The Berry College Forensics Union won the team National Championship at the recent Novice Nationals Forensics Association National Tournament on March 9-11. This is the first time Berry has won a team national championship since 2001 and the second time in the team’s history.
“We are so proud of this team, winning a national championship is not something that happens overnight,” said Director of Forensics Matt Delzer. “These students had to dedicate themselves to not only perfecting their own speeches, but also pushing their teammates to excellence; and that's exactly what they did.”
The Novice Nationals Forensics Association National Tournament is only open to first year competitors. Berry sent 14 members with a total of 55 entries, of which half of them broke into the national finals. On top of the team’s overall achievement, Berry also had 27 entries rank as national finalists.
“Our greatest improvement has been starting with so many people who had no public speaking experience and becoming a nationally recognized team” said Olivia Brown, a junior biochemistry major and competitor.
In total, the Berry College Forensics Union ended the tournament with 370 points. Their next closest competitor, College of DuPage, came in second place with 195 points. At the conclusion of the tournament Delzer was elected to serve as the next Executive Director of the Novice Nationals Forensics Association.
For more information about the team, visit www.berryforensics.com or the Berry College Forensics Union Facebook page.
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Written by communication major Isabelle Ryerson
