“It takes a certain kind of courage to stand in front of an audience and speak, week after week,” said Nathaniel Wilson, communication professor and director of forensics. Speech has been a staple of Doane University since its founding, but the forensics team was established in 2000. Despite the name, the team members do not dissect crime scenes; instead, they analyze various topics and passages of text while standing before an audience. Topics from the 2024-2025 speech season included the recontextualization of the myth of Icarus, the unique challenges faced by modern K-12 educators, and the importance of embracing our shared humanity.
Doane’s forensics team is exceptionally skilled, advancing to over 30 final rounds this season and earning 58 first- and second-place rankings. They were also crowned Nebraska state tournament champions in Division Three. It’s safe to say that this four-person team is small but mighty, and the 2025 Forensics Showcase, held on April 25, allowed them to share some of their winning performances. Wilson and Jennifer Torres, Assistant Director of Forensics, organized the showcase and the 25-year forensics reunion that took place the following day.
Sophomore Jackson Finner, who competes in persuasion and poetry events, began his presentation with a powerful statement: “Alexandria is burning once again, but this time we can choose to put the fire out.” Finner spoke about the importance of preserving endangered video games, describing them as cultural, technological, and historical landmarks. He explained that maintaining video games often requires also preserving the consoles and systems they run on, which can be challenging. In 2024, the U.S. Copyright Office denied libraries, archives and museums the opportunity to lend out video games. To illustrate his points, Jackson provided handouts that resembled cartridges for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
In his first year in forensics, sophomore Theo Jones showcased his skills with an impromptu speech event. Wilson highlighted that Jones is a frequent commentator for Doane’s eSports team, a talent that served him well for this occasion. On stage, Jones discovered his prompt by flipping over a card and then had seven minutes to prepare and deliver his speech. He was given the Anela L. Wozniak quote, “I have come to realize my trouble with living has come from fear and smallness within me.” With this inspiration, Jones connected themes from the Incredible Hulk, Lord of the Rings, Norse mythology and the Fantastic Four in a humorous reflection on strength, keeping the audience entertained throughout.
Freshman Lillian Korbel joined Doane for band and choir but was drawn to the forensics team due to her passion for speech. Competing in prose and poetry, she utilized skills gained from her theater experience. Korbel qualified for two events at the national level, and her performance at the showcase demonstrated why. Her delivery of a prose piece captivated the audience, conveying a story that left many in tears, despite their lack of context.
Sophomore Jordynn Jerby followed Korbel’s performance with her after-dinner speaking piece, a blend of serious and humorous elements. She addressed the topic of reduction mammoplasty, commonly known as breast reduction surgery. Jerby quipped, “I, too, deserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happy tits.” Her performance included physical gags and tackled an important issue, emphasizing that “spoiler alert: it all comes back to sexism.” Jerby presented statistics, instances of malpractice, and even the formula for the supposedly perfect breasts, demonstrating both the gravity and humor of the subject matter.
All performers received plenty of applause and were later joined by the audience for refreshments. However, the next day, more forensics enthusiasts came together for the Doane Forensics 25-Year Reunion Dinner. Alumni, current team members, friends, and family were welcomed with scrapbooks, photos and trophies. The dinner also featured several activity tables, including a mentor tree, a space to record video messages for incoming members, and a selection of board games.
Forensics has been a part of campus life since 2000, but speech activities have also been present. President Hughes and alumni from previous speech teams, such as the Tiger Talkers, Mock Trial, Doane Speakers, Pi Kappa Delta and the Independent Debate Team, were in attendance. The evening celebrated the successes of the 2024-2025 team, past teams, victories, and the history of speech at Doane.
As the night went on, riveting stories from alumni filled the room. “You all aren’t getting asbestos exposure anymore, that’s the true Doane experience,” quipped one alumnus. Another shared their memories of living in Cassel House with 11 other people. Alumni Allison Jasso and Walker Stuhr recounted a humorous moment when Walker tricked Allison into thinking that safety instructions on airplanes were call-and-response during her very first flight.
Afterward, past and present speech members gathered in a circle for warm-ups. These included activities like “Mother Pheasant,” “St. Bernard,” and “Romeover in the Clover.” Alumni not only remembered these warm-ups but also shared stories about how some of them started. One notable moment involved a parody of “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which the group enthusiastically performed in the early 2000s.
The current forensics team distributed goodie bags, and the group continued to mingle and reminisce until the event ended.
