4________
WedNEsdAy, Appil 24, 2002
The CI ac I camas P rìnt
Clackamas speech team brings
silver medal home from nationals
SALENA DE LA CRUZ
Design Editor
Members of Clackamas’
speech and debate team
proved, once again, not only
could they talk the talk, but
walk the walk at the Phi Rho Pi
National Tournament in Fort
Worth, Tex.,.Aprib8-14, bring
ing home a silver medal for sec
ond place nationally.
Jenifer Gile and Paul
Southwick vocalized against
several top schools and were
able to grab the gold in Debate
by the end of the tournament.
While Gile took an individual
bronze medal in Persuasive
Speaking, Southwick was hot
on h6r heals with a bronze
medal in Persuasive Speaking
as well. Jennifer Nelson also
received a bronze in Persuasive
Speaking. Each individual
earned the bronzes in Persua
sive Speaking in their separate
divisions. Melissa Karki and
Amy Perin helped round out
the
team
representing
Clackamas.
“It’s extremely exciting and
competitive. It really wore me
out. I was able to expand upon
my knowledge, especially of
persuasion,” said Southwick.
“It was also really exciting
because my debate partner and
I got gold in Debate.”
The tournament started at 8
a.m., so the members of the
team met with their coach, Di
rector of Forensics Kelly
Brennan at 6:30 a.m. for break
fast. However, that may have
been too early for one member,
who was known by the wait
ress not by face but by name
since the team continuously
"When you become a
national champion, no
one can take that away."
Kelly Brennan
Director of Forensics
asked, “Where’s Paul?”
“I finally showed up and she
(the waitress) was like, oh you
showed up today,” said
Southwick.
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Amidst the jovial atmosphere
at breakfast, the debaters put
on their game faces and
strolled into competition ready
to deliberate against some of
the best schools in the coun
try. Clackamas competed
against406 individuals and 70
schools for the top spot.
“We knew we had a strong
team going in, but you never
can predict because obviously,
the degree of talent on all the
other teams...representing all
over the United States,” said
Brennan.
Brennan would have loved to
have taken the whole team, but
for budgetary reasons he was
unable to. Funding could only
afford them to take five, includ
ing Brennan and his assistant,
Brian Everett.
“One of the hardest things
to do as a coach or judge is
select a mere five. We had to
and they went there. I think
they represented Clackamas
extremely well,” said Brennan.
The silver medal that
Clackamas won in the overall
tournament showed how ca
pable the team was at compet
ing at a national level. This is
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the first time Clackamas has
achieved such an honor.
“When you become a na
tional champion, no one can
take that away,” said
Brennan.
“Were we happy and sur
prised at the second-place
finish, you bet....We’ve been
to the nationals five times and
we’ve never won a national
championship award, so to
come back with anything, be
cause they only recognize the
top three, is phenomenal,” said
Brennan.
The powerhouses to beat
were Arizona, California and
Texas, according to Brennan.
Texas rode in and took the gold,
with Clackamas hot on their
heels.
Also, during the same time
of this competition, Kerri
Baker-Hughes and Samantha
Grifin competed in the four-
year national tournament that
was held in Illinois April 4-8.
“They were the top-ranked
school in Oregon...They were
behind only one other school,”
said Everett. “They were the
only ones to go from
Clackamas.”
Brennan also received recog
nition. He was nominated
again this year as.Region One
Governor ofPhi Rho Pi. He will
be serving his second year.
“So you get to work,”
laughed Brennan.
Thanks goes out from the
speech
team
to
Kay
Slusarenko, associate dean of
arts/humanities; social sci
ences, President Joe Johnson;
Dian Connett, dean of Instruc
tional Services; and Jane
Rickenbaugh, department
chair of Communications/The-
ater Arts, for their unwaver
ing support. According to
Brennan, without it, none of
this would’ve been possible.
Clackamas will host the na
tionals in 2003. The last time
they did this was in 2000.
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