Forensicators take aim at state, national competitions in fine art of humanity
Forensics. Killer investigations, the hunt for fingerprints, and the unveiling of cold-blooded killers are all commonly associated with this nine-letter word. For Wildcat students, it means something entirely different--leaving many perplexed by the specifics of the club. Forensics. It is the art of competitive speech and debate.
The club offers a wide and diverse range of possible activities, according to senior Lara Funnell.
“Forensics is competitive speaking, but it's not just debate like most people think,” she said. “There's acting, storytelling, poetry, and basically any interpretation of literature that you can think of.”
Those who participate in the forensics club often change their categories throughout the years to develop their speech and language prowess. Junior Addison Peck has been involved since freshman year and has explored the various aspects of the club.
“Solo acting seriously is exactly like it sounds, it is a 10-minute dramatic monologue, solo,” she said. “Normally it’s on heavy topics, like death. Duo interpretation is a 10-minute memorized piece with two people; it’s typically a skit, or some scene, except you cannot touch each other or look at each other, so you have to get very creative with blocking.”
Peck and her partner, junior Angelina Vu, placed eighth in the nation during freshman year with their duo, all while the team was still regaining its footing after the pandemic. While there are many acting categories present, the activity also offers several opportunities for informational and timely speeches. Freshman Sam Raybern is very happy to have joined this year and has both favorite and less than enjoyable categories.
“Expository is way better than the other categories that I’ve done,” they said. “In radio speaking, before you have to present your piece, you get 30 minutes and they give you a bunch of materials. You have to make it into a five-minute coherent radio show. You have very low prep time, you can’t really practice, and it’s really reliant on your voice.”
The West squad has thrived by allowing individuals to shine. Each team member has their own unique skill set that applies to a corporate sense of success. Assistant coach and English teacher Michelle Huettl, who has coached for five years, knows the team has worked hard for success.
“It is a combination of the dedication of the people in forensics paired with their natural talent,” she said. “The way that talent is cultivated is by the head coach, Mr. Scott Thurwatcher, and his lovely assistant, me.”
Students of all ages have profited. Junior Marcus Miller as well as Peck and Vu have recently qualified for the National Catholic Forensics League’s tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. There is also the possibility of the team qualifying for the National Speech and Debate Association. During all of this, Peck has experienced a rise to recognition over the years.
“At this point, I have gone to nationals three different times, and I am going to make it a fourth this year and, hopefully, a fifth and sixth senior year,” she said. “I am in solo acting serious, and in my very first tournament I took first place, and in my most recent tournament I also took first place. Angelina and I have also been very successful with our duo.”
The success of the team is not an inherited gift. Members have put in a large amount of effort to maintain their success. Peck believes the achievements can be attributed to individual dedication.
“I think the people on our team really care about what they’re doing; we’re practicing every single day and we’re working our hardest,” she said. “They’re also always very disappointed when we don’t do well.”
Funnell agrees with the sentiment, and thinks that it can also be because of the team’s ability to give every member a chance to shine.
“I think the forensics team is so successful because we don't do categories based on what has been successful in the past,” she said. “We cater to every Forensicator and their talents to help them find the category that best suits them; it's because of the students that we are successful and their motivation to do amazing.”
Most students, such as freshman Tenna Reutten, participating in Forensics cite the experience of tournaments and finding new friends as their favorite aspects of the activity.
“My favorite aspect is all the new people I meet,” she said. “I joined because I had already done forensics in middle school and I also wanted to make new friends.”
Along with building friendships, the team has given her a chance to enhance Rutten’s skills.
“I wanted to work on my public speaking skills,” she said. “Forensics has helped with those skills, and really just my ability of being able to talk to people.”
Without the communal aspect, many members would go astray. Speech and debate calls for development as a community and the ability to rely on others for growth. It also allows the team to work together to develop their individual categories. Peck thinks that the Forensics team has grown very close over the season.
“The people on our team are, in my opinion, the best part of the activity,” she said. “I wouldn’t do it if we didn’t have such great people, like Lara Funnell.”
Huettl shares this sentiment with her students and encourages them to continue to grow.
“I enjoy getting to work with students on something they’re passionate about, that they care about, and are involved in,” she said. “Which isn’t always the case with being at school, I also enjoy the relationships I get to build with students.”
Funnell has found success in a multitude of different categories by dedicating the majority of her high school career to this activity. She finds long-lasting benefits of being on the team.
“I used to shake when I stood up for a presentation, I was not a confident speaker, and I didn't take critiques very well,” she said. “Now that I've joined, I am able to stand up and speak to anyone with confidence that I never knew I had before.”
Due to the efforts of Ruetten, the team hosted a fundraiser at Copper Hall, a popular Oshkosh resort.
“One of the most fun things was when we had a forensics fundraiser and people around Oshkosh got to see what the students have worked so hard on,” Funnell said. “When people see these amazing performances they feel more connected to the team, and those are the people that help support us whether it be funding our trips or helping us out in other ways.”
At the start of the school year, competition pieces are chosen and then practiced until the tournament season. According to Huettl, the activity itself never changes.
“The students and pieces change, but the spirit of forensics remains unchanged over time,” she said. “It’s all about helping students learn important skills and practice them through public speaking.”
The art of speech and debate ties people together through the betterment of communication skills.It has given people like Funnell a sense of community and the memories made with everyone prove to be priceless.
“My favorite aspect of forensics is definitely the people,” she said. “Winning is nice, but the connections you make with people, the things you laugh at, those are what make forensics so amazing.”
by: Marcus Miller
Published on march 17, 2023
Oshkosh West Index volume 119 issue VI