The National Forensics Association (NFA) Tournament is being held this year at Illinois State University, April 14–18. The NFA is an academic organization for intercollegiate speech and debate, and its main goal is to promote speech communication worldwide.
The NFA National Tournament, with 75 to 100 colleges and universities in attendance, consists of individual speaking events of interpretation, public speaking, and limited preparation genres, as well as the Lincoln-Douglas debate. The Lincoln-Douglas debate is a one-on-one policy debate. The last time the NFA National Tournament was held at Illinois State was in 2011, so it is thrilling to host it this year.
ISU Forensics Union serves as the university’s speech and debate club and has been in existence since 1857, just four days after Illinois State opened to the public. ISU Forensics today has more than 40 members and an Advisory Board that engages with the community and alumni. Alumni support is what keeps ISU Forensics running, with many costs including transportation, hotels, and food for the students.
In its history, Illinois State has won 10 national championships and over 80 individual titles, along with multiple other awards noted on the Illinois State Forensics website. The team collectively holds an average GPA of 3.0 or higher, with students pursuing more than 20 different majors and spending their time contributing to the community, as the organization requires 300-plus hours of community service.
Being a member of Illinois State Forensics aids in oratory skills and gives students the opportunity to travel across the nation, making friends and memories along the way. Stay connected with ISU Forensics and their competitions on Facebook, Instagram, and their website.
