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Speak with purpose. Compete with excellence. Grow in confidence.

Do you love public speaking or debating ideas that matter? At Cedarville, you’ll find a Christian forensics team that competes nationally while representing Christ with excellence.

Whether in speech, debate, or both, you’ll strengthen your confidence, sharpen your thinking, and grow as a clear, compelling communicator.

Speech Events

You’ll have the opportunity to compete in more than a dozen exciting public speaking categories, including:

  • After-dinner speaking
  • Drama
  • Duo interpretation
  • Extemporaneous speaking
  • Impromptu speaking
  • Informative speaking
  • Persuasive speaking
  • Poetry
  • Programmed interpretation
  • Prose
  • Rhetorical criticism

Each event challenges you to think critically, speak with clarity, and engage audiences with creativity and conviction.

Debate Events

Cedarville also competes in the , where individual debaters go head-to-head on a resolution revealed just 30 minutes before each round.

Through this format, you’ll learn to:

  • Think and speak on your feet
  • Communicate effectively under pressure
  • Conduct quick, focused research
  • Build logical, persuasive arguments

Your experience will build confidence, poise, and a biblical approach to communication that equips you for every stage of life.

Forensic Team Auditions

Interested in joining the team? Auditions are held each April and again early in the fall semester. You can audition for both speech and debate. An interview with the coach is the final step in the audition process.

Forensic Scholarships

All team members are eligible for forensics scholarships.

New scholarships are awarded based on your past speech and debate experience as well as financial need. Returning members reapply each year, with awards based on collegiate success, leadership, financial need, and commitment to the team.

Forensics in the News

  • 2026 ÃÛ¶¹app state champion speech and debate team with their trophies.

    Cedarville Repeats as Ohio Forensics State Champion

    ÃÛ¶¹app’s forensics team repeated as Ohio Forensics Association state champion, sweeping overall speech and debate titles while hosting Feb. 20-21. The team produced nine individual champions, 38 finalists and two national qualifiers.
  • 16 students who make up the ÃÛ¶¹app speech and debate team with their coach.

    Forensics Team Sweeps Tournament

    ÃÛ¶¹app’s forensics team dominated Ohio University’s 1804 Tournament Jan. 23-24, winning 14 event titles and taking first in speech and debate. Senior Nathanael Kolssak earned top speaker honors as Cedarville swept the extemporaneous final.