Personal Stories
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Jerry McIntire
I participated in the U of O Forensics program as a competitor and as a judge for tournaments. The experience was invaluable and built strong bonds with other alumni. It of course sharpened my research and speaking skills. I went on to coach high school speech teams in my first career as a teacher. The Forensics program deserves ongoing support from the university as it contributes to the success of students in a variety of programs, especially those entering the School of Law.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Robynne Whitney
Participating on a debate team as perhaps the worst debater they had ever seen was critical to my educational path at UO, and on into my current profession as an attorney. I joined debate to address my tremendous fear of public speaking, and I have now spent thirty years speaking in public for a living. Debate was much more than that, however. It introduced me to wildly intelligent humans who dug into research and competition with an enthusiasm I'd not encountered in my university classes to that point. Traveling and competing and exchanging ideas with them was probably the most important experience I had at UO, as it broadened my educational expectations and gave me the confidence to move on to law school after graduation.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Matthew Taylor
The University of Oregon forensics program was instrumental to my personal and professional journey. I gained experience and friends that have lasted my entire life. I left Oregon with a Masters degree and a year of experience as the interim Director of Forensics. I went to USC, earned my PhD, and became the Director of Forensics at CSU Long Beach. After retiring from coaching in 2005 I moved to Fullerton College where I led the Department of Communication Studies for almost 18 years. None of the opportunities that came to be after Oregon would have been possible without the support and opportunities afforded to me while in Eugene.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Quinn Gulka
In my two years participating in Oregon Forensics I am most proud of the culture of friendship we have built together. I am grateful to the program for developing my critical thinking and public speaking skills. But what is most enduring to me are the human relationships we have cultivated over dozens of tournaments. I could not have asked for better teammates or better coaches, because they are the ones that make this program worthwhile.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Julie Stevens
As a small town girl from Coos Bay, the U of O was an eye-opening experience, not least due to my three years of participation in the forensics program under the direction of Scott Noble. I came in thinking I wanted to be a reporter. I left for law school in New York City, my entire career focus having been redirected.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Erik Conrad
My three years at the UO were made more memorable by my activity in the Forensics program, not only through competition but judging at the yearly high school competition we hosted. I gained skills and knowledge that no other program could have provided.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Jesse Simons
Forensics was a very important part of my college journey and I would not have been as successful in my professional career without that experience.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Erik Sheldrake
Being part of the Oregon Forensics Team was amazing. From researching, to preparing speeches and arguments, to competing at tournaments, the training and skills I received have helped me grow and succeed in business and life. Giving new students and future leaders the opportunity to be a part of Oregon Forensics is critical at this time.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Tisha Oehmen
Forensics taught me how to lead—how to stand up, speak with confidence, and share ideas that matter. The skills I developed in public speaking have carried into every aspect of my life and leadership, from facilitating conversations at local meetings to guiding companies through the process of identifying their core essence and brand. Most importantly, I’ve been able to help business owners clearly and confidently establish their identities in the marketplace. None of this would have been possible without the foundation I gained through forensics.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Garrett Caldwell
I credit forensics as the reason I have been able to suceed acedemically and personally. The skills in critcal thinking, information consolidation, note taking, and research that forensics has taught me are immensly valuable to the way I think and form my perspective. In class, work, and daily life, I use these skills in order to help me understand and interact with the world I live and experience. The forensics progam provides students an engaging and challenging outlet to practice forming thoughts and framing postions in a unqiue way often unattainable otherwise.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Nicholas Lougee
Forensics made me me who I am. I debated for Oregon for 4 years and coached for 7 years, including winning a national championship (NPTE). In this political climate of bad-faith public debate controlling the discursive space, there is not a single more important activity for us to institutionally support.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Pieper James
Being part of the Oregon mock trial team taught me so much about myself and gave me the confidence and ability to stand up for myself and was an essential building block of my career since graduating. It gave me invaluable skills like public speaking, critical thinking, self confidence, and acedemic agility that I frankly could not have ever learned or obtained in a classroom and would have otherwise have taken years to learn in the work place. To deprive future U of O students the opportunity to access this critical club would be a disservice to their academic and career growth alike.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Rose Gbaanador
