Gustavus Adolphus College

Kristofer Kracht

Kristofer Kracht is starting his eighth-year directing the Gustavus Adolphus College Forensics program and his third year directing the Gustavus Summer Speech Institute. During his tenure, Gustavus earned a top twenty finish in team sweepstakes at the 2007, 2008, and 2009 AFA-NIET, second in team sweepstakes at the 2005 and 2007 Pi Kappa Delta National Tournaments, qualified multiple students for the Interstate Oratorical Association National Contest, and coached three AFA-NIET All-Americans. He received the 2006 Bob Derryberry Award For Outstanding New Forensics Educator and the 2009 Pi Kappa Delta Brightest Star Award. He has two children, Eva and Noah.

Laura Keimig

Originally from Aurora, SD, Laura is the Assistant Director of Forensics at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.  Before arriving at Creighton, Laura coached for two years at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.  In her young career, she has already coached national quarter-finalists in poetry, prose, drama, and impromptu speaking, semi-finalists in impromptu speaking and interpretation of drama, a 5th place finalist in communication analysis, and a national champion in program oral interpretation.  This is Laura’s second year coaching at the Institute and looks forward to a week of passion and fun.  In her spare time, Laura enjoys traveling and making jewelry.

Rick Purrington

Rick Purrington is currently the Head Speech Coach at Marshall High School, Marshall, MN. Before coaching at Marshall, he was the Head Speech Coach at Eastview HS in Apple Valley, MN from 1999-2007. Eastview was awarded NFL National Speech School of Excellence Award in 2003, 2004 and 2005. He has coached 3 NFL National Tournament Finalists including the 2005 National Dramatic Interp Champion and has coached 9 MN State Champions. Outside of Speech he enjoys being a Minnesota sports fanatic, following political elections, and playing "chase me" with his 16 month old daughter, Julianna. He likes playing this game because he always wins.

Darcy Bakkegard

A three-time North Dakota State High School Speech champion and five-time member of the North Dakota All-State Speech Team, Darcy has competed in every interp category as well as several extemporaneous events. With a BA in Theatre, Darcy specializes in helping speech competitors make their interp honest, real, and powerful while building diction, fluctuating rate of speech and volume, and fine tuning blocking. Darcy is currently coaching speech in Wisconsin where she lives on a farm with her husband.

Sam Boerboom

Sam Boerboom is finishing his dissertation in communication studies at the University of Minnesota and will serve as visiting assistant professor this fall at Gustavus Adolphus College. In his forensics career spanning high school and college, Sam competed in both interpretation and public address events, placing nationally in prose, duo, persuasion and communication analysis. He has served as a staff member at summer speech camps at the University of Nebraska. In his forensics coaching Sam stresses how public address and interpretation skills reinforce one another.

Katie Asfeld

Katie Asfeld is a sophomore member of the Gustavus Forensics team. She competed for six years at Eagle Valley High School in Prose, Duo, and Humor and was a state competitor in Prose as well as a state finalist in Duo. In college Katie competes in Prose, Drama, Duo and Poetry, qualifying Prose, Drama and Duo to the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament. She also placed third in Dramatic Duo with Sam Hemmerich at the Minnesota Collegiate Forensics Association State Championships. When she is not working on speech, she enjoys reading, watching musicals and spending time with her family. Katie is a 2007 GACSSI alumni, and she is very excited to return camp this summer as a coach!

Tasha Carlson

Traveling the United States with Eastview High School's speech team, Tasha competed in Extemporaneous Reading, Storytelling, Prose, Drama, Informative, and Humorous. As a junior, she continues traveling nationally with the Gustavus Speech Team. Tasha competes in Informative, Persuasion, Prose, Drama, and POI. As a sophomore, Tasha placed in the top 15 in Persuasion at the 2007 American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament. Reality TV, Broadway musicals, and working out occupy her free time!

Mary Cunningham

While attending Tartan High School in Oakdale, MN, Mary discovered her passion for speech. In high school she advanced tothe Minnesota State High School League Speech Tournamentin discussion two consecutive years.During her three years on theGustavusteam, she has competed inExtemporaneous Speaking,Impromptu, Informative Speaking, Persuasion, Drama Interpretation and Poetry. She feels blessed to have won numerous state titles in different events and to have advanced to the national tournament in multiple events each year. In 2008, Mary advanced to the quarterfinal round at the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament in Persuasion and represented the State of Minnesota with her teammate Emma at the Interstate Oratorical Association National Contest. Mary loves making others smile, animals of any sort, her teammates and her family.

