Three Bethel students have qualified early to compete at the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET), to be held April 2-4, 2016, at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
“This year, we already have three students and five events qualified,” said Mallory Marsh, head forensics coach, “continuing Bethel’s tradition of qualifying for the national tournament, for the 39th year in a row.
“For the sake of comparison, two years ago we had one student qualified in one event for AFA by the end of the first semester. Last year, we had one student qualified in two events.”
It took just two regional swing tournaments for junior Jacob Miller to qualify. In late September, Miller took first in After Dinner Speaking at a two-day swing tournament hosted by Hutchinson Community College and Sterling College. In early October, he was ADS champion at a swing tournament hosted by West Texas A&M and Kansas State University. Miller has also qualified in Impromptu Speaking and Informative Speaking for the national tournament. Read more
In early November, freshman Emily Kondziola, North Newton -- in her first semester competing for the Threshers -- qualified by taking first place in Extemporaneous Speaking at a swing tournament hosted by Tulsa Community College and Northeast Oklahoma University. Read more
In mid-November, Shekhinah Jones, sophomore from Salina who transferred this year from the University of Kansas, was a champion in Persuasion at the swing tournament hosted by Hastings College and the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Read more