The University of Lynchburg Debate and Forensics Society will present a forensics showcase with award-winning speeches on Tuesday, September 25, at 6 p.m. in the Westover Room. The event is free and open to the public.
The student group has won numerous awards in regional competitions over the past several years. For example, Chelsey Fix ’19, president of the Forensics and Debate Society, won first place in two categories at a tournament in North Carolina earlier this year. In the September showcase, the students will present refined versions of their competition pieces.
“We spend countless hours perfecting these pieces and base the things we want to change on the judge’s decisions after tournaments,” Fix said. “Personally, I prepared my speech for a whole year before I was ready to bring it to the first tournament.”
Each speech will fall under specific speech categories or interpretation events. Justin Cummings ’19 and Jenna Lopez ’21 will perform a dramatic reading of “The Tragic Events of September,” an adaptation of a podcast about conjoined twins who encounter a devastating life of tragedy. Rhiannon Cire ’19 will present “Rosa’s Eulogy,” a short, comedic, one-person play about a woman who finds a guest in her home and has to make the decision on whether or not she will keep “it.”
Adrianne Jordan ’22 will be recite poetry and Fix will give an after dinner speech, an original speech designed to make a serious point through the use of humor. Her speech about Endangered Ducks won first place for after dinner speaking at last year’s tournament.
“Forensics is the definition of a liberal arts sport,” said Fix. “We learn from other competitors’ speeches as much as we learn from preparing our own, and there is a great deal of cultural exploration with the hearing of various speeches.”
Fix hopes the audience receives a better understanding of forensics. “Forensics is a way to make a difference in the world through public speaking, and all we have to do is speak,” she said. “I want this showcase to let everyone know that their voices can be heard through forensics, in the most beautiful way.”
