Approximately 300 students on forensics teams from junior high and high schools across central Arkansas will fill Mount St. Mary Academy’s classrooms, hallways and cafeteria on Saturday, February 1, when the MSM Forensics Team hosts its second annual Forensics Festival.
The Forensics Team, comprised of nearly 30 students from all grade levels at Mount St. Mary, has been hard at work preparing for this year’s tournament with the goal of making it even more successful than the inaugural event held in 2018. If the number of entries is any indicator of the event’s potential for success, then the group will likely realize its goal. This year’s Forensics Festival has received 501 entries – nearly double last year’s amount!
The event serves as a fundraiser for the Forensics Team; proceeds from entry fees and concessions sales help cover expenses incurred throughout the busy competition season. However, according to MSM speech and drama teacher Jenny Moses, organizing a tournament like the Forensics Festival also provides students with additional opportunities to gain valuable leadership, communication and problem-solving skills.
“I love watching the confidence and poise these ladies develop in forensics, and I see a new side of this as they host other schools on campus,” Ms. Moses said.
In addition to competing, the Forensics Team will be responsible for handling several hosting duties throughout the day of the tournament, from hospitality and customer service to registration, concessions and clean-up.
“The Forensics Festival is such an exciting event for the MSM Forensics Team,” team captain Karina S. ’19 said. “It teaches us so much about teamwork, and what a good work ethic looks like.”
Though she admitted it feels a bit strange to go from simply competing to managing all the behind-the-scenes work at a tournament, Karina is looking forward to hosting. “It’s really fun when our friends from other schools get to see what our campus is like,” she said.
Ten schools, including Mount St. Mary, are scheduled to compete in the single-day Forensics Festival. Events will include dramatic interpretation, humorous interpretation, duo interpretation, oratory, informative speaking, impromptu, prose, poetry, storytelling and improv. The competition also offers two thespian events, solo musical and duet musical, for high school participants. As an officially sanctioned event by the Arkansas Activities Association, participants will be able to qualify for the Arkansas Communication and Theatre Arts Association’s Arkansas Forensic and Debate State Championship in April at the Mount St. Mary tournament. Several members of the MSM Forensics Team have already qualified for the state competition at previous tournaments this season.
Good luck, Forensics Team, and best wishes for a fun and successful Forensics Festival!
Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.