WKU Forensic Team Wins
Fourth International Title
March 19, 2003
Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University's forensic team claimed its fourth International Forensic Association title this week as WKU students won international championships in eight of 10 events.
In overall sweepstakes, 18 members of the William E. Bivin Forensic Society doubled the score of second-place Texas Southern. The three-day tournament was held in Vancouver, British Columbia.
"This is the strongest team we had in the past 13 years at Western," said Judy Woodring, forensics director.
WKU's international champions are:
Nicole Estenfelder, a Florence sophomore, informative speaking and programmed oral interpretation.
Jennifer Purcell, a sophomore from Lewisville, Texas, impromptu speaking.
Chris Brasfield, a Fulton freshman, prose interpretation.
Keith Blaser, a senior from Evansville, Ind., after-dinner speaking.
Lindsey Nave, a junior from Harrisburg, Ill., poetry interpretation.
Evelio Silvera, a junior from Fort Myers, Fla., persuasive speaking.
Reagan Gibson, a senior from Evansville, Ind., Lincoln-Douglas debate.
In the two other events, Western finished second and third. David Burns, a sophomore from Dayton, Ohio, and Stacy Bernaugh, a senior from Seaside, Calif., were second in duo interpretation, while Silvera and Caleb Williams, a sophomore from Lewisville, Texas, were third in parliamentary debate.
Each academic area at Western shares in the forensics team's success, she said.
"Anytime we win a national or international event, it shows how strong our academic units are on campus," Woodring said. "Our students come from every major and discipline. The knowledge they use in speech and debate competition comes from the classroom. That speaks well about the level of instruction our students receive as well as the library and technology resources Western provides for student research."
Western won IFA championships in 1999, 2000 and 2001, but didn't travel to the 2002 competition after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
WKU President Gary Ransdell called the team's success "a major accomplishment. We have staked a claim that this program is a priority at Western, now we must proclaim such success loudly.
"Our basketball teams have received a lot of attention for their recent successes, but those successes pale in comparison to what this team has achieved. To be the best in the world is a rare and proud accomplishment."
Earlier this month, Western captured a national title at the Delta Sigma Rho/Tau Kappa Alpha National Conference and Tournament. Seven WKU students claimed national championships in speech and debate.
Next month Western will compete for two more national titles in the American Forensics Association tournament and the National Forensics Association tournament.
"If we were to win the remaining two titles or even finish in the top three, we would be the only school in the history of forensics to have accomplished this goal," Woodring said.
"There's a strong possibility this group could win those next two tournaments."
The AFA is April 4-7 in Oxford, Miss. The NFA is April 17-21 in Muncie, Ind.
For more information, contact Judy Woodring, forensics director, at (270) 745-6340. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via E-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
