Forensics: A year of success

By Amy Staples

After eight years of shuffling back and forth from coach Shannon Valdivia’s office to borrowed classrooms, the Forensics Team finally got a space to call their own in August.

The proof of the difference is visible on the walls and tables in the squad room: award after plaque after trophy earned by a team able to spend more time together to practice, study, nap and get under each other’s skin. Valdivia said, “When we were granted this space last year, I knew this would be the answer to my prayers, being able to allow my squad a place they could call their own, be able to hang out, do their work, and if they need access to me I’m always here. I think this squad room made the difference.”

The final competition they attended was the Northwest Forensics Conference Division III Community College Championships last weekend at Clark. The entire squad attended the competition. “Everyone brought something home,” said Valdivia.

MHCC was defending the title and ended up dominating the competition, pulling in 10 awards and finishing 45 points ahead of hosting second-place team Clark. The lead was significant, although, “It’s not as big of an ass-whooping as we’ve given them in the past,” said Valdivia.

Having earned a national championship award earlier in the season, the regional competition was icing on the cake of a spectacular season for any forensic team, let alone one comprised mostly of rookie debaters. Valdivia said, “I sometimes sit in utter and complete awe of what this team has accomplished because they were so young. To put it in perspective, last year when we went to regionals I had a squad that was half veterans. This team that I took this weekend was more dominating in their performance than last year’s team.”

According to Jay Sabin, who was second in poetry and a finalist in extemporaneous speaking, one reason the team did so well this year was the diversity of the squad. “We had single moms, Iraq veterans, first year students, FEMA employees – we had a really diverse learning environment and everybody feeds off each other. You can see the reason we do so well in a number of events is we share that knowledge.”

In team debate, all four MHCC teams went into the eight-team semifinals. Jason Dyer-Leighton and Natalie Fetsch won first place, Sean Robinson and Emily Gattorna won quarterfinalist honors, teams Tori Zanzalari-Nikki Fisher and Sabin-Max Stanaford won semifinalist awards.

In debate speaking, five of the top 10 speakers were MHCC students. Fisher was top speaker for the tournament, Fetsch was second, Zanzalari was third, Robinson fourth and Stanaford seventh.

If the high point in the year for the squad was a new space and the solidarity that gave them, the low point was the middle of winter quarter when three of the four veterans left the squad and a demanding travel schedule deprived the team of time to recuperate.

“We were so tired and there were times that it was hard to keep everyone motivated. We spent a lot of time last term trying to keep going and get through, but it didn’t necessarily affect our performance,” said Valdivia.

Between school and travel winter quarter, some squad members and Valdivia didn’t see a day off for three or four weeks at a time.

Next year’s Forensics Team can look forward to some veterans. Valdivia said at least six people have told her they expect to be back next year, and recruits from local high schools will be joining. “This will be the largest recruiting class I’ve ever had, and I didn’t seek them out. Our reputation is spreading in the region that we are a program that is worthy of being considered,” she said. Typically high school students don’t think of a community college of having a nationally ranked Forensics Team, but MHCC does. Our team finished fifth in the nation for the National Parliamentary Debate Association, we’re national champions for Phi Kappa Delta, two-time regional champions in the northwest – we have a very competitive program here.”

Valdivia is looking at taking the program international next year and reminds students that if they want their education paid for they don’t have to be athletes. “You can debate your way into a scholarship,” she said. Students interested in the team should see Valdivia, as “all ways onto this team are through me.” Sometimes she recruits students out of her fundamentals of public speaking class, which is a required class for many programs at MHCC. “Forensics isn’t for everyone, but it is what you make it,” she said. “You cannot find a better training ground than forensics when it comes to skills you’re going to need in the real world.”

As for the common misconception that the Forensics Team is a science group, Valdivia said, “Forensics actually means to dissect argument. Although my students would argue we kill people and then we eat their dead bodies.”