Forensics Continues Fall Semester Success

Truman forensics started the month of November with an excellent showing. The individual events competitors traveled to Peoria, Illinois, to compete in the 78th Annual L.E. Norton Memorial Tournament at Bradley University. The Norton is the biggest invitational tournament of the semester, drawing powerhouse teams such as Western Kentucky University, George Mason, the University of Alabama and the University of Texas at Austin.  

Varsity competitor Emery McEvoy, a second-year accounting major, was a semifinalist in extemporaneous speaking. Novice competitors Annie Nguyen and Jack Unsell also did incredibly well. Unsell, a first-year political science and environmental science double-major, was fifth in novice extemporaneous and a semifinalist in novice impromptu speaking. Nguyen, a first-year political science and environmental science double-major, was tournament champion in novice persuasive speaking. Individual events competitors also participated in the next installment of the Online Asynchronous Tournament Series (OATS). Third-year political science major Ashton Mullen placed fifth in extemporaneous speaking.

In debate, the team simultaneously attended the Illinois State University Redbird Invitational online. Making it to the final round of NFA Lincoln-Douglas debate was Ryan Franklin, second-year mathematics major. He placed second overall in the tournament. Payten Luaders, third-year political science and philosophy major, was an octafinalist and received a third-place speaker award. Also finishing as an octafinalist was Ammi Mchugh, first-year political science and creative writing double-major. Nevaeh Carter, first year communication disorders major, secured a quarterfinalist finish. The team was second overall in tournament sweepstakes, topping nationally-ranked programs such as North Texas, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Pittsburg and Lewis and Clark.