Jackrabbits Forensics celebrating successful season ahead of international trip

One of South Dakota State University’s most historical cocurricular teams is preparing to make history at its first international tournament in March. 

Jackrabbits Forensics, SDSU’s competitive speech and debate team, will travel to Dublin, Ireland, March 8-14 to compete in the International Forensics Association contest. 

Eleven students from the 14-person roster will participate in the competition. The team includes: 

• Grace Kleinschmit 
• Meara McIntyre 
• Jacob Ramp 
• Hannah Dayaget 
• Emma Arneson 
• Taylor Sutton 
• Sam Pappas 
• Rachael Guler 
• Autumn Rathjens 
• Kara Vetch 
• Abby Gilk 

Other members of the team who will not attend IFA include Courtnie Forcier, Raegan Modlin and Annie Witt. 

Program history 

Jackrabbits Forensics is directed by Andrea Carlile, assistant professor in the School of Communication and Journalism. She began as director of forensics and an instructor in 2012. 

SDSU has a rich tradition of speech and debate on campus. Starting in 1920, SDSU has the longest-running chapter of Pi Kappa Delta, the nation’s oldest speech and debate honor society, in South Dakota. 

“The role of speech and debate is central to our land-grant institution,” Carlile explained. “We equip students with skills to improve their lives and the communities in which they live. 

“Further, it is exciting to see the renovations of Lincoln Hall, the original home of our debate team, which was housed in Lincoln Library,” Carlile continued. “We recently hosted a tournament and were able to share not only campus, but also team history with visiting teams.” 

Building a legacy 

This year’s team has shown its commitment to building upon its legacy and traditions. 

“At one point in the fall semester, we had 18 active students on our roster, which is the most we have seen in my time at SDSU,” Carlile said. “The new season brought energy and excitement for our team, and with increased numbers we have had great success.” 

Part of that legacy-building commitment is putting time into team practice on Tuesdays and one-on-one coaching appointments. Team members can invest a personalized number of hours into their craft, providing the flexibility for any student of any major to be involved. 

“Our students span the university with students having majors or minors from all colleges at SDSU,” Carlile said. “Senior Kara Vetch studies data science, while sophomore and first-year team member Taylor Sutton is pre-veterinary science. Unsurprisingly, we have many students on the team who are majors within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, including Rachael Guler, Hannah Dayaget, Jacob Ramp, Grace Kleinschmit, Raegan Modlin, Annie Witt, Meara McIntyre, Courtnie Forcier and Emma Arneson.” 

Throughout the 2023-24 season, the team won five tournaments and placed in the top three at another three tournaments. Members also qualified in 30 events, the most in program history, by the start of February 2024 to compete at the American Forensics Association National Speech Tournament at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in April. 

Now, Jackrabbits Forensics is preparing for its debut at a competitive international tournament. The International Forensics Association is an open national tournament with events in categories like informative speaking, dramatic duo, poetry interpretation, public debate and more. 

“South Dakota State University boasts a distinguished legacy of excellence in speech and debate,” said Josh Westwick, director of the School of Communication and Journalism. “Under the guidance of Dr. Carlile, the program has continuously advanced and is positioned for ongoing success at the regional, national and international levels.” 

When discussing the team’s growth, Carlile reflected back on her first year as director of forensics. 

“There was a great deal I didn’t know, but I knew we had the potential to achieve excellence at every level,” Carlile said. “I remind our team at American Forensics Association each year that in my first season as coach, SDSU had one student in one event. I also remind them where we are now reflects their commitment to our legacy.” 

The generous support Carlile and Jackrabbits Forensics have received has helped build that legacy. 

“Some days, getting to a place like we are now seemed almost out of touch, but with each turn, I had support. I decided to start asking for what was needed to achieve greatness on par with our Division 1 athletics, and as such, we are at a place poised to keep adding to our legacy. 

“Thank you to the leaders who agreed to my ideas to create a Division 1 forensics experience for our students,” Carlile continued. “This would also not be possible without the support of generous alumni and donors who also believe in the power of forensics to transform lives.”