To the University,
Forensics is...

an opportunity to demonstrate academic excellence, to excel in competition of the intellect, and to extend the academic atmosphere.

To the student, Forensics is an opportunity to cultivate life-long friendships, travel the country, and do what you love.

 

The Director's Welcome

Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to explore our website! Whether you’re a competitor or coach, or whether you have 10 years of experience or none, I would encourage you to learn all you can about this life changing activity called forensics.

When I tell people I’m involved with forensics, their eyes often get big and they think that I spend my days doing hair sample testing, dissecting dead bodies, and looking at fingerprint evidence. When I tell them that our forensics is competitive speech and debate, they often seem let down. But I think that what we do, the art of public speaking, dramatic interpretation of literature, and debate, is just as exciting and just as important as that other type of forensics.

Competitive speech and debate offers students ranging from junior high to college age the skills necessary to confidently and effectively communicate in any situation. This activity teaches students to research, write and deliver valuable messages. By participating in forensics, students stay abreast of current events, become exposed to a wide-array of fiction and non-fiction literature, learn how to become wise consumers of persuasion, and become more efficient communicators.

At WKU, we are proud of the long tradition that forensics has established on the hill. We are the oldest student organization on campus, with debate documents predating the official founding of the university. We have also established ourselves as the most successful student organization on campus in the last decade, and we have won more national forensics titles in the last ten years than any other team in the country.

Not only are our students successful at forensics competitions, but they are leaders on our campus as well. Our team is made up of individuals from 15 different states and over 20 different majors. WKU Forensics students have held or currently hold positions in WKU's Student Government Association, have served on Dean's Councils, and several of them serve as official student ambassadors to the university.  We have produced multiple university, national, and international scholars who have received prestigious fellowships and grants, including Fulbrights. Our graduates have gone on to earn master’s degrees in a variety of fields, PhDs, EdDs, and law degrees (with one recent graduate scoring in the top 1% in the nation on the LSAT).

Our team also realizes the importance of giving back to the community, and our students and coaches are involved in a number of outreach initiatives. We have assisted high school and junior high teams in need of coaching help, provided scholarships for students in need of financial assistance, hosted large non-profit junior and senior high school tournaments, hosted an annual non-profit summer camp for students across the nation, worked with local inner city schools on campus beautification projects, hosted can drives, and have partnered with Bowling Green's Family Enrichment Center on their annual fund-raiser to end child abuse and neglect in the region.  The WKU Forensics team believes in helping students of all ages achieve academic distinction, and in the importance of giving back to our community.

Please let me know if there are any questions about our program I can answer.

 

Sincerely,
Jace