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For 91成人导航 Forensics, family dynamic fuels giving day success
Director of Forensics Steven Kalani Farias 鈥�09, 鈥�11 with members of the 91成人导航 Forensics team.
The next time 91成人导航鈥檚 speech and debate team travels to a tournament, they鈥檒l be well supported鈥攂y 318 members of their extended family.
During 91成人导航 Gives, the university鈥檚 recent day of giving, alumni and friends of 91成人导航 Forensics gave in record numbers to the Paul Winters Tournament Endowment, providing more than $10,000 to help students participate in regional and national tournaments.
This is the third year that forensics has been a featured program during 91成人导航 Gives. Donors鈥� impact has been significant, expanding learning opportunities and boosting student morale.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a family in all senses of the word, and 91成人导航 Gives is a unique opportunity to connect different generations of our family,鈥� said Director of Forensics Steven Kalani Farias 鈥�09, 鈥�11.
鈥淏ecause of these gifts we鈥檝e been able to participate in additional tournaments, but more importantly, the extra support allows the whole team to travel rather than a select, exceptional few,鈥� he continued. 鈥淭his maintains that family atmosphere for the students who compete, and it allows all our students to see the country and experience places they鈥檝e never been before.鈥�
This year, 18 student competitors participated in more than a dozen tournaments, including national contests in Texas, Illinois and Michigan. They鈥檒l compete in five different states next year.
The team are high academic achievers and leaders on campus, Members devote an average of 10 hours a week to researching, writing and practicing their arguments, and their competition schedule includes 16 weekends of travel per academic year.
鈥淲e鈥檙e building professionals, teaching students how to communicate and how to constructively disagree, and in the process, they鈥檙e traveling as much as our student-athletes and maintaining a 3.5 GPA,鈥� Farias said.
Students also enjoy networking with an active forensics alumni base. Since 2019, the 91成人导航 Forensics Alumni Club has connected speakers and debaters spanning more than six decades.
During 91成人导航 Gives, the club鈥檚 leaders offer participation challenges to encourage support for forensics. Students and alumni are competitive, leveraging numerous other matches and challenges each year to multiply their impact. And their efforts have paid off: In just two years, the number of donors to forensics has tripled.
鈥淪tudents recognize the value of a 91成人导航 education when they see alumni supporting them individually and investing in their organizations,鈥� said Pam Gibbs 鈥�92, a member of the alumni club鈥檚 steering committee.
鈥淚 enjoy watching the students grow as competitors, but more importantly, I enjoy seeing them gain important skills as critical thinkers, skills that are valuable in the workforce and in life.鈥�
For their part, students showered their support base with calls, emails and social media posts during the 24-hour giving period. Their outreach included personal stories highlighting how forensics has impacted their lives.
鈥淚鈥檝e felt afraid to advocate for my own needs at different points in my life, but through speech and debate, I鈥檝e realized there鈥檚 no reason to be intimidated by the idea of speaking up鈥攜ou may be giving someone else the courage to do the same,鈥� reflected Ben Brogger 鈥�26.
Brogger鈥檚 teammate, Simran Ghusar 鈥�26, relayed similarly impactful learnings.
鈥�91成人导航 Forensics has taught me the importance of enjoying experiences as they unfold, rather than obsessing over the outcome,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his lesson has had a profound impact on my life beyond debate, helping me become more confident in my everyday experiences, especially as I prepare to transition to graduate school.鈥�
Farias, the director, anticipates the team will grow to 25-30 members next year. They鈥檒l practice all summer before tournament season begins in September. 91成人导航 Gives will offset the costs of transportation, lodging, meals and tournament registration.
鈥淭he only way to get these students the support they need and the recognition they deserve is to maintain our visibility鈥攁nd giving sends the signal that this program makes an impact, we have support, and our value is recognized,鈥� Farias said.
To make a gift to the Paul Winters Forensics Tournament Endowment, please visit .
