Fall Fest Countdown: Bethel Forensics team to host meet on Saturday
The virtual meet will be held online.
For many, ‘forensics’ is a fuzzy, unclear term that could bring to mind anything from debate teams to dramatic readings of monologues. For a small team of students on campus, it’s life.
The Bethel College Forensics team, coached by Christy Dougherty, is a crack team of eight performers that span a wide variety of academic disciplines. Forensics includes a variety of performance styles, such as the delivery of prepared monologues, impromptu speeches on a topic drawn several minutes before performance, and teamwork events.
For the monologue category, performers, with the help of Dougherty, choose a piece that speaks to them to compete with throughout the year. They then deliver those pieces up to four times at a meet for different panels of judges. After meets are scored and medals awarded, performers get a sheet of feedback from judges that allows them to tweak the way they deliver their works.
So far this year, two of the team, Rebecca Schlosser and Tristan England, have attended one virtual meet. “[We] finished middle of the pack, which is pretty good for our first tournament of the season and my first tournament period,” said Schlosser, a freshman from Newton.
As a freshman, Schlosser is still learning the ropes of the collegiate competitive scene.
“Every tournament is a learning experience and prepares me for my next competitions,” she explained.
Their next performance opportunity is this weekend, with Bethel co-hosting a meet in coordination with Kansas State University. “The responsibilities … fully fall on the shoulders of our coach, Cristy,” said Schlosser.
Bethel College will be hosting the virtual attendees, and utilizing Zoom to deliver their performances. Forensics is unique in that it offers a competitive aspect to fine arts enjoyment, allowing students to hone their skills on a piece of art that truly speaks to them. Schlosser competes in both the extemporaneous and impromptu events.
“I perform on a given, unique prompt with limited prep time. This also means I never perform the same speech twice,” said Schlosser. In such a busy environment, students often have to choose where they want to spend their time, but for forensics students like Schlosser, it’s an easy decision.
“Competing allows me to express myself in a place where I know my audience is listening,” said Schlosser.