Emily Feazel ’22 Champions First Place in the Nation: Brownson Speech and Debate Team Secures Tenth Place National Award  

On April 2-4, 2022, the Brownson Speech and Debate team competed in their second National Championship at the American Forensics Association National Speech Tournament at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The team traveled with head coach, Sam Ohrenberger-Hopkins, M.A and three alumni, Brain Sumereau, Jocelyn Rogalo and Abigail Thow. Members competed in a tournament consisting of 11 individual speech events including Program Oral Interpretation, Extemporaneous Speaking, Persuasive Speaking and more — with roughly 100 competitors in each event.

Emily Feazel '22, soon to be alumnae from the College of Communication and the Arts, secured the first-place award in the nation in Dramatic Interpretation. Feazel also semi-finaled in Interpretation of Prose and After Dinner Speaking. She has been a member of the team since freshman year, her admission to the team being one the reasons she chose to attend Seton Hall.

"Speech has been an enormous, integral part of my life for eight years. As a high-schooler, I idolized college forensic competitors. As an underclassman in college, national champions were titans to me. They are someone you observe to see what a fantastic speech looks like, their rounds are posted online, the community knows their names. To receive this award, as a representation of Seton Hall and of District 7 means the world to me. I am truly humbled and grateful," said Feazel.

In addition, Feazel quarter-finaled in Informative, Dramatic Duo and Poetry with partner Dana Bell '22, from the College of Arts and Sciences who also semi-finaled in Interpretation of Prose. Other awards from the College of Communication and Arts included Sean Keagan '22, who quarter finaled in Communication Analysis, Impromptu Speaking and Informative and advanced to semi-finals in Extemporaneous Speaking and Persuasion, and Dan O'Connor '23, who quarter-finaled in Persuasion. Awards from the School of Diplomacy and International Relations were attained by Safa Shakh '24, who quarter-finaled in Impromptu.

The team, led by Ohrenberger-Hopkins took home 13 national awards and was awarded tenth place in the nation. Members of the team train with the head coach once weekly in preparation for events. "I am proud of everything the team has accomplished this season. Forensics is a cocurricular activity where students are given the platform to spread messages that they are passionate about advocating for," said Ohrenberger-Hopkins. Further, he believes that his role as head coach is to steward students' messages from the conceptual process to finished product.

"I am so happy for Emily Feazel's national championship in dramatic interpretation; furthermore, I am even more proud of her for the person that she is and the teammate she has become. Any member of our team has the ability and talent to win a national championship, so it's rewarding to see one of them reach that accomplishment," Ohrenberger-Hopkins continued.

Feazel, who is also actively involved with Pirate TV, reflected, "Brownson is where I have met some of my absolute best friends. I am not the same person I was when I joined, I am so much better — more educated, a better speaker, funnier. That is all because of my team and the performances I have been graced to see. I am so lucky and forever grateful. Freshman year Emily would be ecstatic to see me now." Feazel hopes to work in the film/live TV industry in New York City post-graduation in May.

Like Feazel, members of the Brownson Speech and Debate team move on to become ethical members of society through their involvement in advocacy, consistent with the University's mission and values. The team continues to produce talented leaders who prolifically represent the greater University across the nation in rhetorical excellence.

The College of Communication and the Arts currently offers graduate-level programs in Museum Professions and Communications, with the opportunity to pursue specialty areas of study, including options in Public Relations, Digital Communication/Communication Technologies, and Communication in Organizations. In addition, four dual-degree options, including three accelerated M.A./B.A. programs and a dual M.B.A./M.A. degree with the School of Diplomacy and International Relation are offered.

For more information about Graduate Studies within the College of Communication and the Arts, please contact Ryan Hudes, PhD.

Categories: Arts and Culture