Why join Bethel Forensics?

Are you a Bethel student wondering why you should join Bethel Forensics? We'll give you both the practical and fun reasons to join Bethel forensics:

First, the practical:

No matter what field you enter, successful communication skills help people get jobs and help them advance in their careers.
Learning how to adapt to a variety of audiences is a skill that translates across any major and any career choice.
You'll be more confident in your speaking skills as well as in knowing why you think and believe the way you do.

Then, the fun:

Bethel Forensics consists of people who know how to have fun and are smart. If you want to find people who care more than just about themselves, and who care about the world around them, you need to check out Bethel Forensics.
You really get to know other team members well - it's a chance to form deep friendships. Why Facebook someone when you can get to hang out with them for a long period of time?
You get the chance to visit a variety of different places...and sample decent hotels. Most of them have pools.
Free food.
Professors will think you're really cool and smart.
We win quite a few trophies.
(For guys only - one of the best ratios of women to men on campus!)

So, why join? It's a really great place to grow, learn, and make friends. Put another way: if you take one of our department courses, you might give a few speeches, and get a few critiques. In forensics, you'll get constant feedback from our coaches, fellow team members, and faculty from other universities. Forensics helps you both at Bethel and life beyond Bethel. Grad schools are impressed with forensics participation.

Do I have to be a Communication Studies major to join?

Absolutely not! Many of our team members major in areas such as English, Political Science, Reconciliation Studies... you'll find a variety of majors. One of our alumni just received his PhD in Physics, and another has a PhD in Economics. We've had art majors, philosophy majors, nursing majors... just about every department at Bethel.

How much will this cost me?

Nothing! Entry fees, transportation, and hotels are covered by Bethel. Financial considerations shouldn't play a role as to whether or not you want to participate in forensics.

Sounds cool - how much time will this take?

As little or as much as you make of it. Our tournaments take place on Tuesdays and on weekends; you can attend as few or as many as you want. However, to qualify for national tournaments, you'll have to attend at least three tournaments each semester.
We also have a team meeting time - Mondays at 2:50 in AC 331. If you can't make that meeting, you can still participate! Just find Dr. Dreher or Prof. Samens in the Department of Communication Studies. They can give you more details and fill you in. Parliamentary debaters also have a separate meeting - we'll announce the date/time as soon as we have it.
You'll need to have weekly coaching sessions with one of our coaches. And of course, you'll have to do some practicing on your own. The time commitment varies a bit each week; figure a few hours between meeting with coaches and working on your own. The more you put in, the more successful you're likely to be.

Are you guys any good?

We've had 2 parliamentary debate All-Americans...only two other schools (Truman State and Rice University) have had more than us.
We're two-time defending state champions in parliamentary debate, and we've won more than 15 national championships at Novice Nationals and Christian College Nationals (Kelly Snyder was our latest national champion, winning in Novice Poetry).
In 2009, two of the top 5 speakers in the open (varsity) division were from Bethel. To be in the top 5, people had to be successful in several different types of speaking.

What if I have more questions?

Come visit either Dr. Michael Dreher, Director of Forensics, or Prof. Jessica Samens, Assistant Director of Forensics, in the Department of Communication Studies. Dr. Dreher's office is HC 327H; Prof. Samens is in HC 326B. Both offices are across from the library and the radio station.
Email Dr. Dreher: mdreher at bethel.edu
Come to a team meeting...we have plenty of people who would be happy to tell you more about the team.