Berry wins big at Novice Nationals Forensics Tournament
Berry College sophomore Nicole Harris earned the national champion award at the Novice Nationals Forensics Tournament in Florida.
Harris won in “Extemporaneous Speaking,” adding to Berry College Forensics Union’s now 30 national champion wins in the past 14 years. She also placed second in “Public Narrative” and fifth in “Impromptu Sales.”
“It was really humbling and exciting,” said Harris, who is from Roswell, Ga. “A lot of the stuff I talked about was very personal, and I wasn’t sure how much it would be received, so it was really exciting to see a good reception for it.”
The team placed in seven individual categories and second as a team in their division at the Novice Nationals Forensics Tournament at the University of West Florida. Freshman Eugenia Barboza from Warner Robins, Ga., won fourth in “Impromptu” and fifth in “Informative,” while freshman Anna Claire Tucker, of Hayden, Ala., won fourth in “Public Narrative” and sixth in “Persuasion.”
Harris, who joined forensics with an interest in impromptu speaking, said that being a part of the Forensics Union has helped her develop skills that will be beneficial in the future when graduating and applying for jobs.
“A key part about forensics is that you don’t have to be the most experienced to join,” said Jess Bozeman, senior member of the Forensics Union from Montgomery, Ala. “We’re looking for people who are just willing to learn.”