National Forensic Association
The National Forensic Association (NFA) is an American intercollegiate organization designed to promote excellence in individual events and debate. The NFA sponsors the NFA Nationals as well many other regional tournaments throughout the year. The 2016 NFA national tournament will be hosted by Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. Founded in 1971, the NFA Nationals is the oldest national collegiate tournament dedicated to a full range of literature interpretation, public address, limited preparation, and debate events.
Lincoln Douglas Debate
NFA is unique in its NFA-LD Policy format. High school debate is primarily divided into individual debaters engaged in values-oriented competition or teams of debaters in rapid-paced evidence-based policy analysis. Instead of choosing one of these formats, NFA offers evidence-based policy analysis in one-on-one competition.
LD Policy Format
At the beginning of each year a topic area and corresponding resolution is voted upon and subject to the entire season's debate. Each round competitors find themselves assigned to affirm or negate the resolution. Rather than affirm general ideas or values, affirmative competitors propose a particular policy to adopt as a representation of the resolution. Negative competitors will generally attempt to either demonstrate a lack of need for that policy or argue that its disadvantages outweigh their benefits.
The first affirmative and negative speeches are constructive speeches, intended to put forth the arguments which will comprise the issues in dispute. A cross-examination period of three minutes follows each of these speeches in order to clarify arguments and gain information relevant to each competitor's position. Each competitor is then given a six-minute rebuttal in which their responses and development of the arguments are finalized. At the end of the round, the affirmative is given one final three-minute speech to review why their plan ought to be passed in support of the resolution. An assigned judge will then cast a ballot to affirm or negate the resolution.[1]
Past national champions
- 1971 - Ohio University
- 1972 - Ball State University
- 1973 - Eastern Michigan University
- 1974 - Ohio University
- 1975 - Ohio University
- 1976 - Eastern Michigan University
- 1977 - Eastern Michigan University
- 1978 - Eastern Michigan University
- 1979 - Eastern Michigan University
- 1980 - Eastern Michigan University
- 1981 - Eastern Michigan University
- 1982 - Bradley University
- 1983 - Bradley University
- 1984 - Bradley University
- 1985 - Bradley University
- 1986 - Eastern Michigan University
- 1987 - Eastern Michigan University
- 1988 - Bradley University
- 1989 - Bradley University
- 1990 - Bradley University
- 1991 - Bradley University
- 1992 - Bradley University
- 1993 - Bradley University
- 1994 - Bradley University
- 1995 - Illinois State University
- 1996 - Bradley University
- 1997 - Bradley University
- 1998 - Bradley University
- 1999 - Illinois State University
- 2000 - Illinois State University
- 2001 - Bradley University
- 2002 - Bradley University
- 2003 - Western Kentucky University
- 2004 - Western Kentucky University
- 2005 - Bradley University
- 2006 - Western Kentucky University
- 2007 - Western Kentucky University
- 2008 - Western Kentucky University
- 2009 - Western Kentucky University
- 2010 - Western Kentucky University
- 2011 - Western Kentucky University
- 2012 - Bradley University
- 2013 - Bradley University
- 2014 - Western Kentucky University
- 2015 - Western Kentucky University
- 2016 - Western Kentucky University
- 2017 - Western Kentucky University
Members of the NFA Hall of Fame
Induction Class: Era: Name: College/University
- April 2000 1970-1975 David Beal Ohio University
- April 2000 1970-1975 Greg Denaro Southern Connecticut State University
- April 2000 1970-1975 Jim Molnar Ohio University
- April 2000 1970-1975 Judy Sturgis Hill Eastern Michigan University
- April 2000 1970-1975 Danny Vice Eastern Michigan University
