With Doane Forensics finishing their lengthy qualification season and preparing for the American Forensics Association’s National Speech Tournament (AFA-NST), the team hopes to cap off their season with high marks at nationals. However, before nationals, the speech team plans on taking a retreat to polish their material and bond as a team before their final competition.
“The seclusion fosters camaraderie and increases focus as the group is removed from daily campus or home life. The beauty and nature of the locations promotes creativity and allows coaches to give targeted guidance on project research, idea generation, writing and revisions,” Assistant Director of Forensics Jennifer Torres said.
Torres is adamant about the location of the retreat being a surprise for those who are partaking. Even if the location of the trip is a secret, the seclusion’s purpose is clear: enjoy a stress-free environment and make sure they are ready for nationals.
Doane Forensics is enjoying an incredibly successful year, with all members of the traveling speech team qualifying for at least one event for nationals and winning multiple awards throughout the qualification season. Doane University hosted a tournament on Feb. 10 where multiple students had strong showings, such as freshman Jackson Finner, who placed 7th, and senior Olivia Vore, who placed 5th in Communication Analysis. Senior Alexandria Moulton took home the state championship in Poetry Interpretation and then won the “Spirit of NIFA” award, an award that only two students in the state receive. The Doane Forensics Team hopes to ride their high by using all the resources they can at their disposal during their seclusion in hopes of being as best prepared as they can be for nationals.
“Our retreat includes collaborative brainstorming, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of a student’s speech draft or literary cutting, video chats with alumni, and the team has the chance to unwind and cook meals for one another,” Torres said.
The culmination of Doane Forensics’ hard work will be displayed when the team competes at Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in a competition against the top forensics teams in the nation, where current Doane Director of Forensics Nathaniel Wilson will serve as National Tournament Director of the AFA-NST. Doane Forensics hopes their spring break seclusion will help strengthen and relax them for the competition they are set to face.
