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There’s no argument that the Moraine Valley Community College Forensics team is one of the top speech teams in the country. The team secured the silver medal, and four individuals won medals, at the Phi Rho Pi National Tournament held April 6-11 in Portland, Oregon. The team also won a gold medal at the regional tournament and placed second at the Illinois state tournament.
The Phi Rho Pi National Tournament is one of the oldest forensics competition in the United States. This year marked the 75th national tournament, where Moraine Valley competed against more than 500 participants from 79 teams. This is the sixth consecutive year the college has finished in one of the top three spots earning either a gold, silver, or bronze medal.
Forensics team members Tommy Molloy and Matt Weibel, both of Oak Lawn, each earned gold medals in the Speech to Entertain event. Molloy also won a bronze medal in the Impromptu event, and Weibel won a silver medal in Program Oral Interpretation and a bronze medal for Duo Interpretation. They were joined by silver medal winner Kim Saltin, of Alsip, for Speech to Entertain, and Antonio Zhurinskas, of Chicago Ridge, who earned bronze medals in Duo Interpretation and Dramatic Interpretation.
John Nash, assistant professor of Speech/Communications and director of the Forensics team, was selected as this year’s recipient of the Collie Taylor Fellowship Award, which is presented at the national tournament to the coach who best exemplifies the finest qualities of a Phi Rho Pi educator.
“I am extremely proud of this year’s team,” said Nash. “They worked hard, and it paid off. The team believed in themselves and in the art they were communicating. Their words really resonated with their audiences.”
Moraine Valley’s 2008-09 Forensics team had 13 students who competed in six tournaments throughout the year. The team won first place awards at the Illinois Central College Tournament and the College of Lake County Tournament. They took second place at the Kishwaukee College Tournament and the Harper College Tournament.
For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.
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