Mock trial has been one of the most formative experiences in my academic journey. It sharpened my ability to think critically, analyze complex information, and articulate arguments under pressure. Participating in this activity, free of charge, allow me to learn how to break down dense cases, craft strategies, and mentor others—skills that directly strengthened my writing, research, and leadership in the classroom. Standing before judges and juries gave me confidence in public speaking and the discipline to think on my feet. Most importantly, it confirmed my passion for law and equipped me with the foundation I need to thrive in law school and beyond. I am so grateful to have met so many talented and other Academically motivated student through mock trial. I would have never gotten to Harvard law school without them and the UO Forensics Program’s support.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: William Messer
I'm graduate of the University of Oregon Clark Honors College and alumnus of the UO Debate Team, where I was mentored by Dr. David Frank, Professor of Rhetoric and former Dean of the CHC. My time on the debate team was formative—developing and sharpening my research and communication skills in ways that continue to support and shape my career as an Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology in the School of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. I can say without hesitation that debate went well-beyond being an extracurricular activity; it was a foundation for lifelong scholarship and a career that depends on communication skills. I sincerely hope the University will find the means to continue to support this program which was instrumental to my own development and remains one of the most valuable experiences available to University of Oregon students.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Charles Everett
I would like to think that the university would be able to solve their budget issues by means other than those taken by the dean of the Clark Honors College. Participating in debate can have an enormous impact on students that take it, myself being a prime example. During the almost two years I participated, I learned skills that have made me more capable and successful over the last twenty years. I would hope that a program that enables the skills useful in so many aspects of life would be venerated and not reduced to a shell of its former self.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Kaydilayne Weikel
Forensics have me the opportunity to build on my public speaking skills, engage in academic debates on prominent social topics and be part of a community. My college experience would not have been what it was without the debate program.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Isaac Gottesman
Forensics has been the most important activity in my intellectual and professional life as an educational scholar and professor. It is what taught me how to conduct scholarly research, use evidence to support claims, engage in reasoned argument, see multiple sides to complex issues, pay attention to nuance in language, and to organize my thoughts so they are clear, coherent, and persuasive. Everyday as a college professor I draw on my forensics background, as a teacher, as a department chair, and as a scholar.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Mahkah Wu
Forensics fulfilled the promise of the Clark Honors College; it provided me with the well round critical thinking, research, and rhetorical skills that complimented my major areas of study, enabling me to well rounded in my personal and professional lives.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Peter Messer
Forensics has provided me with invaluable educational experiences that shaped my subsequent professional and personal life. The demands that forensics placed on me to craft persuasive arguments based on a rigorous analysis of evidence helped make me a better student. It helped me to write better papers, culminating in an Honors Thesis at the University of Oregon, and make better and more informed contributions to class discussions. The skills with evidence and argument, subsequently, proved vital in writing a doctoral dissertation in history and in my subsequent career writing and publishing in history. The comfort I developed speaking in front of people--while conveying a cogent argument--has also been of considerable help in developing my skills as a teacher at Mississippi State University. The free form of cross examination, in particular, has made me comfortable answering questions and posing questions to students to get them to think critically about material. Finally, my time in forensics introduced me to many great people who made my time at the University of Oregon better by providing a cohort of like-minded people with whom to hang-out; many of these people have remained my friends over the 35 years since I graduated.
What Forensics Has Meant to Me: Scotty Abbott
Debate/forensics was one of the most influential things I ever did. The extensive travel, preparation and actual competitions taught me so much. To leave in a van for Redlands or UCLA or Utah and drive forever to arrive for 8 rounds then 3 more to make it to the finals was maturing in countless ways. Later, I was on Active Duty in the Army for 23 years. Debate paid off in quick thinking, critical thinking, preparation and speaking skills. I retired as a Lieutenant Colonel cognizant that Debate, Extemp, Persuasive speaking were cornerstones to my success.
I'm 72. Our youth need the opportunities that you provide.
I am in Kentucky so my assistance maybe limited. I'll do what I can.
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Oregon Forensics has always been more than competition — it’s community, confidence, and lifelong connection.
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