CU-Bloomsburg Forensics Team Takes Team First

Above, shown from left, first row: Dr. Strine, Brianna Malloy, Julia Flickinger, Alex Rohland, Maike Dreesbeimdieke, Lissy Dombek ('19). Second row: Seth Kamienski, Hattie Cinnamon, Cooper Cooper, Huter Ter Horst. Third row: Warren Daisey, Angel Ruiz Martinez.

The CU-Bloomsburg Forensics (Speech and Debate) Team has enjoyed a successful competition season thus far in the Fall 2025 semester, notching a 1st Place Team finish at Duquesne University from September 26-27 and completing a respectable 7th place finish out of 15 schools at the Lafayette College OCHOIE Tournament held from October 11-12.  

Every student on the Bloomsburg Forensics Team won at least one individual speaking award at the CFA - Duquesne University Tournament.  Bloomsburg finished ahead of Shepherd University, Duquesne University, and Wilkes University in the team sweepstakes competition. 

The Bloomsburg team also won the pumpkin carving contest at the Duquesne tournament.  Julia Flickinger and Maike Dreesbeimdeike teamed up to create a Husky-themed jack-O'-lantern for the fun component of the tournament. 

The following students won awards at the 2025 CFA Duquesne Tournament, September 26-27:

• Alex Rohland: 2nd Declamation; 2nd Pentathlon; 3rd Dramatic Duo (with Hunter Ter Horst); 5th Lincoln-Douglas debate; 5th Persuasive speaking
• Hunter Ter Horst: 1st Prose; 1st Impromptu, 2nd Extemporaneous Speaking; 3rd Dramatic Duo (With Alex Rohland); 3rd Single Dramatic Interp
• Warren Daisey: 4th Informative; 4th Declamation; 4th Poetry; 4th Single Dramatic Interpretation; 5th Prose; 4th Pentathlon
• Maike Dreesbeimdieke: 5th After-Dinner Speaking; 5th Informative Speaking
• Angel Ruiz Martinez: 3rd Persuasive Speaking
• Julia Flickinger: 1st Dramatic Duo, 3rd Prose, 5th Pentathlon
• Seth Kamienski: 4th Extemporaneous Speaking
• David "Cooper" Cooper: 1st Informative; 1st Persuasive Speaking; 2nd After-Dinner Speaking; 1st Parliamentary Debate Speaker; 4th Parliamentary Debate (with Hattie Cinnamon), 4th Extemporaneous Speaking
• Brianna Malloy: 1st Dramatic Duo (With Julia Flickinger); 2nd Prose
• Hattie Cinnamon: 4th Parliamentary Debate (with David Cooper); 6th Extemporaneous Speaking; 6th Persuasive Speaking

Alyssah "Lissy" Dombek, BU Class of 2019, and Dr. Neil Strine, CU-Bloomsburg Director of Forensics, served as judges for Bloomsburg at the tournament.

At the Lafayette College OHOIE Tournament, held October 11-12, the CU-Bloomsburg Forensics Team placed 7th out of 15 schools, finishing ahead of Grove City College, Dutchess Community College, Denison University, Newberry College, Lehigh University, Baruch College, St. Anselm College and Queens College. Bloomsburg finished behind perennial nationally ranked speech and debate programs such as Ohio University, James Madison University, George Mason University, and Lafayette College.

Bloomsburg students, David "Cooper" Cooper won 3rd place in Persuasive Speaking and 6th place Extemporaneous Speaking. Warren Daisey won 5th place in Poetry. 

Alex Rohland, Hattie Cinnamon, and Shawn Butler also competed for the Bloomsburg team at the Lafayette competition. Dr. Strine, Director of Forensics and Professor of Political Science, served as a speech and debate judge for Bloomsburg at the tournament.

The Forensics Team meets every Monday and Wednesday at 9 p.m. in Bakeless, Room #306.  All students are welcome to join and no prior experience is required.  The team is supported by the generous support of the Bloomsburg Community Government Association and the Bloomsburg University Foundation.