LAKELAND, Fla. (Nov. 26, 2007) —Florida Southern Forensic Team members Tony Rivera and Jesse Larson ended the fall semester of forensics competition on a high note at the 9th annual Jacksonville Star Invitational held at Florida Community College. The tournament took place Nov. 7-10.

Sophomore Rivera finished in the top fifty percent in prose and earned a fifth-place trophy in dramatic interpretation, while Larson, a junior, showed improvement in impromptu and duo events.

The Florida Community College hosted 15 colleges and universities competing in 11 speaking events and a Lincoln-Douglas debate. Rivera and Larson, the only two members of the team able to participate in the tournament, were entered in four events and placed in the top six in one of those events.

“Tony and Jesse have been the core of the team this semester,” said Coach Chris Fenner, “Tony has been breaking regularly into finals, and Jesse is making a lot of progress in his events. I am really looking forward to the spring competitions.”

This is the third time the Florida Southern Forensics Society has attended the Star Invitational and has walked away with at least one award in an event. Rivera’s fifth place finish in dramatic interpretation has qualified him for the NFA National Competition in April.

“I was surprised to break into the finals in dramatic interpretation,” said Rivera, “I knew that I did well, but that’s always a really competitive event.”

The Florida Southern Forensics Team began competing in intercollegiate competition in the fall of 2005, and is sponsored through a generous grant by local businessman, C.C. “Doc” Dockery. The team currently has slots for five more team members for the spring season. For more information about Forensics, please contact Chris Fenner at cfenner@flsouthern.edu.

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive United Methodist-affiliated college with a liberal arts core. The College maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 46 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio; is a national leader in engaged learning; and boasts 26 NCAA Division II national championships. It is ranked in the Top 5 “Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the South” by U.S. News & World Report and is included in The Princeton Review’s “366 Best Colleges” guide. The College is committed to the development of the whole student through vibrant student life programs that prepare graduates to make a positive, consequential impact on society. Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is home to the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.