Vestavia Resident Places In Forensics Tournament For UA

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Students from The University of Alabama's competitive speech team, Alabama Forensics Council, received recognition at the the virtual Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament March 18-21.

One of the students who received multiple honors was Sophia Akhtar of Vestavia, who received third place in Informative Speaking, second place in Duo Interpretation and was a semifinalist in Persuasion.

The AFC won both the Team National Championship for individual events in speech and the Overall Team National Championship which included elements of both speech and debate.

UA College of Communication and Information Sciences students Cassidy Duncan, Cortland Stone and Elizabeth Tagg won first place in the Informative Speaking, Dramatic Interpretation and Prose categories respectively. Stone and Tagg also received first place in the Duo Interpretation category.

Students were tasked with completing their events online this year. According to Dr. Benjamin Pyle, director of AFC, the students adapted to the new competition style with ease.

"Our students dove head-first into figuring out how best to make this new competition format work for them to win the national tournaments," Pyle said. "The Team Championship at the Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament was the first of our three main competitive goals this season. Words cannot contain the amount of pride I hold in my heart for each of my students, graduate assistant coaches, volunteers, alumni and fellow administrators who have fought hard to reach this achievement."

Additionally, 15 UA students placed in individual events at the tournament.

The AFC is the oldest co-curricular organization on campus and aims to respect and build upon the successes of alumni and forge a path for current and future students.