Forensics Team Members Win Eight National Championships

The Bethel Forensics team took eight national championships at this year’s National Christian College Forensics Invitational (NCCFI), placing fourth out of 26 schools. The competition was held March 17-19 at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn. Director of Forensics Michael Dreher, professor and chair of the department of communication studies, attributes the team’s success to their effort, preparation, and the dedication of assistant director Jessica Samens and assistant coaches Lacy Larson and Kirsten Hagge. “They have spent many late hours working with students,” Dreher says. “The team’s success wasn’t just one or two people; indeed, everyone contributed.”

The team won their first individual sweepstakes, awarded to freshman Sophie Nagle for Novice Individual Speech Sweepstakes. Nagle also swept first-place wins in Novice Poetry, Novice Informative, and Novice Dramatic Interpretation. Freshmen Matt Sundquist and Tommy Monson won JV Parliamentary Debate; Novice Program Oral Interpretation went to freshman April Harding; and freshman Micah Tweeten won Novice After Dinner Speaking. Bethel also placed first in limited entry division Debate Team Sweepstakes. “We’re very blessed to have a first-year class that did quite well this year,” says Dreher. Though key seniors will be graduating this spring and next fall, the team looks forward to a promising incoming class. “We hope and believe that our integration of both faith and forensics is compelling to incoming students,” he says.