rung on a 2-1 decision. Debating alongside him was Vanessa Milan, another fourth-year Gorlock participant, who spent her six preliminary rounds sparring alongside the circuit’s best.

The talk of the tournament for Lafayette, however, was novice debater Sarah Pungitore, who not only made her varsity debut in the Lincoln-Douglas tournament, but also made it into the semifinal round of Extemporaneous Speaking. This was a huge honor for both the debater and the dedicated teammates who remained in Easton, who spent the weekend diligently pulling files and arguments for Pungitore to deploy with her characteristic charm.

When not desperately trying to sneak in naps between rounds and losing themselves in a pile of paper, Vanessa, Sarah, and Joseph were treated to the Gorlock’s classic toasted ravioli dinner, a nighttime drive around the loop, and a fantastic dinner in a rotating booth. The team definitely cherished the ability to compete in one of the largest and most competitive tournaments of the year, and will be returning in two weeks to attend a tournament at James Madison University.

by Elaine Huang

AUSTIN, TX – Five members of the Lafayette Forensics Team, along with Kim and Scott, competed at Hell Froze Over, two tournaments held at the University of Texas at Austin on January 16^th and 17^th. Hell Froze Over is one of the most difficult and largest tournaments of the year.  Over 40 schools from all over the nation attend this tournament.

First-year students Richard Mallon, Lauren Wisniewski, Sarah Pungitore, and Elaine Huang, along with sophomore Aaron Walker, had the opportunity to view a multitude of outstanding performances. It was definitely a learning experience for all, as the team members absorbed lessons that ranged from issues like politics from watching Extemporaneous Speaking rounds, to effectively portraying emotion in Dramatic Interpretation rounds. These lessons will be invaluable in kicking off the new semester in the Spring of 2016!

The team returns to competition this Friday, January 29th at Webster University in St. Louis, MO.

by Elaine Huang

COLUMBUS, OH – This weekend, first year competitors Elaine Huang (’19) and Michael Wellnitz (’19) competed in the Holiday Frolic Tournament at the frighteningly large Ohio State University. The students were accompanied by two coaches, John Boyer and Kimberlee Runnion. Huang competed in Lincoln-Douglas debate and Extemporaneous Speaking while Wellnitz competed in Persuasion. In Lincoln-Douglas debate, Elaine finished with a 3-1 record and qualified for the single-elimination quarterfinal round. In quarterfinals, Huang defeated a debater from Central Michigan University on a 2-1 decision. Advancing to semifinals, Huang faced a debater from Hillsdale College. Elaine was again victorious, this time on a 3-0 decision. In Finals, Huang debated against Duncan Voyles from Hillsdale College who had competed in the elimination rounds at nationals last year. Despite facing one of the top 30 debaters in the nation from last year, Elaine was crowned tournament champion on a 2-1 decision. Elaine was also named the tournament’s second best speaker, behind only Central Michigan’s Audrey Weber who had finished in the top 4 at the national tournament last year.

While all of this was going on, Michael Wellnitz was competing in Persuasion, and consequently having to carry around giant visual aids that he complained about all weekend. Michael had a successful first taste of out-of-region competition, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the final round. Behind these two performances, the team won 3^rd place in limited entry sweepstakes—an amazing accomplishment.

While the Lafayette team’s entry list was short, their dining adventures were extensive. Food devoured ranged from burgers and creamy milkshakes from Steak ‘n Shake to the celestial cookies of life from Insomnia Cookies. Most importantly, the team rewarded themselves with Mongolian BBQ after the tournament had finished. Kim and Elaine polished off a giant goblet of a pillow-soft brownie enrobed in mint chocolate ice cream drizzled with caramel and fudge sauce while John and Michael watched enviously. On the drive home, the team stopped by Bob Evans for brunch.

The Holiday Frolic was a nourishing tournament, not just in terms of enriching Michael and Elaine’s experience in competition but their appetites as well.

by Elaine Huang

MANCHESTER, NH – The Lafayette Forensics team brought an incredible force of debaters and IE-ers to St. Anselm’s this past weekend.

Aaron Walker (’18) was 1st place in Trithon, an award for individuals who competed in three events or more. He finished 2nd place in Extemporaneous speaking, 1st place in Impromptu, and 1st place in Duo with Lauren Wisniewski (’19), a stellar accomplishment for their first time competing in the event together. He is now qualified for nationals in all three events.

Cassidy Reller (’16) was 3rd place in Trithon. His wins consisted of 1st place in Extemporaneous speaking, 2nd place in Rhetorical Criticism, and 2nd place in Impromptu. He qualified for nationals in Impromptu and Rhetorical Criticism.

In addition to Lauren, other first year IE-ers had an impressive run as well. Michael Wellnitz (’19) placed 3rd in Persuasion. Fayola Fair (’19) received 4th place in Impromptu. All three qualified for nationals in their respective events. The efforts of the Lafayette IE-ers earned them 3rd place in IE Team Sweepstakes.

Debate-land was full of thrills as well. In Novice NFA-LD Debate, Sarah Pungitore (’19) was 3rd place speaker and semifinalist, while Lauren Wisniewski was 1st place speaker and the Novice LD Champion. She defeated her opponent from St. Anselm College in the final on a 2-1 decision. In Open LD, Vanessa Milan (’16) was 2nd place speaker and placed 2nd in the event, while Elaine Huang (’19) was 3rd place speaker. The combined finishes were enough to propel Lafayette towards 1st place Sweepstakes in debate!

Overall, it was an amazing weekend, topped off with a delicious lunch at Stew Leonard’s on the drive home.