Month: February 2021

Massive Success at MAFA

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The Missouri Speech and Debate State Championships just concluded and your Truman State Bulldogs took home simply a massive amount of honors!
NPDA Parli Debate
  • Ella Schnake and Alicia Stout – Novice Missouri State Champions!
  • Elijah Baum and Macy Cecil – Open NPDA Semifinalists
  • 2nd Novice Speaker – Ella Schnake
  • 1st Novice Speaker Alicia Stout – Missouri State Champion!
  • 6th Open Speaker – Jackson Elder
  • 5th Open Speaker – Cami Smith
Lincoln-Douglas
  • Novice Finalist – Elijah Baum
  • 2nd Novice Speaker – Elijah Baum
  • Open Quarterfinalist – Cami Smith
  • Open Semifinalist – Alicia Stout
  • 3rd Open Speaker – Cami Smith
Individual Events
  • Audrey Baker 1st Place Original Oratory (She will now compete nationally at the Interstate Oratory Contest!)
  • Jackson Elder- 1st place and Missouri State Champion in Extemporaneous Speaking!
  • Megan Ford – Top Novice and 5th Place in Communication Analysis, 6th place After Dinner Speaking.
  • Jillian Humke – 5th Place After Dinner Speaking
  • Maya Krump – 3rd Place After Dinner Speaking
  • Ella Schnake – 1st place and Top Novice and Missouri State Champion in Impromptu Speaking, Poetry Interpretation, Prose Interpretation; 4th place and Top Novice – Dramatic Interpretation.
  • Larissa Wratney – Top Novice and 2nd Place After Dinner Speaking, 4th Place Prose Interpretation
  • Kayla Gerlt/Audrey Baker – 1st place and Missouri State Champions – Duo Interpretation
  • Jillian Humke/Larissa Wratney – Top Novices and 3rd place – Duo Interpretation
Sweepstakes
  • 1st Place and Missouri State Champions in Debate Sweepstakes
  • 1st Place Overall “Quality Award” (An award given for points per entry).
  • 2nd Place Individual Events Sweepstakes Points
  • 2nd Place Overall Sweepstakes Points
  • Forensics Community Service Award went to Kevin Minch for his service to the speech and debate community.

Truman Forensics Gains More National Qualifications at Simpson/ISU

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Truman State Forensics Union competed at two tournaments this past weekend at Simpson College and Illinois State University – Here’s some of the results!
  • Megan Ford – 4th Communication Analysis and 5th ADS
  • Larissa Wratney and Jillian Humke – 2nd Duo interpretation
  • Audrey Baker and Kayla Gerlt – 1st Duo interpretation
  • Larissa Wratney – 3rd ADS
  • Jillian Humke and Ella Schnake – 1st Duo Improv
  • Ella Schnake – 1st Dramatic Interpretation and 2nd Poetry Interp
  • Audrey Baker – 1st Prose
  • 4th place sweepstakes!

Truman Forensics Brings Home Wins at the Missouri Mule!

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This weekend your Truman State Bulldogs won more awards with success from these team members:
  • Freshman Megan Ford: top novice in After-Dinner Speaking
  • Freshman Larissa Wratney: 4th Place in After-Dinner Speaking
  • Junior Jackson Elder: 5th Place Extemporaneous speaking and 3rd place in Impromptu speaking.
  • Senior Audrey Baker: 2nd place Prose Interpretation.
#BigDawgs keep it up!
Notes on this photo: Due to online competition we recycled some awards from last years Missouri Mule. Also, Jackson Elder had to compete from home so he was added to the picture of award winners. Enjoy.

Truman Forensics Finds Success in Oregon

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The Truman State Forensics Union competed virtually at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. This massive tournament had 70 schools represented and while competition was tight, we had great success earning two new qualifications to the national tournament.
Freshman Elijah Baum took 4th place speaker in the Junior division Lincoln-Douglas Debate and advanced to the Octofinal round.
Freshman Jackson Boeck earned a 7th place speaker award and advanced all the way to the Final round in the Junior division of Lincoln-Douglas Debate. This qualifies Boeck to appear at the National tournament later this year.
Junior Michael Garrett earned 9th place speaker in the Open division of Lincoln-Douglas debate and was an Octofinalist. This win also earns Garrett his national qualification.
And after winning the Junior division at the Western Kentucky tournament, nobody informed Freshman Alicia Stout that the Open division was supposed to be more difficult. She advanced to semifinals in the Open division and took the Top Speaker award for Lincoln-Douglas debate.
Senior Audrey Baker and Sophomore Maya Krump competed in a tough field in Prose and After Dinner Speaking, respectively, and the whole team will be will be competing virtually at the Missouri Mule this weekend at the University of Central Missouri. We are always on the lookout for potential volunteer judges. If interested, please contact Interim Director of Forensics Craig Hennigan at chennigan@truman.edu

Forensics Team Finds Success in Virtual Format

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The Truman Forensics Union competed virtually at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore. This massive tournament had 70 schools represented, and while competition was tight, Truman had great success earning two new qualifications to the national tournament.

Freshman Elijah Baum took fourth place speaker in the junior division Lincoln-Douglas debate and advanced to the octofinal round.

Freshman Jackson Boeck earned a seventh place speaker award and advanced all the way to the final round in the junior division of Lincoln-Douglas debate. This qualifies Boeck to appear at the national tournament later this year.

Junior Michael Garret earned ninth place speaker in the open division of Lincoln-Douglas debate and was an octofinalist. This win also earns Garret his national qualification.

And after winning the junior division at the Western Kentucky tournament, nobody informed freshman Alicia Stout that the open division was supposed to be more difficult. She advanced to semifinals in the open division and took the top speaker award for Lincoln-Douglas debate.

The Truman Forensics Union is a co-curricular group building skills in speech and debate and representing the school across the country. For more information about the team, contact Craig Hennigan, interim director of forensics, at chennigan@truman.edu.