Brownson Speech and Debate Continues Winning Streak to Qualify for National Tournament  

Brownson students brought a message of advocacy and passion, qualifying for the prestigious AFA tournament. From left, Dan O’Connor, Amos Willey, Tristan Radcliffe, Rin Jones, Emily Vaca, Bryce Leatham, and Meg Gawron.

The Brownson Forensics Speech and Debate Team, based in the  College of Communication and the Arts, is continuing its winning streak from the fall into the spring semester. 

Victories at the AFA-NST District 7 Spring Qualifier tournament hosted by Hofstra University on February 4 and 5, elevated the students’ achievements so all can attend the national tournament with the highest qualification standards. The team captured 29 awards and 13 national qualifications, including first place in the district. Co-captains Daniel O’Connor and Meg Gawron shared first place in informative speaking with Safa Shaikh placing second. Freshmen Tristan Radcliffe and Amos Willey took the top two spots in extemporaneous speaking, a feat that was replicated by sophomore Bryce Leatham and freshman Rin Jones in impromptu speaking. With freshman Emily Vaca placing second in prose interpretation, every member of the team placed in the top two in an individual events category.  

These winning results mean that every student on the team has now qualified for the 2023 American Forensic Association National Speech Tournament (AFA-NST), set to take place in Santa Ana, CA, April 1 to 3. 

“Serving as captain has been a labor of love, so it’s really great to see our freshmen qualify to AFA. Nationals is our goal, but it’s secondary to the importance of our messages,” said O’Connor, a senior in the College of Communication and the Arts. “The whole team has managed to use their advocacy and passion well enough to make this prestigious tournament and I’m honored to be a part of it.”  

The team also competed at the Dutchess Community College Invitational Tournament. Individual highlights included Bryce Leatham achieving first place for Prose Interpretation; Safa Shaikh achieving first place for Dramatic Interpretation; Rin Jones achieving first place for IPDA Debate; Amos Willey achieving second place for Informative Speaking; and Tristan Radcliffe achieving second place for Program Oral Interpretation. 

Sam Ohrenberger-Hopkins, lecturer of communication and head coach of the Brownson Speech and Debate Team, said, “I think the biggest contributor to our success is our team culture, which prioritizes advocacy and community building above awards and championships. We have a governing philosophy that is, if we do speech and debate the right way, then awards will follow.” 

Victories were also achieved at Cornell University’s Big Red Tournament of Love, with the team taking home 17 individual awards, including championships in informative speaking, duo interpretation, and prose interpretation. A highlight was freshman Rin Jones winning the Cornell’s “Big Red Heart” award voted on by all students in attendance and presented to the individual who best exemplifies qualities of friendship, advocacy and community building. “Winning this award demonstrates that the impact of our students goes beyond their competitive success,” said Ohrenberger-Hopkins. 

“In many ways, AFA is a really special tournament,” said Gawron, a senior in the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, looking ahead to the nationals. “At that level of competition, it’s hard to walk away from rounds without feeling inspired. We have a fairly young team right now and I am so excited to help our novices experience this for the first time.” 

She added, “After almost four years, I can confidently say that being on Brownson has changed my life. Our support networks and commitment to advocacy has deeply impacted who I am, and I think this is the point in the season when you start seeing that impact in other people. 

With the conclusion of the final installment of the Online Asynchronous Tournament Series, the team moves into March to compete in the prestigious post-season 2023 Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament, hosted by West Chester University, March 15 to 18. Mentoring the team will be Brian Sumereau ’21, assistant coach and alumnus, as well as alumni Sean Keegan ’22 and Emily Feazel ’22. 

“Our success would not be possible without the support and hard work of our Director of Forensics Catherine Zizik and Assistant Coach Brian Sumereau,” said Ohrenberger-Hopkins, adding, “Thank you, as well, to the Office of the Dean of the College of Communication and the Arts and the Provost’s Office for providing the support we need to spread our messages of advocacy and grow as scholars.” 

“It has been rewarding to see the growth of our new members this year,” said Zizik, who directs the team. “Their dedication, creativity, openness to learn and be coached, and value-driven qualities are inspiring. Effective, empathetic listening and strong communication skills are competencies that Seton Hall values; Brownson Speech and Debate students learn how to think critically in order to build messages of advocacy to help solve problems in an artistically beautiful manner.” 

Seton Hall University's Forensics Brownson Speech and Debate Team is known for its tradition of rhetorical excellence, stemming back over 75 years. The team travels across the United States to compete in a wide variety of speaking events. While forensics typically refers to investigation, the term uniquely applies to the team's ability to dissect language and craft messages to perform on stage. 

Students compete under four main categories: Limited Preparation, Public Address, Oral Interpretation of Literature, and International Public Debate. Students who compete in Limited Preparation perform Extemporaneous Speaking and Impromptu Speaking. Students who compete in Public Address perform After Dinner Speaking, Persuasive Speaking, Informative Speaking and Communication Analysis. Students interested in Oral Interpretation compete in Prose, Poetry, Program Oral Interpretation, Duo Interpretation and Dramatic Interpretation. Students interested in International Public Debate argue either in favor of or opposed to a position and resolution. 

For more information on Brownson Speech and Debate team, visit  here. 

Categories: Campus Life