Chloe Goldade

Chloe Goldade is a sophomore on the Gustavus Adolphus College Forensics team from Sioux Falls, SD. In high school, she competed in humor, duo, non-original oratory, and original oratory. In college, Chloe competes Prose, Duo, After Dinner Speaking, and Persuasive Speaking. Chloe was the Champion in Novice Prose at the esteemed Norton Bradley Tournament and took second place in After-Dinner Speaking at the 2009 MinnesotaCollegiate Forensics Association State Championships. While not competing, Chloe is spending her time singing along to musicals, hanging out with her best friends, watching a movie, or catching up on episodes of House and Grey's Anatomy!

 

Sam Hemmerich

Sam Hemmmerich is a sophomore member of the Gustavus Forensics team. In high school, he
tried informative, loved storeytelling, and finished off with Dramatic interp.  In collegiate forensics, his focus has been mainly interp (prose, poi, poetry, drama, and duo), but he competed in informative speaking. During January, Sam was a Prose semi-finalist at the nationally competitive Hell Froze Over Tournament, and also took
third in Dramatic Duo with Katie Asfeld at the Minnesota  Collegiate Forensics Association State Championships.  When not searching, researching, writing, or perfecting his speeches, Sam is either in the science building or drawing.

CJ Hunt

Christopher (C.J.) Hunt is a senior competitor on the Gustavus Adolphus Forensics team from Shoreview, Minnesota. In an effort to cover all academic bases, he is pursuing a physics major and music minor. Though he specializes in interp, Program Oral Interpretation being his favorite event, Christopher dabbles in public address with After Dinner Speaking. Despite not doing speech in high school, he has enjoyed forensicating in college. He earned a state championship (ADS) and two state 2nd place
finishes (POI and poetry) in 2008, along with three breaks to finals at state in 2009 (ADS, poetry, and duo). Christopher is also involved in other groups on campus including Newman Center, Society of Physics Students, the Gustavus Jazz Lab Band for which he plays piano, and the Gustavus Manga and Anime Society (he would like to stress the importance of this last one). His summer plans include doing physics research at Gustavus with Professor Tom Huber and playing baseball on his summer team...oh yeah, and the speech institute.

 

Todd Holm

Todd is the Director of Forensics (Speech Coach) at Miami University, Ohio. Originally from a small town in South Dakota (graduating class of 19) he has since earned a PhD in communication and coached multiple nationally recognized teams. Todd founded the successful Concordia Speech Institute.

Cliff Janke

Cliff Janke has been speech coach at Fairmont High School for 23 years. He is currently the President-elect of the Communication and Theatre Association of Minnesota (CTAM). He has been on the Board of Governors of CTAM for 12 years. Cliff served on the MSHSL Board of Directors for four years. He is past president of Minnesota Speech Coaches Association (MSCA). He has been awarded CTAM's Outstanding Individual in Communication, MSCA's Distinguished Service Award and the National Federation of High School's Outstanding Speech, Theatre and Debate Educator. Cliff was Fairmont Area School's Teacher of the Year and was also named a semi-finalist for Minnesota Teacher of the Year.

Roxy Janke

Roxy Janke has been a speech coach for 24 years. She was recognized as CTAM's Outstanding Individual in Communication in 2004. She was Farimont Area School's Teacher of the year in 2007 and was named as a semi-finalist for Minnesota Teacher of the Year. She has been an active member of the Minnesota Speech Coaches Association and the Communication and Theatre Association of Minnesota.

The Janke's have judged sub-section, section and State speech tournaments and have had a number of students compete at the Minnesota State Speech Tournament. They have had several state champions and had a semi-finalist at the NFL tournament in 2007.

Jill Lofald

Jill Lofald has coached at Duluth Denfeld for 22 years. Jill has been coaching competitive speech for over 30 years! She teaches English 9, Public Speaking, Creative Writing, Interpersonal Communications and Drama.

