With wide smiles and high energy all over the Bertolini student center, SRJC closed its 42nd annual forensics tournament the weekend of Oct. 8 by handing out awards to students from 15 community colleges and state universities. San Francisco State University won the overall sweepstakes award, but if the tournament was not hosted at SRJC, the Bear Cubs, SRJC’s forensics team, would have taken home the award.
“Santa Rosa did really really well,” said Hal Sanford, SRJC instructor and forensics coach. “We don’t permit ourselves to win the overall sweepstakes award.”
Fair practices and positive support were a common theme during the awards ceremonies and in the competitions all weekend. One San Francisco State competitor congratulated an SRJC competitor during the final impromptu round by saying he “dominated” at the Golden Gate Season Opener. All of the schools did well, taking home numerous awards.
However, SRJC Bear Cubs won a total of 24 awards: 12 in debate and 12 in individual tournaments. Kevin Steeper received the highest award in open impromptu, Billy Oertel received the highest award in open after dinner speaking, and Kaellie Clein-Cunningham received the highest award in novice dramatic interpretation.
One outstanding competitor was Kaellie Clein-Cunningham. “She did it all,” Sanford said. “She did individual events, did debates, and won it all.” Clein-Cunningham was top novice division speaker, but she did not win everything by herself. Her and her teammate, Billie Oertel, were champions in novice parliamentary debate. Although Clein-Cunningham and Oertel took first place, SRJC Bear Cubs filled the top six award positions.
In addition to novice parliamentary debate, Max Humphrey-Calou and Timothy Noonan won second place during the final round in open division parliamentary debate.
SRJC’s performance this year was better than last year for individual events and at least as strong as last year in debate, Sanford said. “The novices did really really well this year.”
It looks like the Bear Cubs have another shot at going to the National Sweepstakes this year. Last year, they were the second community college in the Nation and the eighth school nationally out of 200 community colleges and four-year universities.
In anticipation of nationals, the Bear Cubs are hosting Speech Night at SRJC in early December where winning speeches will be showcased, focusing on entertainment. A $5 donation will be collected at the door to raise money to send the Bear Cubs to nationals. Contact Mark Nelson, department head, for further information at [email protected].
