By Kylie Wheaton
The Casper College forensics club is preparing for the season ahead with plenty of new members of the team.
The Forensics Club, also known as speech and debate, is preparing to start its season and continue its legacy of success. This year the team is composed of 11 students: Pearl Taylor, Nina Bivens, Davin Ro, Dani Schultz, Jack Cochran, Cass Baedke, Allie Gilliatt, Ivey Goff, Sophia Casner, Corey Kennah and Stephanie Mata.
Student and club president, Danielle “Dani” Schultz, is excited about the team this year. Schultz hopes to help create a welcoming environment amongst the team, and hopes speech and debate will have the same effect on others as it did her. Schultz said that speech and debate “helped me use my own voice for good” and she hopes to assist others in finding their voice. Schultz is also excited to mentor the incoming freshman this year and take them under her wing.
Casper College student and newly elected team captain, Davin Ro, hopes to encourage and promote team bonding and create a safe space for the team. “I am everyone’s cheerleader” says Ro, “it definitely helps that I am able to bring some sort of energy”. Ro hopes to make the mundane and routine aspects of practice a little more enjoyable as well as level out the usual season slumps, while encouraging and pushing everyone on the team to do their best.
Both Schultz and Ro have become grateful for the friendships that have been formed through being part of the forensics team, a friendship that began back in high school. Casper College communications instructor and Director of Speech and Debate Ethan Fife is also amazed at the relationships being formed by students. In fact, the community aspect of forensics is what got Fife hooked from the beginning.
“We can walk into a room and you know I’m going to see these people somewhere between 4 to 7 hours every day” says Fife, “and you know you have that friend support there”.
Fife hopes to encourage and support this safe environment for the team members and is happy to see these students help each other out.
The team is eager to build off of the successes of last season. At the final tournament last year, the team took home a total of 15 medals, of which three were gold, two silver and 10 bronze. Both of those gold medals were taken home by Schultz, who hopes to have the same amount of success this year.
The team began their season in late September with a competition in Twin Hall, ID at the College of Southern Idaho. In October the team will travel to Colorado College in Colorado Springs, and in November the team will compete in a virtual tournament.
The forensics team is working hard and hopes to continue the successful legacy left before them, but every step they take will be together.