The Beach Forensic Program exists for one primary purpose: to allow
any and all undergraduate students the opportunity to compete in
intercollegiate speech and
debate competition. . We travel to over 50 tournaments a year competing in policy
debate, parliamentary debate, and all eleven of the American Forensic Association’s
individual events (Dramatic Interp, Prose, Poetry, Programmed Oral Interp, Duo,
Persuasion, Informative, Communication Analysis, After Dinner Speaking, Impromptu,
and Extemp).
Our goals are simple and direct. Every semester we take a large group of students
and push them to work harder, read more, write better, speak more eloquently,
and achieve more than they ever thought possible. Our goal is to change people's
lives by pushing them beyond their comfort zone. We challenge their value system,
their political beliefs, their notions of normality, and their sense of right
and wrong. As a result, we make an important connection between classroom learning
and people's daily lives.
The Beach Forensics program has been an integral part of this University since
1951. Today it boasts a proud tradition and legacy. Recent graduates are now
attending law school, graduate school, and climbing the corporate ladder. Our
students succeed, because forensics teaches them responsibility to community
as well as themselves. It teaches them the importance of being aware. More important,
it teaches them that they can make a difference. Through their research and attempts
at problem solving they learn that success can happen. They understand it is
difficult, but they also understand that it is possible.
Our recent accomplishments demonstrate our dedication to our campus and our
community. Over the last decade we introduced more than 2000 college students
to the world
of forensics. Whether it was in an intramural tournament, judging at a high school
speech contest, or debating at an intercollegiate speech contest over 2000 Beach
undergraduates have experienced “Speech at the Beach.” We also host
one of the largest high school speech and debate tournaments in the state (The
Jack Howe Memorial). We also hosted the 1996 Cross Examination Debate Association's
National Tournament and the 1997 and 2000 California State High School Championships.
This spring we will hosted the 2004 American Forensic Association’s National
Individual Event Tournament. In all these tournaments have attracted over 10,000
college students and instructors to our campus. These outreach efforts not only
help strengthen the high school and regional competition in Southern California,
but they also help build the depth and talent of our team. It is fair to say
that The Beach is the campus of “choice.”
2008 AFA-NIET
TEAM SWEEPSTAKES
8th Place Overall Sweepstakes
INDIVIDUAL SWEEPSTAKES
Alyssa Reid – 6th place speaker
Prose Interpretation:
Alyssa Reid: 3rd
After Dinner Speaking:
Colle Carpenter: 3rd
Alyssa Reid: quarterfinalist
Duo Interpretation:
Roger Willis/Alyssa Reid: 5th
David Hale/ Amanda Samoyloff: quarterfinalists
Sofia Cuevas/Kevin Goodman: quarterfinalists
Marco Echeverria/Mike Ledezma: quarterfinalist
Trish Silva/David Hale: quarterfinalist
