Students Advance to National Forensics Tournament

Two University Speech Team members have qualified for National American Forensics Association’s (AFA) Tournament.
University of Scranton students Sarah Hazelrigg (left) and Shelby Traver qualified to participate in the national American Forensics Association’s (AFA) Tournament, which will take place in April 2022.
University of Scranton students Sarah Hazelrigg (left) and Shelby Traver qualified to participate in the national American Forensics Association’s (AFA) Tournament, which will take place in April 2022.

Sarah Hazelrigg, West Long Branch, New Jersey, and Shelby Traver, Sweet Valley, have qualified to participate in the national American Forensics Association’s (AFA) Tournament, based on their placement at the District VII’s AFA Tournament on Nov. 14. The district competition, hosted by Seton Hall University, was held in a virtual format. The students placed in the top 10 percent at the district competition, which qualified them for the national tournament that will take place in April 2022.

AFA’s District VII includes Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Hazelrigg, a junior at Scranton majoring in advertising and public relations, qualified in after-dinner speaking, which is a public speaking event that uses humor to make a serious point. Her speech focused on the use of language.

Traver qualified in program oral interpretation, which weaves selections from poetry, prose and other sources around a theme. The theme of her program was anxiety. She is a junior at Scranton, majoring in international business.

Students compete in collegiate forensics tournaments as part of The University of Scranton Speech and Debate Team, a co-curricular student organization.

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