- April 2000 1976-1980 Jon Capecci Eastern Michigan University
- April 2000 1976-1980 Michael Garcia Eastern Michigan University
- April 2000 1976-1980 Theresa McElwee Eastern Michigan University
- April 2000 1976-1980 Donald Smith Southern Connecticut State University
- April 2000 1976-1980 Elighie Wilson Ball State University
- April 2000 1981-1985 Marco Benassi Bradley University
- April 2000 1981-1985 Greg Dolph Bradley University
- April 2000 1981-1985 Sam Marcosson Bradley University
- April 2000 1986-1990 David Bickford Brown University
- April 2000 1986-1990 Sarah Braun Bradley University
- April 2000 1986-1990 Cam Jones Cornell University
- April 2000 1986-1990 Stephanie Kaplan University of Wisconsin-Madison
- April 2000 1986-1990 Kim Roe Eastern Michigan University
- April 2000 1991-1995 Jason Berke Illinois State University
- April 2000 1991-1995 Karon Bowers Bradley University
- April 2000 1991-1995 George LaMaster Bradley University
- April 2000 1991-1995 Kevin Minch Wayne State University
- April 2000 1991-1995 Patrick O'Shaughnessy Bradley University
- April 2000 1996-2000 August Benassi Bradley University
- April 2000 1996-2000 Brian Davis Arizona State University
- April 2000 1996-2000 Matt MacDonald Bradley University
- April 2000 1996-2000 Jill Valentine Bradley University
- April 2001 1996-2000 Ben Lohman Bradley University
- April 2001 1996-2000 Chris Grove Illinois State University
- April 2001 1991-1995 Stacy Nekula Illinois State University
- April 2001 1991-1995 Mona Dworzak Illinois State University
- April 2001 1986-1990 Celeste Devore Matheson Illinois State University
- April 2001 1976-1980 William Allen Young University of Southern California
- April 2001 1976-1980 Nancy Cartwright Ohio University
- April 2001 1976-1980 Mark Hickman Marshall University
- April 2002 1970-1975 Keith Semmel Mansfield State College
- April 2002 1970-1975 Paul Van Dyne Penn State University
- April 2002 1976-1980 Christina Collier Reynolds Bowling Green State University/Ohio University
- April 2002 1981-1985 J.G. Harrington Rutgers University
- April 2002 1986-1990 Penny Geurink O'Connor University of Northern Iowa
- April 2002 1986-1990 Joel Schwartzberg Emerson College
- April 2002 1991-1995 Andrew Billings Indiana University
- April 2002 1991-1995 Adam Black Western Kentucky University
- April 2002 1991-1995 Michael Malloy Saint Joseph's University
- April 2002 1991-1995 Andy Wood St. Petersburg JC/Berry College
- April 2002 1996-2000 Brendan Kelly Eastern Michigan University
- April 2002 1996-2000 David Lindrum Berry College
- April 2002 1996-2000 Robert Pieranunzi Indiana University
- April 2003 1986-1990 Liesel Reinhart University of Colorado
- April 2003 1976-1980 Kenda Creasey Dean Miami University
- April 2006 1976-1980 Ray Quiel Eastern Michigan University
- April 2006 1981-1985 Mitchell "Bucky" Fay University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
- April 2006 1986-1990 Ken Klawitter Bradley University
- April 2006 1991-1995 Rita Rahoi University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
- April 2008 1981-1985 Tom Doyle Bradley University
- April 2008 1996-2000 Jason Davidson Bradley University
- April 2008 1996-2000 Sarah Meinen Jedd Bradley University
- April 2009 1996-2000 Jaime Riewerts Bradley University
- April 2009 2001-2005 Aaron Unseth University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
- April 2010 1975-1979 Meg Langford George Mason University
- April 2010 2001-2005 John Coleman Berry College
- April 2010 2001-2005 Rob Barnhart Ohio University
- April 2010 2001-2005 Erin Gallagher Barnhart Ohio University
- April 2014 1991-1995 Jeff Archibald Cornell University
- April 2014 1996-2000 Kelly (Lloyd) Adriani Eastern Michigan University
- April 2014 1996-2000 Ryan Hershberger Eastern Michigan University
- April 2014 2001-2005 Nina Brennan Eastern Michigan University
- April 2014 2001-2005 Amber (Neuenschwander) Price Eastern Michigan University
- April 2014 2006-2010 Robert Cannon Glendale Community College - CA