Forensics is an extracurricular competitive-speaking program that is very popular for middle school students at St. Robert. Many people that participate in forensics feel that forensics can be complicated at tournaments but also really fun for all who are involved. Also, learning how to speak effectively through this program gives people more confidence when presenting, whether they are doing that now or in their future years.

Basically, forensics is competitive speaking and acting. When people join forensics, they pick a few categories that they think sound fun. In January, when kids start practices with Ms. DeLapp, Ms. DeLapp picks pieces for them to try out and choose from. Once a kid selects a piece that they like, they have to practice and/or memorize their piece depending on which category the piece is categorized in. However, Ms. DeLapp tells the students in non-memorizing categories to memorize their piece usually for state tournaments.

After a few weeks, students bring their polished piece to tournaments, where they present in various classrooms all over a given school. When everyone in the room is done presenting, they go out into a gym, cafeteria, or other meeting places and hang out until results are ready for awards or the announcements of final “power” rounds. Many people that are in forensics love it. According to Ava, a seventh grade student who did forensics last year, forensics is “very fun because you get to go to really fun tournaments and spend quality time with Ms. DeLapp….” Many people like forensics for this same reason.

Due to forensics being fun, there are interesting topics that people explore through their piece. According to Ms. DeLapp, the coach of the St. Robert forensics team, popular categories change every year, but humorous solo acting and group acting are the most popular league-wise. While humorous solo acting and group acting are all the rage in the forensics world, these categories could definitely use some more people from the St. Robert middle school team.

Many kids in the past that have joined forensics at St. Robert have enjoyed it. Forensics is a “good experience and… good practice for public speaking” according to Evie Coffou, a girl who is passionate about public speaking and loved doing forensics. Also, Ava spoke about why she think people should join forensics: “ [Kids] can learn how to public, and that really helps people in the future.”

In conclusion, forensics is a fantastic program that allows kids to express who they are through acting, and it has the benefit of teaching kids how to publicly speak. Any middle school student at St. Robert who has been thinking about joining the forensics team should certainly take the opportunity to be on the team. Kids will not only learn from from the wonderful experience, but will go on an extravagant adventure into the realm of acting!