Jill considers the Interp events her strongest area coaching state champions in Drama and Creative. She also has coached a state champion in Great Speeches and National qualifiers in Oratory and Extemp. Speaking.

The speech team—under Jill's coaching has had over 20 students advance to the NFL tournament and has advanced 6 into the top 60 and 2 to the top 30.

Emma Moreau

A Saint Paul native, Junior Emma competed in Humorous Interpretation, Dramatic Duo and Storytelling in high school, earning her way to State finals in Storytelling. As a sophomore at Gustavus Emma qualified six events for the national tournament; while there she was as semi-finalist in persuasion, both are Gustavus firsts. During her time at Gustavus she has won three state championships, in After Dinner Speaking, Impromptu, and Program Oral Interpretation. She was the Individual Events State Champion at the 2008 state tournament, qualifying for the Interstate Oratorical Contest, where she placed fourth in the nation. She loves Starbucks, rain boots, and sunny days.

Cheryl Neidt

Cheryl Neidt has taught, coached speech, and directed plays at Springfield High School for 30 years. Her speech teams (around fifty members) have produced a string of section and subsection championships along with several state medalists including the state champions in duo interpretation and a runner-up in original oratory in 2007.  Neidt is an NFL Quad-Ruby Coach, she received an Outstanding Individual in Communications and Theatre honor from the Communications and Theatre Association of Minnesota in 2006 and she is the past-president of the Minnesota Speech Coaches Association. Cheryl’s family includes husband Neil, an art educator at Springfield, Alison, a graphic designer, and Andrew, a senior communications/marketing major at Concordia in Moorhead.

Chloe Radcliffe

Chloe Radcliffe is a sophomore member of the Gustavus Forensics team. She loves all speech categories, but specializes in interp. This spring she won MN Collegiate State Drama, ADS, and POI, and took second in Prose, and won overall MN State Individual Sweepstakes. At the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament, she broke to quarterfinals in POI, becoming the first Gustavus freshman to ever break at nationals. She competed six years at Prior Lake High School in Prose and Humor. When she is not busy with speech, she is involved in theater, plays clarinet, and teaches swimming lessons. She went to speech camp for two years during high school and couldn't bear to leave it!

Kavan Rogness

Kavan Rogness grew up in Lakeville, MN where he was active in speech and theater in high school, giving him a solid background in oral interpretation events. Kavan is a Gustavus Forensics competitor qualifying for nationals in thirteen events overl four years of his collegiate career. Highlights include a second place finish in duo at the 2008 Minnesota State Championship and a sixth place finish in poetry at the prestigious L. E. Norton Invitational hosted annually by Bradley University. It has also been his pleasure to serve as the Gustavus Forensics intern from Fall 2008-Spring 2009. He graduates in May 2009 with a degree in communication studies and history.

Claire Sagstuen

Claire is from Eagan, MN and graduated from Eastview High School in 2007. She is a junior double major in history and religion. In high school her events were duo interpretation, original oratory, and extemp speaking. Her events on the forensics team at Gustavus include extemp speaking, impromptu, communication analysis, persuasion, and informative. This past year she took second in extemp speaking and second in parlimentary debate with her debate partner Mary Cunningham at the Minnesota Collegiate Forensics Association State Championships. She also qualified communication analysis, impromptu, and extemp speaking to the 2009 American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament. Outside of forensics, she is involved in Student Senate, Gustavus Ambassadors, and Study Buddies. She enjoys watching musicals, eating anything chocolate, and working with kids as a Teacher Assistant at Sylvan Learning Center.

Maria Siegle

Maria has a six-year background competing in Minnesota High School Speech - great speeches and informative speaking as well as having been a state competitor in Great Speeches.  Her specialty is public address events, as she competes in impromptu speaking, extemporaneous speaking, persuasion, informative, and communication analysis.  She would have to say that one of the many highlights of her collegiate career would be
tying for the national championship in impromptu speaking as well as winning the 2008 Minnesota State Championship in Informative Speaking and the 2009 Minnesota State Championship in Impromptu Speaking.  She is very passionate about her speeches devoting an inordinate amount of time into the finer details of crafting a speech.  Maria will graduate this May with a major in Elementary Education and a concentration in Literature and Communications.  She loves Gustavus, children's literature, and being infinately busy.  This summer, Maria is working on her family's dairy farm, representing the dairy industry as a Carver County Dairy princess and will continue her job search and preparation for the possibility of a graduate school teaching program in fall.  She would love to find an elementary teaching position that also allows her to coach high school speech...here's hoping for that dream job!

