Bethel continued its tradition of devoting one spring convocation each year to the talents of forensics students, in honor of an even longer one — sending successful teams to the major national forensics and debate competition.
As academic dean Brad Born introduced the April 13 convocation, he noted that forensics coach John McCabe-Juhnke ’78, professor of communication arts, was a member of the first team Bethel sent to the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET) in 1978. That was the tournament’s first year and Bethel is one of only six schools in the nation that has qualified a team every year since then.
This year’s AFA-NIET was hosted by Mankato (Minn.) State University, April 5-9. McCabe-Juhnke and assistant coach Brian Stucky ’02 took seven student qualifiers in seven different events: after dinner speaking, duo interpretation, extemporaneous speaking, impromptu speaking, informative speaking, poetry interpretation and programmed oral interpretation.
Those competing were Robert Weaver, senior from Wichita; Matthew N. Stucky, freshman from Moundridge; Justin Shook, senior from Lyons; Shannon Carey, junior from Moundridge; Jonathan Nathan, junior from Moundridge; Lewis Kosjer, freshman from Douglass; and Joshua Powell, freshman from Basehor.
Also part of Bethel College’s 2006-07 forensics and debate squads were Cory Buchta, junior from Newton; Dana Daugharthy, freshman from Iola; Alan Harpool, sophomore from Sedgwick; Jamie Lugo, junior from Wichita; Ashley McDonald, sophomore from Douglass; Peter Miller, senior from Partridge; and Becky Schulz, sophomore from Newton.