OAKLAND, MI – Lafayette College attended the third ever National Speech Championship at Oakland University in Michigan.  Director Scott Placke traveled to this tournament with four students.  Eleanor Griffiths, Scott Kamen, Saeed Malami, and Kelly Mwaamba competed in 13 events across all three genres.  The team finished in 14th place, its highest ever finish at this prestigious tournament.  The individual results were highlighted by Saeed Malami’s success in Persuasion and Dramatic Interpretation.  Saeed was a national finalist in BOTH events, taking 4th place in each of the two final rounds.  Scott Kamen and Kelly Mwaamba also advanced to the elimination rounds.  These strong performances propelled the small squad into the top 15 in the nation!

Scott Kamen – Quarterfinalist in Persuasion and Communication Analysis
Saeed Malami – 4th Place in Persuasion, 4th Place in Dramatic Interpretation, Quarterfinalist in Dramatic Duo
Kelly Mwaamba – Quarterfinalist in Dramatic Duo, Quarterfinalist in Dramatic Interpretation

Team Sweepstakes – 14th place