SWU hosts national forensics qualifier
Lauren Houchin goes over notes while preparing for her apologetics presentation during a qualifying competition for the National Christian Forensics and Communication Association at Southern Wesleyan University’s Central campus Jan. 6-9. She was among 200 home-schooled students from the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida who traveled to SWU for the competition.
Southern Wesleyan University hosted a qualifying competition for the National Christian Forensics and Communication Association (NCFCA) at their Central campus Jan. 6-9.
Two-hundred home-schooled students from across the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida came along with members of their families to the competition. Members of the university’s faculty and staff helped with setup for the event and served as judges for the competitions, which included two styles of debate and eleven categories of speech, such as persuasive speaking, humorous interpretation and apologetics. Southern Wesleyan awarded $1,000 scholarships to winners in each category. The university also offered a $250 scholarship to participants.
James McDonald, a volunteer judge and criminal justice professor at Southern Wesleyan, was impressed by the talent of the students and of the commitment of their parents and grandparents to their education and growth.
“These young adults were all remarkable,” McDonald said. “I would accept any one of them in my college classes today and I am confident they would excel.”
Chuck Mealy, a retired Southern Wesleyan staff member and volunteer judge, was impressed by the professionalism, high standards and courtesy demonstrated by the students.
“In a time when we hear so much negative news about high school students, these more than 300 students and parents demonstrated the value of investing quality time and energy into educating the mind, body and spirit for meeting the challenges of 2014. What a privilege to have them on campus,” Mealy said.
For details about NCFCA, go to ncfca.org.