Seldom are the orators of the Alabama Forensic Council silent. But leading up to its national championship tournament, the team has to be tight-lipped to prevent word about its speeches from reaching the ears of its competition. So, when the team gives a sneak-peak of some of its material, it’s something to hear.
The nationally-renowned forensics team will host a performance showcase in the Ferguson Center Ballroom tomorrow at 7 p.m. The exhibition will feature performances of both original speeches and dramatic interpretations of literature.
“[Attendees] can expect to learn a lot about not only performance, but also about issues and topics that are rarely discussed,” said junior Kelsey Balzli, who will be performing a persuasive-style speech in the showcase. “All of these events, in a certain way, are enlightening or moving.”
Balzli, who would only describe the topic of her speech as being “more politically oriented,” said the showcase features a mix of events that can be serious, humorous or informative.
“There is something in this showcase for everyone,” Balzli said. “Some topics covered may be political or socially relevant, but a lot of the speeches are meant to entertain, as well.”
Along with offering the UA community a glimpse of what the Alabama Forensic Council does, the showcase provides a way for team members to practice events in front of the types of audiences they see at national tournaments.
“The showcase allows us to get a feeling of how events will pan out when presented in front of big groups,” Balzli said. “Also, these showcases ensure that we have the support from our school and its students, which instills a sense of pride in us when we are competing.”
The forensics team earned a national championship earlier this season when it won the Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha National Tournament in Clemson, S.C. That victory was the forensic program’s 19th national championship.
“This team has won all but two of the tournaments it has attended this school year,” said Bobby Imbody, Alabama’s director of forensics. “We have already won one national championship, and we have our eyes set on one more as the season winds to a close in April.”
The team is looking to improve on its eighth-place finish in last year’s American Forensic Association’s National Individual Events Tournament, the largest individual-events tournament in the nation. Close to 90 schools will compete at the tournament, which will take place April 7 through the 9 at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.
[IF YOU GO]
What: Alabama’s Forensic Council Showcase
When: Wednesday, March 27 at 7 p.m.
Where: Ferguson Center Ballroom
