Forensics team brings home regional championship

Mt. Hood’s Forensics team took the championship at the Northwest Forensics Conference Regional Championship, held in Longview, Washington, last weekend.

The group earned the Overall Sweepstakes and Oregon Sweepstakes honors, and brought the Regional Championship back to MHCC.

Lea Bauley-Gabriel won the gold medal contest for the team, against the College of Southern Idaho and was named Top Speaker of the tournament.

“I know that Lea was very nervous going into the gold medal round, but her victory, I think, was a real boost to her confidence as a debater and that Top Speaker award was just icing on the cake,” said Shannon Valdivia, MHCC director of forensics and team coach.

Valdivia said she’s very proud of the team and joked that the novices, such as Bauley-Gabriel, are giving its veterans “a run for their money.” That said, “the veterans showed their leadership by stepping up these past few weeks to work with the novices to prepare them for this tournament,” she said.

She also applauded Peter Camacho, who advanced in his first tournament with the team and was named second best speaker in the tournament.

The tournament was the last of the competitive season, but team members will attend the 2016 Political Science Conference hosted today by MHCC instructor/dean Janet Campbell (in Stevenson, Washington), and are assisting the MHCC Safety Committee.

“Meanwhile, we will be preparing to defend our regional title next year,” read an email sent by Valdivia and assistant coaches Chris Josi and Phil LePoivden.

In Individual Events:

Sara Cass earned a 3rd place in Editorial Commentary.

Jim Matson was a finalist in Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu Speaking and was 3rd in Prose Interpretation.

James Biederbeck brought home 1st place in Editorial Commentary and Impromptu Speaking, and 3rd in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Logan Clark earned 1st place honors in After Dinner Speaking and Persuasion, and 2nd place in Impromptu Speaking .

Ismael Sanchez was a finalist in Impromptu Speaking.

Basil Hawley earned 1st place honors in Prose Interpretation, Programmed Oral Interpretation, Communication Analysis and Extemporaneous Speaking.

Maggie Mick was a finalist in Editorial Commentary and earned 2nd place honors in Prose Interpretation and Programmed Oral Interpretation.