National Champions

The Forensics Society’s speech team won the champion-ship at the National Forensics Association’s 2009 national tournament.

Teevrat Garg ’10 was a national finalist in impromptu speaking, placing sixth. He also advanced to the semi-finals in extemporaneous speaking and to the quarter-finals in persuasive speaking. Rachel Heron ’09 and Kyle deCant ’10 were semi-finalists in impromptu speaking and extemporaneous speaking, respectively, while Beth Wehler ’09 advanced to the quarter-finals in both impromptu speaking and extemporaneous speaking.

Lafayette competed in Division III in speech, part of a 35-team field that also included New York University, UCLA, the Air Force Academy, the University of Michigan, and Indiana University. “The spectacular finish is a strong reflection of the academic rigor and the environment of intellectual curiosity that Lafayette strives to maintain,” Garg says.

The debate team placed fifth in the nation in a 40-school field that was not separated into divisions. Wehler (No. 4) and Ryan Benjamin ’10 (No. 6) placed among the top half-dozen debaters. Joe Dudek ’09 finished in the top 16, while Garg and Sam Derrick ’10 placed in the top 32.

The director of forensics is Scott Placke. John Boyer is assistant director of forensics and director of debate.