Hey Guys,

 I hope none of you are heartbroken over my temporary absence. I want to let all of you droppers know that I am in the process of hitting you back, so don’t fret, I will get to you. I’ve also just finished approving my ads…so you should all be squared away.

 That being said, I’m not sure how much I explained about my absence. I am a member of Pi Kappa Delta which, if you don’t know, is the National Honorary Forensics Fraternity. As an undergraduate, I was an active participant in my school’s forensics program. When most people think about forensics, they probably think CSI. That, however, is a common misconception. There are, in fact, two different types of forensics. I was a member of the latter category–the competitive speakers.

If you would like more information about forensics in general, check this website out.

The National Forensic Association is a 30-year old association devoted to both education and competitive excellence in intercollegiate speech and debate.

I’ve been away as an alumni member of the fraternity. I enjoy taking time out of my regular schedule to accompany the current team of my Alma mater to their national tournament… as a judge or “acting” coach/chaperone.  This year was no different. While I am not here to talk about the tournament / banquet itself, I am here to talk a bit about forensics, why it is important and why we should save underfunded forensics programs.

TOP 6 BENIFITS OF PARTICIPATION IN FORENSICS SPEAKING
—as rationalized by Jessica Gleason—

*These are in no particular order.

1. Forensics is a confidence boosting activity. When students take out their own material (public address) or (interp) they feel a certain sense of accomplishment.  Something you’ve written or put together is being shared with college students all over the country. That is exciting. If the speaker does well, gets good scores and wins merit-based awards, their confidence goes through the roof.
2. Not all students win, though those who aren’t in the top brackets work even harder to polish their speeches an/or interp pieces. This strong work and determination is something most employers will look for while interviewing candidates… and forensics kids all have a great work ethic.
3. Students often write their own interp stories and students ALWAYS write their own speeches. This talent alone will get you through life. Speech writing and execution are almost more important than air. The structure of speeches can essentially be transformed into essays as well…. and who wouldn’t like to know how to write a kickin’ essay?
4. Reading skills are improved through competition, memorization skills are enhanced as well. Most students start out reading from a script or leaning on note cards for assistance, but they still need to provide the audience and judges with a cohesive performance. If your reading skills are sub-par… forensics will help whip you into shape, right quick! After taking your piece out a few times, the memorization just sort of happens and most speakers don’t even need their notes and scripts. :)
5. Forensics programs/competitions teach you to take and shell out constructive criticism. While some judges can be pretty harsh, they are all working to make sure you are performing tot he best of your abilities. Judges leave comments and scores on ballot boxes… these comments, if heeded, will help speakers advance in their separate categories. Teams also spend time listening to one another and critiquing peer performances to help enhance performances before going out onto the live circuit.
6. Social skills, camaraderie and teamwork are all prevalent in forensics groups. Team members work cooperatively to aid one another in performing to the best of their abilities, through this exchange of ideas… long-lasting friendships are formed. Working well with others is also a valuable asset in the workplace.

In fact, all of these benefits are useful in the workplace and these programs are not worth giving up. They are important learning tools that should be nurtured back to health.

So, do something good for future generations, support forensics speaking, don’t let it die.
If anyone is interested in donating money to my old forensics team, they can be reached at: forensics@uww.edu.

Thank you and goodnight. Just for fun, enjoy the vocal stylings of Elvis.

<3

Me

Trackback URI | Comments RSS