The Forensics Union is Berry's competitive speech and debate team. Matthew Delzer, director of forensics, and Hope Willoughby, assistant director of forensics, coach and serve as lecturers for the Berry Communication Department.

At the National Speech Championship, held synchronously online this year, every Berry student made it to the national quarterfinals, and one went the distance to the national finals in two events.

The National Speech Championship is a varsity level tournament. In

Team Sweepstakes Berry College placed tenth. Morgan Thoem, of Rome, Ga., is the first national finalist since 2009 for Berry. She also placed 2^nd in Informative Speaking and 5^th in Persuasive Speaking.

The following students also earned awards:

• Vanessa Fowler, of Cumming, Ga. (Quarter-Finalist - Informative Speaking )
• Jacob Pritchett, of Tallassee, Ala. (Quarter-Finalist - Dramatic Interpretation)
• Kalista Shields, of Saint Petersburg, Fla. (Quarter-Finalist - After Dinner Speaking )

The team also competed at Novice Nationals, in Indianapolis and secured 2^nd place overall with five individual champions. Novice Nationals is a tournament for college students in their first year of competing, and Berry has had a national champion for the past seven years.

• Sara Blakely, Lawrenceville, Ga. (National Champion, After Dinner Speaking)
• Ellie Perkins, Ambrose, Ga. (National Champion, Informative Speaking )
• Shields (National Champion Speaker, National Semi-Finalist in IPDA Debate )
• Blakely (National Champion, Program Oral Interpretation )
• Brittany Lince, Kenosha, Wis. (2^nd place, Program Oral Interpretation ; National Champion, Prose Interpretation; 3^rd place, Individual Sweepstakes and top overall speakers at the tournament.)
• Perkins (2^nd place, Prose Interpretation )
• Hannah Boler, Inman, S.C. (2^nd place, Public Narrative)
• Nolan Davidson, Franklin, Tenn. (3^rd place, Rhetorical Criticism)
• Team Sweepstakes (2^nd Place)

For the state tournament, Berry secured their 27^th consecutive Georgia state championship. The Georgia Intercollegiate Forensics Association State Championship offers 14 individual state championships, and Berry won a grand total of eight.

• Thoem (Champion, Persuasive Speaking; Champion, Rhetorical Criticism )
• Champion
• Fowler (2^nd place, Persuasive Speaking )
• Shields (Champion, Program Oral Interpretation; 2^nd place Dramatic Interpretation; Champion After Dinner Speaking )
• Kandra Martin, East Ellijay, Ga. (2^nd place, Program Oral Interpretation)
• Davidson (3^rd place, Rhetorical Criticism )
• Pritchett (Champion, Dramatic Interpretation; Champion, Extemporaneous Speaking; 2^nd place, Impromptu Sales )
• Rachel Siler, Sparks, Ga. (3^rd place, Dramatic Interpretation)
• Perkins (Champion, Informative Speaking; Champion, Prose Interpretation)
• Fowler (2^nd place, Informative Speaking; 2^nd place Poetry Interpretation; 3^rd place Impromptu Speaking)
• Haven Hendrix, Sugar Valley, Ga. (2^nd place, Prose Interpretation)

• Karina Perez, Signal Mountain, Tenn. (2^nd place After Dinner Speaking)
• Melissa Wright, Lilburn, Ga. (3^rd place After Dinner Speaking)

• Cecilia Kolbash, Belmont, N.C. (2^nd place Public Narrative)

• Boler (3^rd place, Public Narrative)
• Pritchett / Shields (3^rd place, Duo Interpretation)

For more information on Berry's communication department, visit https://www.berry.edu/academics/fs/departments/communication