Forensics Rolling

Andy Dygert
News Editor
Feb. 26, 2004, Page 3

The Doane Forensics team has been doing well this school year, consistently winning or placing in meets higher than many large universities from around the nation.
“It shows how much our team has improved in the four years since it was started,” sophomore member Abi Mihel said. “I think it’s impressive that we are now a power in the forensics community.”
The team has defeated almost every college or university in Nebraska including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), Omaha (UNO) and Kearney (UNK) Mihel said. They have also beaten big universities such as Kansas State University, Western Kentucky University and Rice University.
“It’s really great,” senior member Anne Golden said. “There’s only two seniors on a team that was just started my freshman year. The fact that we can beat big, prestigious universities is really amazing.”
The majority of the team has already qualified for nationals in early April, Golden said, with senior Erin Cico being the latest, qualifying Saturday. To qualify for nationals a participant’s top three scores must equal eight or less points. Scoring is based on the place you wind up within the finals of every meet. One point for first, two for second and so on. These points must come from different events, so every forensics member participates in at least three events.
The forensics competitive season runs from the end of September until nationals in April. According to Golden the off-months are practice time and time to prepare new or expand on old speeches. For each event the team member must have a ten minute speech memorized.
“It’s pretty much a year-round event,” Golden said.
Doane Forensics will be competing as a team in the American Forensic Association nationals, which is the most prestigious collegiate tournament.
“It’s exciting to see that Doane College is competing against the top schools in the nation in something,” freshman Brent Cole said. “I just wish them luck.”