Forensics Closes Semester with Victories
The Truman Speech and Debate Team brought home several awards after competitions at Ohio State University Dec. 3-4 and neighboring Otterbein College Dec. 5. Truman left the combined competitions, traditionally known as the “Holiday Frolic,” with a total of 21 awards.
In the first tournament, the debate competition fielded 58 debaters. Freshmen Myra Milam and Nick Gorman each advanced through octofinals. This places each of them in the top eight based on win/loss records. Milam received a third place individual award based on her speaking skills in those debate rounds. Freshman John Carney and senior Dylan Clark also received fourth and sixth place speaking awards, respectively.
The Truman speech competitors went up against 24 other schools, including Western Kentucky University and Ohio University.
Junior Andrew Grojean led the team with a second place trophy in individual sweepstakes award, which is based on an individual competitor’s combined finish in all of the events in which they compete. Contributing to that individual award was Grojean’s third place finish in dramatic duo with his partner, freshman Arielle Long-Seabra. Grojean also took fourth in dramatic interpretation and sixth in prose interpretation. Freshman Sarah Agbehia took fifth place in novice impromptu.
During the second competition, the team went up against 13 other schools. Milam fought 49 other debaters to finish again in the top eight, winning another quarter final trophy. Grojean took second place in editorial impromptu, impromptu and persuasion. He also finished third with his duo partner Long-Seabra. Grojean’s top accomplishment was beating several of the nation’s best competitors to reign as champion of both prose interpretation and dramatic interpretation.
The freshman duo of A.J. Taula and Long-Seabra won second place, and Taula also finished second place in dramatic interpretation. Agbehia took third place in open impromptu and sixth place in open extemporaneous.
All totaled, the awards from both competitions earned the team a second place finish in combined team sweepstakes.
“This weekend was a long, grueling one for the competitors. The tournament is far away, it is a long weekend, and the students have finals and holiday break on their minds. We were very happy to finish this semester on such a high note,” Kristi Scholten, director of forensics, said.
Students of any major interested in joining the team can contact Scholten at kscholten@truman.edu.
In the first tournament, the debate competition fielded 58 debaters. Freshmen Myra Milam and Nick Gorman each advanced through octofinals. This places each of them in the top eight based on win/loss records. Milam received a third place individual award based on her speaking skills in those debate rounds. Freshman John Carney and senior Dylan Clark also received fourth and sixth place speaking awards, respectively.
The Truman speech competitors went up against 24 other schools, including Western Kentucky University and Ohio University.
Junior Andrew Grojean led the team with a second place trophy in individual sweepstakes award, which is based on an individual competitor’s combined finish in all of the events in which they compete. Contributing to that individual award was Grojean’s third place finish in dramatic duo with his partner, freshman Arielle Long-Seabra. Grojean also took fourth in dramatic interpretation and sixth in prose interpretation. Freshman Sarah Agbehia took fifth place in novice impromptu.
During the second competition, the team went up against 13 other schools. Milam fought 49 other debaters to finish again in the top eight, winning another quarter final trophy. Grojean took second place in editorial impromptu, impromptu and persuasion. He also finished third with his duo partner Long-Seabra. Grojean’s top accomplishment was beating several of the nation’s best competitors to reign as champion of both prose interpretation and dramatic interpretation.
The freshman duo of A.J. Taula and Long-Seabra won second place, and Taula also finished second place in dramatic interpretation. Agbehia took third place in open impromptu and sixth place in open extemporaneous.
All totaled, the awards from both competitions earned the team a second place finish in combined team sweepstakes.
“This weekend was a long, grueling one for the competitors. The tournament is far away, it is a long weekend, and the students have finals and holiday break on their minds. We were very happy to finish this semester on such a high note,” Kristi Scholten, director of forensics, said.
Students of any major interested in joining the team can contact Scholten at kscholten@truman.edu.
