by Kaitlin Kinsella (’17)

WEST CHESTER, PA – On Saturday, October 11, 2014 Lafayette’s Speech Team competed for the first time at West Chester University for the 2014-2015 year. This year there were fourteen schools competing at West Chester. Lafayette’s Team was represented by four novices: freshmen Bilal Akbar ’18 and Aaron Walker ’18, junior Jen Bognar ’16, and senior Joe Arrieta ’15. Akbar and Walker represented Lafayette in extemp, while Bognar and Arrieta competed in prose in their first tournament with the team.

The four novices were wonderful representatives of Lafayette and made the Speech Team proud. The tournament is important for the team because it exposes and introduces the novices to the forensics community. The team is really excited to see what will happen with this new generation of the Lafayette College Forensics Society. Next, we’ll be traveling to Marshall University in West Virginia for a speech and debate tournament on October 25-26. This is going to be a great year for Lafayette Forensics!

by Alyssa Braver (’16)

EASTON, PA — It was the weekend of Fall Festival at Lafayette College, but the Lafayette debate team had other plans. It was also the weekend of Lafayette College’s annual debate tournament, The Ocho.  The tournament derives its name from the fact that originally there were eight preliminary rounds before the top 16 debaters advanced into Octo-finals. While enough teams haven’t competed for this to be the case in recent years, this weekend teams came from all across the country to compete (Shout out to University of Pacific for coming all the way from California!) allowing the tournament to be a true Ocho once again.

Four debaters competed for Lafayette College in the Open Division of the tournament. They were seniors Ryan Monahan (’15) and Justin Horn (’15), as well as juniors Vanessa Milan (’16) and Alyssa Braver (’16). There was also a novice division in which two Lafayette debaters also competed for their first time in college Lincoln Douglas debate. These debaters were freshman Andrew Ortiz (’18) and Emily Carter (’18).

In the Open Division, both Ryan Monahan and Justin Horn advanced past preliminary rounds. In an Octo-finals debate, Ryan Monahan defeated University of Pacific’s Reed Ramsey to advance to Quarter-finals. Lafayette’s Justin Horn defeated Western Kentucky University’s Nefertiti Dukes in a 3-0 decision. This is more impressive given the fact that Nefertiti Dukes was the only person to go 8-0 during the preliminary rounds this tournament.

In Quarter-finals, Justin Horn lost to Sterling’s Brandon Hoesli. However, Ryan Monahan defeated University of Pacific’s Jonathan Bruce in a 2-1 decision. He advanced to a semi-finals round against Otterbein’s Maggie Parsons, which he also picked up in a 3-0 decision. This led to a final round between Ryan Monahan and Brandon Hoesli.

The round for the tournament championship took place in Lafayette’s Limburg Theater for all to watch. It was an intense and exciting debate, and it came down to a 2-1 decision. However, Ryan Monahan emerged victorious by one vote and claimed the title as tournament champion. He also ended up winning the top speaker award for the Open Division of the tournament, which meant, in true Lafayette spirit, he received a leopard hat full of candy.

The tournament champion of the Novice Division was also one of Lafayette’s own. Emily Carter in a 3-0 decision defeated John Carroll University’s Austin Rivers. She also received the top speaker prize of the Novice Division and secured her qualification for this years NFA’s National Tournament.

Overall, it was a fun and rewarding tournament in addition to being the biggest tournament Lafayette has hosted in recent years. It is hopeful that the tournament will continue to grow next year. Until then, the next time the Lafayette Debate team will be competing will be at Marshall University from October 24-27.

On Thursday September 18th, four debaters from Lafayette College (along with their Director of Speech and Debate, Scott Placke) set out for Western Kentucky to compete in their first tournament of the year. After surviving a flight to Nashville and a short car ride to Kentucky, the debaters arrived at their hotel ready to compete and support their teammates the next day in Western Kentucky’s annual Round Robin.

Senior Ryan Monahan won the inaugural Round Robin, but this year the tournament was christened with a new name. Now the Alexis Elliot Memorial Round Robin, the tournament is a fitting memorial to one of the finest and most inspirational debaters ever.

Monahan and fellow senior Justin Horn were selected to represent Lafayette College in this elite tournament in which only two students from each school are allowed to compete. There were ten debaters entered, and together they comprised some of the best talent in the nation. Juniors Vanessa Milan and Alyssa Braver also attended the tournament to watch and help prep their teammates.

Although Monahan did not reclaim his title as tournament champion, he did manage to make it to semi-finals, an impressive feat nonetheless. In addition, he claimed the third place speaker award. He also qualified for the NFA National Tournament. Nefertiti Dukes from Western Kentucky University won the Round Robin with Truman State’s Donny Richardson finishing second.

The debate fun was just beginning. Saturday morning began Western Kentucky’s Fall Fiesta tournament. This time, all four Lafayette debaters competed. There were a total of 31 debaters entered in the open division of Lincoln Douglas Debate, and they came from schools all across the nation. The debaters competed in six preliminary rounds.

Justin Horn and Alyssa Braver both advanced into elimination rounds. Justin Horn lost in the quarter-finals and Alyssa Braver lost in semi-finals. Both debaters qualified for Nationals. The final round was a close-out between two Western Kentucky debaters, Tyler Prochazka and Nefertiti Dukes. Ryan Monahan picked up another speaker award, this time taking second place, despite not qualifying for the elimination rounds.

The next time the team will debate will be from October 4-5 in The Ocho, which will take place at our very own Lafayette College. It is sure to be an exciting and educational event!

