Over mid-semester break, the Concordia Forensics Team had a remarkable showing at their 11th annual Jannese Davidson tournament. This tournament is an event dedicated to honoring the life of Jannese Davidson, a former speech competitor and coach at Concordia. 

Konrad Hack, Director of Speech and Debate, reflected on the legacy of Davidson, saying, “Jannese was the very best of what a forensics competitor should be. She worked incredibly hard, both as a coach and as a student. She had a drive to succeed but never let that come between her friends or her ethics. She somehow loved people in a way that made everyone feel unique and special.” 

The team’s success is a testament to her legacy. 

This year, freshmen Lilli Strahm, Gannon Strahm and Bryanna Farley all came out on top of their respective divisions: Novice Persuasive, Novice Prose and Open After Dinner Speaking.

Laura Gibson, Deputy Captain and Communications Officer of Concordia Forensics said, “I am especially beyond proud of our freshmen as they all came out on top and did so with humility. Everyone on the team put a lot of time and effort into their speeches, and we have the papers to prove it!”

Rebekah Symank, Director of Speech, echoed Gibson. “I am incredibly proud of my team! I’ve seen so much hard work, and it really paid off this past weekend. I am especially grateful to our new students for being brave and making it through their first tournament, as well as our more experienced competitors for showing the initiative to write incredible speeches,” she noted. 

However, Davidson’s legacy goes beyond awards. In a closing speech given at the Jannese Davidson’s award ceremony, Hack said, “Jannese started a tradition of love notes — team members each got an envelope pinned up in the squad room for other members to tell them how awesome they are. Then, at nationals, when you were feeling lost in the sea of amazing performances, you could reach into your envelope and be reminded that you, too, were amazing.” Her legacy of community continues to impact people today.

Strahm said, “Forensics is new to me, and I can tell that being in a community like this is encouraging, and even though it can be difficult, I am enjoying the process of learning more about forensics and meeting all the people along the way.” Andre Abahamian, a freshman competitor on the debate team, agreed, saying,  “A lot of people here do want what’s best for each other, which is unique.”

Boyle, a senior competitor on the debate team, concurred with Abahamian but added nuance. “The forensics community is truly amazing. I have met so many kind people who are incredibly supportive during tournaments. Tournaments can be very stressful and busy, but the friends I have made within the community are always willing to say some kind words of encouragement that make the tournaments so much more fun and rewarding,” he said. 

To learn more about Forensics and see how you can get involved, contact Professor Konrad Hack at konrad.hack@cui.edu 

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