WKU News

The 32 members of the WKU Forensics Team have returned to campus and are preparing for the 2019-20 season.

The champion speech and debate team welcomes nine new members this fall, recruited from across the nation, pursuing a variety of academic programs at WKU.

The team will begin the season on Sept. 20 when it hosts the annual WKU/Alumni Fall Swing Tournament and the Alexis Elliott Memorial Lincoln-Douglas Round Robin debate tournament. The first is open to all postsecondary schools who wish to attend, and usually brings about 23 schools to campus. The latter is an exclusive invite-only debate tournament, for debaters already recognized as some of the best in the nation.

“We are so excited to welcome such a talented group of students to The Hill,” Director of Forensics Ganer Newman said. “This preparatory camp was so productive because every student put in a tremendous amount of effort during the summer months. We cannot wait to see all we will accomplish this season.”

In the 2018-19 season, WKU won the American Forensic Association (AFA) National Individual Events Tournament for the first time since 2015, won its 27^th consecutive Kentucky Forensic Association state championship and finished second in the National Forensic Association (NFA) National Tournament in both individual events and debate.

The team will travel in some capacity almost every weekend from mid-September to the end of the competitive season in April. The AFA National Individual Events Tournament will be hosted by the Santa Ana Unified School District April 4-9, and the NFA National Tournament will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater April 16-21.

“Like last year, we are focusing more of our attention on campus and community building initiatives,” Newman said. “We opened the season volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, and we are proud to contribute to the WKU’s Strategic Plan and help our university climb to greater heights with another championship season.”

The 2019-20 WKU Forensics Team includes:

• Paige Allbright, a sophomore from Youngsville, Louisiana, studying Communication and Journalism Writing.
• Parker Anderson, a sophomore from Hodgenville, studying Creative Writing.
• Alianna Casas, a freshman from Hartford, studying International Business and Political Communication.
• Derek Collins, a junior from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, studying Political Science and Legal Studies.
• Rahmane Dixon, a junior transfer from Houston, Texas, studying Technical Writing and African-American Studies.
• Madelynn Einhorn, a sophomore from Oakwood, Ohio, studying Political Science.
• Warren Forstmann, a freshman from Hollywood, Florida, studying Theatre and Communication Studies.
• Ryan Gosling, a junior from West Palm Beach, Florida, studying Political Science and Theatre.
• Ben Hanson, a sophomore from Louisville, studying Economics and Political Science.
• Taylor Headrick, a freshman from Wadsworth, Ohio, studying Theatre.
• Daliss Hicks, a freshman from Miramar, Florida, studying Theatre and Communication Studies.
• Reese Johnson, a sophomore from Burnsville, Minnesota, studying Journalism and Film.
• Ashlyn Jones, a junior from Lafayette, Louisiana, studying Political Science and Environmental Science.
• Isaac Keller, a junior from Kansas City, Missouri, studying Political Science.
• Amanda Langford, a sophomore from Goodlettsville, Tennessee, studying English for Secondary Teachers.
• Kelly Lingen, a sophomore from Lakeville, Minnesota, studying Special Education.
• Faith LoPiccolo, a senior from Lexington, studying Criminology and Psychology.
• Miles Morton, a freshman from Sherman Oaks, California, studying Political Science.
• Corey Newsome, a junior from Morehead, studying Business and Economics.
• Tayland Ratliff, a junior from Youngsville, Louisiana, studying Marketing.
• Alex Rivera, a senior from Newton, Kansas, studying Economics and Philosophy.
• Kiyah Sanders, a junior from Apple Valley, Minnesota, studying Marketing.
• April Saysithi, a freshman from St. Michael, Minnesota, studying Communication Studies.
• Anthony Survance, a senior from Louisville, studying Political Science, Philosophy and Communication.
• Andre Swai, a freshman from Springfield, Missouri, studying Public Relations.
• Sal Tinajero Jr., a senior from Santa Ana, California, studying Communication and Creative Writing.
• Emma Warnecke, a junior from West Bloomfield, Michigan, studying Business.
• Bradley Wascher, a senior from Montgomery, Alabama, studying Political Science.
• Tess Welch, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, studying Special Education and American Sign Language.
• Symone Whalin, a junior from Sonora, studying Chemistry and Biology.
• Rickey Williams, a junior from Minneapolis, Minnesota, studying Marketing.
• Caitlyn Woitena, a freshman from Houston, Texas, studying Communication Disorders.

More: Check out the WKU Forensics Facebook page or follow @wkuforensics on Twitter.         

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340