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DISTINGUISHED COMPANY: Eastern Michigan
University's Forensics Hall
of Fame celebrated its first group of inductees during a ceremony in
Sponberg Theatre Jan. 28. Inductees (above, from left) are Theresa
McElwee, Jon Capecci, Brendan Kelly, Michael Garcia, Brenda Dempsey,
Judy Sturgis Hill, Gerald Bluhm and George Denger. Inductees Laura
Duncan, Michael Jones and Karen Kosinski were unable to attend. Photo
by John Ryan |
Eastern Michigan University's forensics program has a
long and storied history, winning 30 team state championships
and 10 team national championships, while producing 150
individual state and 63 individual national champions.
To honor that illustrious past, EMU Forensics had its
inaugural Hall of Fame induction Jan. 28. Eleven former
outstanding forensics students (eight actually attended)
were inducted during the ceremony, which took place in
Sponberg Theatre.
"This was a fantastic induction ceremony," said Ray Quiel,
an instructor of communication and theatre arts, and director
of the forensics program since 2002. "The energy and emotion
in the room was something to behold."
"It is impressive to know that we had alumni from 11 states," come
to the induction, said Wendy Kivi, special events manager
for communication and theatre arts.
In addition to Michigan, EMU forensics alumni came from
Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska,
Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin, she said.
The inductees were:
Gerald Bluhm (1973, '75) was national
champion for extemporaneous speaking and impromptu speaking
in 1973. Bluhm also was director of EMU's 1987 national
championship team.
"Gerald Bluhm is the only guy that was a high school state
and college national champion in forensics that also coached
high school state and college national champion teams," Quiel
said.
Jon Capecci ('81)
was the 1980 national champion in three events: pentathlon,
after dinner speaking and dramatic duo (with Theresa McElwee).
Capecci repeated as national champion in the pentathlon
and after dinner speaking in 1981 and added informative
speaking to his national champion honors. He was a National
Forensics Association (NFA) Hall of Fame charter member
in 2000.
"We knew he was going to be good. He was a high school
state champion from Ohio," Quiel said.
Brenda Dempsey ('88) was a four-time
national champion, winning for informative speaking in
1985. She won the category again in 1988, as well as earning
the national crown that year for the pentathlon and persuasive
speaking.
"She was a national champion as a freshman in informative
speaking. To win as a freshman is very rare," Quiel said. "She
won the same event again as a senior."
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THE FORENSICS FOLD: The design
(above) is part of each Forensics Hall
of Fame inductee's plaque. The 11
plaques hang in Quirk Hall. |
George Denger ('80, '86) was a four-time
national champion in 1979, winning in the categories of
pentathlon, extemporaneous speaking, impromptu speaking
and persuasive speaking.
"When you enter a forensics tournament, your goal is to
make the final round. George never failed to make the final
round in any competition," Quiel said of his best friend. "This
was true all through his high school and college career.
He has the largest vocabulary of anyone I know."
Laura Duncan (no graduation date available)
was a 1987 national champion in two events, the pentathlon
and poetry interpretation.
"She was certainly the most eccentric" of our forensics
students, Quiel said with a laugh. "(After graduation)
she was doing folk theatre at Kentucky's state parks and
is now playing in Las Vegas in 'Menopause: The Musical.'"
Michael Garcia (attended EMU) was perhaps
the most prolific of the inductees. Garcia was national
champion four times in 1977, taking the categories of pentathlon,
informative speaking, poetry interpretation and prose interpretation.
Garcia also was national champion for prose interpretation
in 1978 and 1979. In 1978, he also was part of a national
champion dramatic duo with Cindy Meier.
"He holds the record for the most individual national
championships," Quiel said.
Michael Jones ('83) won three national
championships in 1983. The categories were pentathlon,
dramatic duo (with Darryl Copp) and persuasive speaking.
"He went to the same high school as John Capecci. Like
John, he was a quiet, humble one," Quiel recalled. "Usually,
there's no shortage of ego in this activity."
Brendan Kelly (attended EMU) took national
championships in the pentathlon and after dinner speaking
in 1983. He also was inducted in the NFA Hall of Fame in
2002.
"He was our most recent pentathlon champion. Like so many
others, he was a state high school champion," Quiel said.
Karen Kosinski ('78) was a
National Dramatic Duo finalist with Richard Hill in 1977.
She earned an EMU Alumni Support Award in 2006.
"She was never a national champion, but she was one of
the early folks who taught us how to do it. She came right
after Judy Sturgis and (Gerald) Bluhm," Quiel said. "She's
a big supporter of our forensics program. She was instrumental
in building the bridge for students from theater to forensics.
She helped us become national champions. We couldn't have
done it without theater kids."
Theresa McElwee ('85) was a three-time
national champion in the dramatic duo category, winning
in 1979, 1980 and 1982. She also was national champion
in the pentathlon in 1982. McElwee was an NFA Hall of Fame
charter member in 2000.
"Her record in dramatic duo will never be matched. She
won three different years with three different partners," Quiel
said. "She acted on Broadway a number of times and off-Broadway
a lot."
Judy Sturgis Hill ('73, '90) was EMU's
first forensics national champion, taking the crowns in
after dinner speaking and interstate oratory in 1972. She
also was an NFA Hall of Fame charter member in 2000.
"She was the University's first national champion. She
is the heart and soul of this program," Quiel said.
Future Hall of Fame inductions will not be annual, but
conducted periodically, Quiel said. Like the practice used
by the Baseball Hall of Fame, current Hall of Fame members
will vote in future forensics inductees, Quiel said.
