Gateway Students Take Top Honors In State Forensics Tournament

Three Gateway Community & Technical College students scored category wins at the Gateway-hosted 2011 Kentucky State Forensics Tournament Feb. 18 and 19. The tournament took place at Gateway's Boone Campus in Florence.

Beth Survant, a sophomore medical information technology major from Union, won or placed in multiple events. She won the top community college speaker award in poetry and persuasive speaking; the top novice award in persuasive speaking; and was named the top community college speaker in quadrathon, which is based on a student's total score in four events. Survant also placed third in both varsity persuasive speaking and radio broadcasting.

Rachele Johnson, a sophomore Associate in Science major from Edgewood, won the top community college speaker award and the top novice award for informative speaking. Lauren Milks, a freshman education major from Erlanger, was the top community college competitor in programmed oral interpretation. Anthony Nunez, a sophomore associate of arts major from Florence, won the top community college competitor in prose interpretation.

The student wins led Gateway to a second place finish overall in the tournaments Community College Sweepstakes Division.

Eight Kentucky colleges and universities sent teams to the tournament, including Berea College, Transylvania University, Western Kentucky University, Murray State University, Morehead State University, The University of the Cumberlands, Owensboro Community College, and Gateway.

A total of 180 students, coaches and judges took part in the event. Team awards, as well as individual awards were given. Gateway's Beth Survant, a sophomore medical technology major from Union, ranked in the top four in multiple categories, and was named the top community college speaker in quadrathon, which is based on the students total score in four events.

Our team was cooperative and supportive of every college in attendance, said Gateway's Speech Coach Michelle Deeley Wilhite. They were outstanding ambassadors for Gateway as the host school and showed exceptional sportsmanship and character.