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Dynamic duo qualifies for national tournament
February 14, 2005 | |||||||
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By Lesa Beals KOKOMO, Ind.—The old phrase "The third time's the charm" held true for Indiana University Kokomo's Speech Team, reactivated last fall. The team competed in the Dominata Tournament at IUPUI February 5, and qualified two students, Grace Keith of Kokomo and Chad Andrews of Sharpsville, to compete in the National Forensic Association (NFA) tournament. This was only the team's third competition and fourth week into the semester. "This demonstrates the passion the team has to be competitive," said Director of Forensics and Lecturer in Communication Arts Jaime Howell. "Other universities have been on the tournament circuit for several years; we've been on the circuit for four weeks. This is a great accomplishment." Howell attributes the achievement to "student determination and willingness to be coached, which in turn enhances the quality of performance to compete nationally." It is important to note that these students qualified while competing with varsity level teams, as there was no first year or beginner category, she added. This year, the 35th annual NFA tournament will be held at The University of Akron, Ohio, on April 14–17. Grace Keith and Chad Andrews, both IU Kokomo sophomores, qualified for the national competition through their efforts in the category Duo Prose, which involves presentation of a 10-minute cut from stage, screen, or radio material. Keith competed with Kokomo High School's speech team and has been acting for many years. She also competed in the Individual Prose category at the IUPUI tournament. A graduate of Tri-Central High School. Andrews competed during his high school career in the Model United Nations, hosted at IU Kokomo. Last November, Andrews teamed with IU Kokomo student Brad Glass of Windfall to win a "Best Delegation" award during the statewide Model United Nations competition for college students. When asked how they plan to prepare for the national tournament in April, both students had the same response: "Practice, practice, practice." That is the same plan Coach Howell has. "Creative blocking and a competitive spirit will be instrumental during the preparation period for nationals," Howell said. "The National Forensic Association hosts the best of the best in speech competition." The Speech Team will participate in two more competitions before nationals: the State of Indiana Championships at the University of Indianapolis on February 26, then over to a tournament at The Ohio State University on March 5 and 6. Other members of the team hope to have their turn to qualify for the national tournament. Those members are Rachel Harrington of Rochester, psychology major; David Kazlas of Bringhurst, computer information systems; and Kokomo residents Ashley Butler, criminal justice; Michelle Copeland, communication arts; Amanda Dunlap, University Division; Kyle Etherington, history/political science; and Shane Vore, General Studies. The Indiana University Kokomo Speech Team is motivated to be even more competitive as the year progresses. Coach Howell plans to add a Parliamentary Debate portion to the team in the fall. Persons interested in trying out for the Speech Team for the fall 2005 semester, contact Jaime Howell, jlhowell@iuk.edu or (765) 455-9003.
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