Boesch and others talked with her at two tournaments. When they knew they would see her again they brought a gift of a Bible and gel pens and a journal. They told her how much they appreciated talking with her. “But I'm Jewish,” she said. “Yeah, Jesus was, too,” the team responded. And they talked more about how they shared a core ethic to love everyone. As Boesch said, it didn’t lead to a get-on-your-knees moment, but they made a friend — including on Instagram— and they know they followed the Holy Spirit’s leading. “Talking to her was just fun because we've been preparing to have conversations with people who don't think the same way as us," Boesch said. WINNING FORMULA The teammembers talk about the darkness they witness in the speeches and debates from other schools. They hear sad stories that don’t end in hope. They hear sin applauded. “We're pretty intentional about staying firmwith our beliefs in the midst of that,” said Hannah Dunham ’23, a political science major from Michigan. “That's provided opportunities to just be a witness to other people in that context.” Judges hear messages from other schools that aren’t hopeful or affirming good things. So how does Cedarville, with its focus on hope and redemption, win so much? “Just being able to defend my beliefs and doing so in a way that's both confident but also compassionate and not coming across as arrogant and obnoxious,” said Eric Doese ’23, an accounting major from Milwaukee. Boesch said she’s asked herself that question a lot this year. The answer lies in Cedarville’s commitment to excellence in effort. They put the work in to research, memorize, and practice their speeches. “I truly believe it's because we put so much work and effort into preparing, even in extemporaneous and impromptu and debate where technically it's an unprepared speech,” she said. “We're putting in the practice before tournaments.” Mishne said striking a balance between winning and witnessing isn’t impossible. He considers that balance as he coaches each team member. For example, Will Galkin ’25 gives a dramatic interpretation speech that he has placed with but has yet to win with. However, Mishne said it’s important to keep giving that speech. The speech tells the story of a man who was the random victim of a beating as part of a gang initiation. He was supposed to die. At trial he forgave his attackers and wished them well in a second chance because he got a second chance. "Even though that's countercultural, people still want to hear stories like that, people still want to hear that those things happen,” Mishne said. “Speeches that applaud lifestyles that are counter to our biblical understanding still win. And that's why it's exciting when we get a speech side by side with one like that and it wins over a judge because we performed it better.” WHY COMPETE? Speech and debate are known to benefit those who go into politics or law. So why do other majors compete with the forensics team? Doese will be an accountant, but he knows that doesn’t mean a life stuck in a cubicle. Debate, he says, prepares him to make presentations to clients and co-workers and to handle well difficult conversations where understanding is needed. “You have to really focus on the main ideas you differ on and that's really where it's helped me a lot,” he said. “It's just being able to focus my reasoning and focus my critical thinking skills on the most important issues.” Dunham wants a career in government and diplomacy. “I worked for a think tank this summer, and the research skills that I got out of debate really helped me with being able to do the research that I had to do for my job,” she said. “My researching abilities are far and beyond where they were when I started.” Boesch smiles as she talks about being an introvert and how speech competitions have helped her realize that she can take her strategic communication training and do what she wants. “I just want to plan weddings and birthday parties and be a social media manager,” she said. Nerves will be a part of it all. But she also knows working a job will be a little like being on the speech team, which offers her one more reason to do it. “It’s genuinely fun.” Jeff Gilbert ’87 is an Assistant Professor of Journalism at Cedarville University. Cedarville Magazine | 23
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