Harry Strong

Harry Strong returned to forensics 5 years ago after nearly a 30 year absence from the
activity. In those few years as Head Coach, he has rebuilt the Des Moines Roosevelt program from 5 students to 50 students. His program has produced 5 NFL Academic All Americans, 1 High School All American and 2 Honorable Mention All-Americans.  Currently three former Roosevelt students compete on the collegiate forensics circuit.

Roosevelt's extemp program competes with the nation's elite producing place winners at Harvard, Extemp TOC, The Glenbrook’s, the MBA extemp round robin and more. 17 Roosevelt students have attended the NFL National tournament in the past 3 years.  In 2008, Roosevelt won the National Forensic League’s “School of Excellence Award in Debate”.

Coach Strong's love of forensics starts with extemporaneous speaking and covers the public address areas: oratory, Student Congress and Public Forum Debate. Not surprisingly, his students have been State Champions and National Qualifiers in those areas.

Outside of forensics, Strong is a Des Moines businessman and also spends his time helping to coach high school baseball. He hold a 1975 degree in Broadcast Journalism from Drake University and was recognized by Drake as recipient of the Alumni Loyalty Award in 1998.

Lucas Youngvorst

Luke Youngvorst is a sophomore member of the Forensics team at Gustavus. He grew up in
Staples, Minnesota, where he was very active in speech and theater. In high school, he  dabbled in Prose, Drama, and storytelling, but his main event was Original Oratory,  placing his senior year at the State High School Tournament. On the college circuit, his main events are Persuasion and Informative, Impromptu and Prose. Luke placed 6th in Novice Impromptu at the nationally competitive Bradley University Tournament in November. Apart from speech and the rigorous pre-med course load, Luke usually spends his time singing in the chapel choir, or spending as much time as he can outside.

Tyler Beattie

Tyler Beattie is a freelance theater director, songwriter, and teacher. He is the director, composer, and book-writer of Pinocchio, The Sandman, Just So, Sleepy Hollow. Other favorite directing projects include Tall Tales, Company and Carousel. He holds a BA from Northwestern University, and teaches drama and music at Notre Dame High School, Dancenter North, Apple Tree Theater, and the Wisconsin Summer Speech Institute. An NFL member of Outstanding Distinction, Tyler competed in multiple national final rounds in Duo Interp and Dramatic Performance and won Wisconsin state titles in Storytelling and Impromptu.

Teresa Fester

Teresa Fester has been an oral interp coach at O'Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for over 10 years. She received a Masters of Science Degree in Communication Studies and Theatre from SDSU. Currently, Teresa runs a speech program of over 100 students and teaches Oral Interp at three different levels. She also serves as the Director of Theatre and directs a competitive one act play and spring musical each year. Teresa currently serves on the SD Speech Advisory Committee and is the past President of the South Dakota Speech Communications Association. Past national success includes the 2006 NFL National Champion in Expository Speaking, 2nd Place Dramatic Interp at the 2007 NCFL Nationals, 2nd Place Duo Interp at the 2006 NCFL Nationals, 6th Place at the 2005 NCFL Nationals. Beyond speech activities, she enjoys traveling. Her favorite motto is I am as strong as the coffee I drink and the hairspray I use and looks forward to adding to the positive experience at the summer camp.

Eric Cronin

Eric Cronin is a junior member of the Gustavus Forensics Team from Milaca, MN. In high school, he ‘greatly’ enjoyed his time spent competing in Great Speeches, advancing to the State Speech Tournament over the course of his speech history. In collegiate forensics, Eric has dabbled in drama, program oral interpretation, impromptu, informative, and after dinner speaking, specializing mostly in public address. His Forensics highlight is being able to compete in the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament. At Gustavus, Eric is a history major with a minor in geography and divides his time between classes, Forensics, Adolphus Jazz ensemble, Brass choir, Trombone choir, chilling out in the geography department, and hanging out with friends.