On April 1, the Doane Forensics team packed their bags and traveled to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to compete in the 2024 American Forensics Association’s National Speech Tournament (AFA-NST).
This year Doane was able to take five students in a variety of events. Senior Olivia Vore competed in Prose Interpretation, Program of Oral Interpretation (P.O.I) Duo Interpretation and Communication Analysis. Senior Alexandria Moulton competed in Poetry Interpretation, Persuasive Speaking and After Dinner Speaking. Senior Cassie Kessler competed in After Dinner Speaking, freshman Jackson Finner in Communication Analysis and Duo Interpretation, and freshman Jordyn Jerby in Prose Interpretation, Duo Interpretation with Finner, and Duo Interpretation with Vore.
Assistant Director of Forensics Jennifer Torres explained how she was proud of these students and was glad she was able to experience this experience with these students.
“This year’s team truly had a passion for their event topics,” Torres said. “These speech events really are for many yearlong research projects. It has been such a joy for the director and I get to work with such inquisitive and passionate students that love to learn, whether it be about a speech topic area or human behavior and emotions while studying an interp character.”
Torres also thinks that Finner and Jerby have had a lot of growth as researchers, writers, and performers this year. She also explains how they have already generated new ideas for next year’s speech events, meaning they have the potential to start the next season on a good foot.
“There were about 60 schools, with 1,150 speech entries at this year’s AFA-NST,” Torres said. “With that, Moulton quarter-finaled in After Dinner Speaking, taking 17th place and was ‘next out’ in Poetry (meaning, out of the 6 judge ranks from preliminary rounds, she was one rank away from quarter-finaling), placing 29th. She also became the first collegiate to use an ‘Augmentative and Alternative Communication’ device in a public address event.”
The Doane Forensics team placed 6th overall in Limited Entry Team Sweepstakes, and was also able to make great memories throughout their trip to Wisconsin.