–Alyssa Braver, VP of Debate

On Saturday, September 13 the Lafayette Forensics Team traveled together for the first time to go on a retreat to Chambersburg, PA. This retreat brought together returners and novices and allowed for the speech members to intermingle with debaters. The retreat consisted of educational components that gave an overview of all the different events. By exposing speech members to debate, and debaters to speech, teammates gained a new appreciation of their team members and also encouraged individuals to try new events. In addition to the educational component of the retreat a key purpose was to bring the group together. By engaging in several icebreakers, team bonding activities, and games novices and returners learned about one another and felt like they were part of a special group. The Lafayette Forensics Team got a lot of work done and had some fun at the Fall 2014 Retreat. Now they are ready to get out in the circuit and compete!

–Kaitlin Kinsella, VP of Speech

On September 12th-14th, the Lafayette Forensics Society will be descending upon Gettysburg, PA for their annual fall retreat.  First-year competitors will be attending along with veteran members of the team to prepare for the upcoming competitive season.  We will be departing after afternoon classes have concluded on Friday. If you are interested in attending, please contact Scott Placke (plackeh<at>lafayette<dot>edu) and RSVP.

Lafayette Forensics Society will have a table at the 2014 Involvement Fair.  The Fair will be on the quad, September 3rd from 3pm until 7pm.  Stop by and meet various members of the team and find out more about how you can be involved in the Lafayette Forensics Society.

If you can’t stop by and want to be involved, come to Simon G6 and say “hi!”

Lafayette’s campus was at its liveliest this weekend with the Inauguration of the new president, the Homecoming football game, and theLafayette College (Ocho) Debate Tournament. Teams representing universities from across the country travelled to Lafayette to compete in the two four-round tournaments.

The Ocho was the first tournament in which the entire Lafayette team competed including four novice debaters. Following preliminary rounds, eight debaters advanced to the quarterfinal rounds, including Lafayette’s Zoe Staum ‘14. Advancing to quarterfinals also qualified Zoe for NFA’s National Tournament in the spring.

At the closing of the first day of competition, Emma Collins (Western Kentucky University) finished 1st Place in Open Debate after winning the final round. Lafayette’s Ryan Monahan ‘15 earned 5th Place Speaker.
Four Lafayette debaters competed in the Novice Division of their very first tournament. Rachel Elias ‘17 advanced to the finals, qualifying her for NFA’s National Tournament. She earned 2nd Place in the Novice Division.

The second day of the tournament consisted of four more preliminary rounds of debate, and top debaters broke into quarterfinals. Zoe Staum, again, earned a spot in the quarterfinals. The Open Division was closed out on the second day by Western Kentucky University debaters. Zoe also earned a 2nd Place Speaker Award on Sunday. Another Lafayette novice debater, Raman Hundal ‘17, broke into the final round of the Novice Division on Sunday afternoon, earning him a qualification for the NFA National Tournament as well. He earned 2nd Place in the Novice Division.

After a long and busy weekend, the debaters will now prepare for the upcoming tournament on October 20th and 21st at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Full Results:
Zoe Staum – Quarterfinalist in Open Debate on Saturday, Quarterfinalist in Open Debate on Sunday, 2nd Place Speaker on Sunday
Ryan Monahan – 5th Place Speaker on Saturday
Rachel Elias – 2nd Place in Novice Debate on Saturday
Raman Hundal – 2nd Place in Novice Debate on Sunday

–Vanessa Milan ’16

This past weekend, Lafayette College dispatched an intrepid trio of Forensics foot soldiers to Liberty University in the cold, black heart of Virginia. Under the adept command of Supreme General Henry Scott Placke, sophomores Cassidy Reller & Luke Wasacz, and freshman Sadie Lebow boldly charged into battle, crossing swords with able competition from over a dozen well-equipped aggressor institutions such as George Mason University, Cedar Crest College, Bowling Green State University, James Madison University, and a plethora of other enemy units.

By the tournament’s close, the Lafayette triumvirs struck sheer visceral terror into the souls of those lesser folk unfortunate enough to engage them in oratory combat. Through their dashing looks and unparalleled rhetorical prowess, the noble Lafayette squadron fought its way to fifth place overall despite being vastly outnumbered. Just as the miniscule Spartan regiment held off the Persian hordes at the epic battle of Thermopylae, Reller, Wasacz, and Lebow rattled their sabers and vaulted Lafayette College to eternal glory. Cassidy Reller, compatriot and former protégé of the legendary and godlike speaker Lord Ryan R. Raesly, fought with honor and inspirational tenacity, garnering fifth and sixth place in the turbulent and highly competitive arenas of Extemporaneous Speaking and Impromptu Speaking, respectively. Freshman Sadie Lebow, eager to earn her stripes, rocketed to fourth place in Extemporaneous Speaking, thereby affirming her place as a force with which to be reckoned for years to come. Both Reller and Lebow were successful in earning their hard-fought qualifications for the National Forensics Tournament in April.

With such a rousing display of force early in the season, the Lafayette College Speech Team shall assuredly perpetuate its legacy of total forensics annihilation in the bloody months to come. EDITOR’S NOTE: Next, the team travels to West Chester University on October 12th and 13th.

–Lord Ryan R. Raesly ’15

If you are interested in joining the Lafayette Speech and Debate team, the first information session will be in Simon Center 124 at 4:30pm on Thursday, August 29th.

If you have questions or cannot attend, you can contact the team president, Ryan Monahan, at monahanr@lafayette.edu

We hope to see you this week!