Members of the Lansing High School Forensics team recently traveled to Shakopee, Minnesota, to compete at the National Individual Event Tournament of Champions (NIETOC), gaining valuable experience and inspiration as they prepare for the NSDA National Tournament in Richmond, Virginia, just five weeks away.
According to coach Kevin Krouse, the weekend was filled with “a lot of laughing and learning” as students had the opportunity to compete alongside and learn from some of the nation’s top performers.
Beyond competition, students reflected on the impact the experience had on them personally and academically.
Chinwendu shared that the highlight of the trip was “the amazing people” they met along the way, while also appreciating the excitement of competition and success in forensics.
For Mia, the tournament provided an opportunity to grow both as a performer and as a person.
“The best part of the trip was getting to watch so many incredible performers and learn how to make my own performances better based on what I saw,” Mia said. “I was entertained by the pieces I watched, but I was also forced to think about a lot of things and challenge my worldview, which I absolutely loved.”
Mia also reflected on the welcoming environment that makes the activity so meaningful.
“My favorite thing about forensics is definitely the community,” she said. “The people who really love this activity are all really kind and supportive of each other. I’ve never felt more supported or accepted than among forensics people.”
Eliana echoed those thoughts, saying the opportunity to watch other performances sparked ideas and inspiration for the future.
“It is a great learning experience, and it gives me a lot of ideas for the future,” Eliana said.
She also emphasized the supportive nature of the activity.
“My favorite part of Forensics is probably the people,” she said. “It's a judgement-free activity. As long as you do your best, then everyone is proud. Everyone is really nice and helpful, and it creates a wonderful community.”
As Lansing Forensics prepares for the NSDA National Tournament next month, the experience at NIETOC provided both motivation and momentum for the team heading into one of the biggest competitions of the year.