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Forensics

COACH: MS. LAUREN HESS, '10 • MODERATOR: MS. DEANNA HESS

Forensics is a competitive speech and debate team that both teaches and enhances students' public speaking skills, while building students' confidence in a competitive environment. The students on the team choose a literary piece that fits into one of the Forensics categories and practice their piece(s) both at home and at after school practices before performing at the Forensics meets, which take place on Saturdays at local high schools. In Forensics, you do not compete as a team, but individually in your category.

FORENSICS CATEGORIES:

  • Prose
  • Poetry
  • Original Oratory
  • Dramatic Interpretation
  • Humorous Interpretation
  • Impromptu
  • Declamation
 
Seton LaSalle's Forensics Team is top-ranked in the state of Pennsylvania, in addition to being nationally-recognized. Our team members go on to compete yearly at the State and National Forensics Tournaments. Each year, our team competed at more than 20 tournaments against hundreds of students from various schools throughout the state and consistently placed in the Top 5 at every tournament.
 
 

2023-24 HIGHLIGHTS

  • Forensics team members Thomas Rodriguez, '25, Jack Gardell, '25, and Chris Kirchner, '24 made school history by competing at the Tournament of Champions in Lexington Kentucky. This tournament is considered the toughest and most prestigious competition in forensics. This was the first time Seton LaSalle was represented.
  • Seton LaSalle’s forensics team made school history at the PA State Forensics Championship at Bloomsburg University! We had a record-breaking showing, with 3 out of 4 competitors making it to finals and placing in the top 3. Congratulations to Julia Miller, ‘26 for placing 3rd in Storytelling; Thomas Rodriguez, ‘25 for placing 2nd in Prose; Chris Kirchner, ‘24 and Jack Gardell, ‘25 placing 2nd in Duo Interpretation; and Elizabeth Luzar, ‘25 for placing in the top 25 in Impromptu. 
  • The Seton LaSalle forensics team competed at the National Catholic Forensics League Qualifier at Fox Chapel. Thomas Rodriguez, ‘25 qualified in Oral interpretation of literature, Grace Rebholz, ‘27 and Allegra Joseph, ‘27 qualified in declamation, Elizabeth Luzar, ‘25 qualified in dramatic performance, and Jack Gardell, ‘25, Julia Miller, ‘26 qualified in duo interpretation, and Amari Morris, ‘27 came in 2nd place in alternate declamation.