by Robert Parry
Staff Writer
The University of La Verne forensics team is enjoying a successful 1998, having taken third place out of 17 in its first official competition of the year. At the Reel Invitational at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut earlier this month, the team had excellent group and individual results in each of the event’s forms of competition.
Coach Jason Sanford reported that the duo of Sean Krispinsky and Justin Jones took top honors in the preliminary rounds of the Parliamentary Debate (two-on-two) event, while Ernie Minner received first place for individual speaking. The teams of Krispinsky/Jones and Minner/Faviola Ochoa reached the quarter finals, but were eliminated due to split decisions by the judges.
Jones took second in the open division of Extemporaneous Speaking (seven minutes with limited preparation) while Krispinsky and Juan Garcia finished in the top two spots in the novice division.
The Impromptu Speaking event featured five minute speeches with two minutes of preparation, and the ULV squad performed meritoriously there as well. Jones took first place in the open division and Krispinsky took second in the novice division.
Dramatic Interpretation requires participants to interpret a piece of drama or literature for the audience, and Ross Mathews made the final round.
In the fifth and final event, Duo Interpretation (much like Dramatic Interpretation, but with two participants), Mathews and Natalie Fowle teamed up to take third place in the open division. They presented a series of vignettes about the life of the late Gilda Radner.
Sanford expressed satisfaction with the start of the season, and said the team is looking forward to an excellent year.
