Jon Moffett
jrm001@marietta.edu

On Saturday, Nov. 4, the Marietta College forensics team hosted and competed in the 57th annual Ruth A. Wilcox tournament. Marietta was one of 14 schools that competed in the tournament. Participants came from Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky.

The schools involved were Anderson- Broaddus College, Bridgewater College, Butler University, Fairmont State University, Geneva College, Heidelberg College, Hillsdale College, Malone College, Marietta College, Muskingum College, Ohio Valley University, Otterbein College, Pikeville College, and West Virginia University-Parkersburg. Marietta’s forensics team walked out of the tournament with 23 awards, which included:

Informative Speaking :

• 6th place-Hope Barker, freshman
• 5th place-Paul Paslay, freshman
• 4th place-Daniel Clunies, freshman
• 1st place-Rebecca McCullough, freshman

Extemporaneous Speaking :

• 6th place-Amy Bitely, junior
• 3rd place-Tim Kemble, junior
• 2nd place-Jakob Loukas, sophomore

Program Oral Interpretation :

• 5th place-Emily Godard, junior
• 3rd place-Rebecca McCullough, freshman

Prose Interpretation :

• 4th place-Abri Brickner, junior

Dramatic Duo Interpretation :

• 3rd place-Heather Boomer, sophomore, & Ashley Wollam, junior

Persuasive Speaking :

• 5th place-Danielle Polk, senior
• 4th place-Carol Vroom, junior
• 3rd place-Heather Boomer, sophomore
• 2nd place-Daniel Saunders, junior
• 1st place-Jakob Loukas, sophomore

Impromptu Speaking :

• 2nd place-Amy Bitely, junior

Dramatic Interpretation :

• 4th place-Heather Boomer, sophomore

Cinematic Duo Interpretation :

• 1st place tie -Amy Bitely, junior, and Chris Law, freshman
• 1st place tie-Emily Godard, junior, and Daniel Saunders, junior

When asked about what it felt like to coach the participants, Dr. Mabry O’Donnell, director of forensics and professor of communication, commented, “working with these students and observing their speaking ability mature truly gratifies a communication professor.

The weather was beautiful, the community members offered excellent comments for the participants, and 32 Marietta College students continued the rhetorical tradition starting with the founding of the College in 1835.”

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Wilcox tournament.

Mailing address: Marietta College Box A-20, Marietta, Ohio 45750-4000
Physical address: McKinney Media Center, 508 Putnam St, Marietta, Ohio
Phone: (740) 376-4555
E-mail: marc@marietta.edu