Truman Index
Forensics interest expands, budget does not
Media Credit: Adrian Lorincz
Growing interest has put a squeeze on the already-limited budget of the forensics program.
"This is a very young team," said Kevin Minch, director of forensics and assistant professor of communication. "Not many people graduated last year, and what this ultimately means is that we had to make some choices."
The forensics team's success, winning fifth in its division in the National Forensics Association for individual events, sixth in the National Parliamentary Debate Association and first in the Combined Missouri State Forensics Championship, has caught the attention of many incoming students who want to participate in this co-curricular activity.
Expansion, coupled with a limited budget, has caused cuts in some areas of the program.
Minch said one of the choices was to restrict the program's teams to a maximum of 16 debaters and 16 individual-event competitors.
"We had to 'redshirt,' much like an athletic program," he said. "We do not cut students."
Forensics encompasses two forms of debate and 11 individual speaking events including public address, interpretation and limited preparation events.
Minch said the students who have not yet reached the threshold of preparation needed to compete are encouraged to participate in team activities.
Senior Heather Carmack, a member of the team's steering committee, said the interest shown by students in the program is encouraging.
"It is really too bad that we aren't able to keep everyone," Carmack said. "But it's wonderful that people are so interested in what we are doing."
Minch also said the team has had to cut back on the kind of traveling it does by staying closer to home and not flying as much as it did last year.
Team member senior Tyler Unsell said the team has support other than money.
"We would love to have the infinite budget that bigger schools have," Unsell said. "But we wouldn't give it up for the support that we get from the faculty."
Minch said he points no blame for not receiving an increase in the program's budget that would support its growing numbers.
"The frugality of our division head worked really hard to make sure student programs were made a priority," Minch said. "That process made sure we maintained the same budget level we had last year."
Minch said even though the program did not lose money, it still was not given the financial increase needed to cover the team's growth.
"We have had to cut programmatically on the things we do because of factors other than an increase in the team's membership," Minch said.
The program experienced other setbacks, including inflated travel costs after Sept. 11 and an unsuccessful search for an applicant to fill a fourth coaching position. These factors added together resulted in a deficit for the team.
The forensics program is planning a number of ways to meet its financial needs.
Todd Holm, assistant director of forensics and assistant professor of communication, said that aside from fund raising, the team is relying on its upcoming tournament to bring in much-needed funds.
Holm said Truman's forensics program will host one of the largest tournaments in the district Sept. 28-29. The tournament will bring about 25 teams from around the country, and a number of nationally ranked teams will come to Kirksville to compete.
Minch jokes that the size of the tournament will rival the on-campus activity caused by the Jimmy Eat World concert.
Minch also said the forensics program will initiate a summer forensics and debate institute for high school students with the help of the office of the vice president for academic affairs. He said he hopes this will help generate funds to assist the program throughout the year.
"We always find a way of making things work," Minch said. "Each year we scrap to get things done, but I feel lucky that we have what we do."
The team has its first taste of competition this weekend, when it will split up and travel to two locations. Four debate teams will compete at the University of Wyoming (Laramie) and seven individual-event competitors will go to Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind.).
Forensics interest expands, budget does not
Issue date: 9/19/02 Section:News
Growing interest has put a squeeze on the already-limited budget of the forensics program.
"This is a very young team," said Kevin Minch, director of forensics and assistant professor of communication. "Not many people graduated last year, and what this ultimately means is that we had to make some choices."
The forensics team's success, winning fifth in its division in the National Forensics Association for individual events, sixth in the National Parliamentary Debate Association and first in the Combined Missouri State Forensics Championship, has caught the attention of many incoming students who want to participate in this co-curricular activity.
Expansion, coupled with a limited budget, has caused cuts in some areas of the program.
Minch said one of the choices was to restrict the program's teams to a maximum of 16 debaters and 16 individual-event competitors.
"We had to 'redshirt,' much like an athletic program," he said. "We do not cut students."
Forensics encompasses two forms of debate and 11 individual speaking events including public address, interpretation and limited preparation events.
Minch said the students who have not yet reached the threshold of preparation needed to compete are encouraged to participate in team activities.
Senior Heather Carmack, a member of the team's steering committee, said the interest shown by students in the program is encouraging.
"It is really too bad that we aren't able to keep everyone," Carmack said. "But it's wonderful that people are so interested in what we are doing."
Minch also said the team has had to cut back on the kind of traveling it does by staying closer to home and not flying as much as it did last year.
Team member senior Tyler Unsell said the team has support other than money.
"We would love to have the infinite budget that bigger schools have," Unsell said. "But we wouldn't give it up for the support that we get from the faculty."
Minch said he points no blame for not receiving an increase in the program's budget that would support its growing numbers.
"The frugality of our division head worked really hard to make sure student programs were made a priority," Minch said. "That process made sure we maintained the same budget level we had last year."
Minch said even though the program did not lose money, it still was not given the financial increase needed to cover the team's growth.
"We have had to cut programmatically on the things we do because of factors other than an increase in the team's membership," Minch said.
The program experienced other setbacks, including inflated travel costs after Sept. 11 and an unsuccessful search for an applicant to fill a fourth coaching position. These factors added together resulted in a deficit for the team.
The forensics program is planning a number of ways to meet its financial needs.
Todd Holm, assistant director of forensics and assistant professor of communication, said that aside from fund raising, the team is relying on its upcoming tournament to bring in much-needed funds.
Holm said Truman's forensics program will host one of the largest tournaments in the district Sept. 28-29. The tournament will bring about 25 teams from around the country, and a number of nationally ranked teams will come to Kirksville to compete.
Minch jokes that the size of the tournament will rival the on-campus activity caused by the Jimmy Eat World concert.
Minch also said the forensics program will initiate a summer forensics and debate institute for high school students with the help of the office of the vice president for academic affairs. He said he hopes this will help generate funds to assist the program throughout the year.
"We always find a way of making things work," Minch said. "Each year we scrap to get things done, but I feel lucky that we have what we do."
The team has its first taste of competition this weekend, when it will split up and travel to two locations. Four debate teams will compete at the University of Wyoming (Laramie) and seven individual-event competitors will go to Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind.).
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