He also credits Ripon’s good coaching staff – including Deano Pape, Vicki Pape, Jeff Davis and Adam Jacobi – with guiding him through his Ripon forensics career. “They’ll take you as far as you need to go as long as you work as hard as you can,” he says. As Johnson is gearing up for his senior season, he says there will be hard work involved, but no nerves. “I haven’t had nerves since high school,” he says. “The only time I did was when I made it to the (interstate oratory) national final round. Deano and I walked around the parking lot for half an hour to get rid of the nerves. But it was more elation than nerves. I had to get that energy out. “I’m comfortable speaking in front of people. I have so much experience behind me that even if something doesn’t go as planned, I know I can handle it.” Another significant outlet for him at Ripon has been the Speakers Bureau, with which he has spoken to the Oshkosh Boys and Girls Club, Ripon Middle School and Fox Lake Correctional Institution. “It’s different from forensics, but generally the feeling is
the same – that you can make your voice heard,” Johnson says. “In all of those experiences, I’ve found that I could change lives and help people just by speaking.” He plans to attend graduate school and become a communication professor and forensics coach. “Working with Jeremy has been absolutely terrific,” says Pape, director of forensics and assistant professor of communication. “He has incredible dedication to the activity and an outstanding work ethic. I also have had Jeremy in multiple classes and have seen his intellectual and academic growth as well as his skill growth in forensics. He will become a remarkably talented professor and coach someday, and I’m proud to have helped him along the way.” Johnson adds, “Forensics has always given me an outlet to express my creativity and to drive me forward, not just in forensics but academically. When I joined forensics in high school, my grades shot up. It’s also built tons of friendships. I think it’s one of the most rewarding things you can do because it empowers you to use your voice and change the world around you.” n
RED HA W K S 4N6 EXP E R I E NC I NG A R E NA I S S A NC E The Ripon College forensics team was started in 1913 by Professor of Speech E.R. Nichols with the founding of the national speech and debate honorary society Pi Kappa Delta. The team performs at the highest levels of collegiate forensics and competes at the district and national tournaments of the American Forensic Association (AFA), in addition to other regional and national invitational tournaments. The team travels across the country and co-hosts a college tournament, the Red Hawks Invitational, in midFebruary with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Students compete in a variety of individual events, typically in oral interpretation, limited preparation and public address. The Red Hawks wrapped up the fall semester with stellar performances across the board. As of January, the team has qualified 10 events to the AFA-NIET National Tournament. Ripon has a total of 47 qualifying
legs, already ensuring great representation at this year’s nationals, held in April at Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois. As a team, Ripon captured first place in the team sweepstakes at the University of Wisconsin-Stout tournament in December. Senior Jeremy Johnson also secured four firsts and a third — first in communication analysis; first in persuasion; first in extemporaneous; first in individual sweepstakes; and third in after-dinner. Junior Bill Heinze took first in after-dinner and was a finalist in impromptu. Senior Breena Brockmann scored three second-place finishes, and junior Jessie Lillis scored a third place.
For a complete listing of results from this and other recent tournaments, see the website at: ripon.edu/forensics
WINTER 2012 WINTER 2012
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