April_CollegeNewsFinal2

College of Fine Arts and Communication | 11 speaking and Informative speaking respectively. Josh Lockaby and Robert Davis tied for the top speaker at the tournament. Wayne Kraemer, Director of Forensics, noted that the Nation- al Online Championship is “historically a good tournament for us, and this year was no exception.” He added, “to finish second out of that group of schools is quite an accomplish- ment.” The University of North Carolina-Charlotte was the site of the American Forensic Association-National Speech Tour- nament held in April. The Bobcats finished 28th out of the 58-team field with an outstanding performance by Santiago Malpica Calleja who was a national quarterfinalist in Im- promptu Speaking. “I was hoping to make the semi-finals this year,” said Malpica Calleja, “but I am proud of what I accom- plished and look forward to making my mark next year.” [13] The team also travelled to Detroit, Michigan for the National Forensic Association National Championships where they finished 10th in the nation in the President’s III Division. Taylor Tate was the 16th seed out of 101 competitors at the tournament and finished as a national Octa-finalist. Santiago Malpica Calleja was a national Octa-finalist in Extempora- neous Speaking and Impromptu Speaking. Jeremy Hutchins, Associate Director of Forensics and primary LD debate coach, noted that Taylor Tate had a very successful year and that “they have established a clear reputation of being a top-level competitor in the activity.” Hutchins added, “We look for- ward to what they can do next year.” Our International Public Debate Association (IPDA) debaters attended the IPDA National Championship at Lee Col- lege in Baytown, Texas. Luke Sides finished as the national runner-up placing second at the tournament in the varsity division. R.J. Jasso advanced to the round of 32 in the junior varsity division. Tyler Cole, the primary parliamentary debate coach, felt privileged to watch our debaters grow and excel this year. Cole was particularly impressed with RJ Jasso’s progress as a debater noting that “when I told him (RJ) that he would be advancing, he was incredibly excited and I was incredibly proud of him.” Luke Sides , who finished second in the nation, said that “IPDA is challenging, educational, and incredibly fun. I couldn’t be prouder to represent the top tier of IPDA debaters in the nation and the Texas State Debate Team.” [14] The intercollegiate speech and debate teams are open to all Texas State students. Interested parties should contact Wayne Kraemer, the Director of Forensics, at wk02@txstate.edu HON 2309O students deliver TED-style Talks. Students enrolled in “Talking Like TED” (HON 2309O) delivered their final presentations over two sessions. The Talking Like TED course develops presentational speaking and storytelling skills through the lens of TED Talks. Stu- dents view and discuss well-received TED Talks and practice the verbal and nonverbal behaviors related to effective com- munication. Students spent the entire semester engaged in research, outlining, one-on-one coaching, visual aid prepa- ration, practicing, and application of course material. The theme of this Talking Like Ted class event is Reclaim — our call to take back what matters most. The twenty-three students in this class covered a variety of topics, such as reclaiming identity, mental health, creativity, education, relationships, personal agency, and the power of storytelling in a digital age. With this theme, students wanted to reclaim focus from distraction. Reclaim classrooms as spaces not just for knowledge, but for belonging, emotional growth, and real-world skills. Reclaim creativity as a lifelong tool for mental wellness. Reclaim relationships - near, far, and even virtual - as sources of strength. Reclaim our stories from silence, our attention from algorithms, and our humanity from systems that devalue it. The talks invited us to rethink, to resist, and to move forward with purpose. Because re- claiming isn’t just about what we take back - it’s about what we choose to carry forward. The course is taught by Mark Paz , Assistant Professor of Practice and COMM 1310 Course Director.