Ten members of WTAMU’s Forensics (speech) team have qualified for Nationals.  The team will travel to Norman, IL. to compete at Illinois State University during the third week of April.

“So far the team has qualified 26 events in which they are able to compete,” Team Coach Connie McKee said.  “We hope to have [qualified] 33 events by the end of the season.”

Shay Ward, a member of the team who has qualified for Nationals, said that preparation is the key to having success in speech competition.

“Preparation for our events is everlasting,” Ward said.  “Generally it takes about a week to get our events up and memorized, but then we edit then, rewrite and fine tune based upon ballets we get at tournaments.”

The Forensics team has grown and boosts a few new members.

“Three of the members are first year competitors in the college circuit,” McKee said.  “One of them has never competed in speech before this year.”

Ward said participation on the team helps prepare people for the future.

“As a communication event, this organization is creating the future public speakers who can create change in society,” Ward said.

McKee said that they have some high goals for this season.

“Our goal is to place first in sweepstakes,” McKee said.  “This really is a possibility this year.  We will be in the top three.”

Ward said one of the keys to the success of the team is the cohesiveness of the group.

“We are a family,” Ward said.  “While competing in forensics its hard to maintain friendships elsewhere due to the time involved in the activity.  We are each others backbone in our trek to Nationals as well as an entertaining social life.”

McKee agrees that the team is in fact a team and not a group of individuals who refuse to work together.

“They have worked very hard and they have worked as a team,” McKee said.  “They help and encourage each other.”

The team still has over a months worth of competition to qualify for more events.