Testimonials
Shaping My Career Beyond UO: Alan Mygatt-Tauber
My time in debate prepared me to be a lawyer by honing my critical thinking skills and the ability to see all sides of an issue, how to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of an argument and to make strategic decisions about what arguments to pursue and which to abandon.
~ Alan Mygatt-Tauber 2001 - Political Science
How I Found My Way to UO Forensics: Alan Mygatt-Tauber
In went to Oregon over many other debate schools because of attending the high school tournament for four years as a student.
~ Alan Mygatt-Tauber 2001 - Political Science
How I Found My Way to UO Forensics: Kara Borden
I attended the University of Oregon high school tournament in 1998 during my first year in high school and winning that tournament in the junior division was a turning point in my career and made me think very favorably on the university based on how well it was hosted by then Director of Forensics Rick Peacor.
I ultimately won 5th place in the high school national tournament, a level that was unprecedented for a policy debater from Oregon. I applied to certain universities, and was accepted and recruited as a valued debater for multiple private schools, which included many calls from members of the debate team to encourage me to attend their university. I would not have applied to or attended UO without the debate program, regardless of receiving the Presidential Scholarship from UO that covered my full tuition or acceptance to the Clark Honors College. Simply put, without the debate program, or the recruiting efforts of a dedicated Director of Forensics, I would have never considered attending UO as a potential path forward.
~ Kara Borden CHC 2005 Spanish, History, Political Science
How Forensics Elevated the University of Oregon: Brendan Randall
For a fresh high school graduate going to college, adjusting to life away from home can be difficult. At such an early age, we aren't often thinking about professional development. Instead, early college is much like the high school we just escaped. The difference comes in when a freshman finds themselves, sometimes entirely on accident, in a program as robust and live-changing as university forensics. As a freshman, I was able to meet real state and federal judges, travel, and network in a way that often only those at elite private universities can do. This program, and others like it, is an important part of what allows the UO to stand on equal footing with other highly prestigious universities.
~ Brendan Randall UO '22 B.S. Political Science and Global Studies, UO '27 J.D.
Forensics and My Path to Leadership: Brendan Randall
UO Forensics honed my passion for the eloquence that language can bring to everyday conversation. It also honed my passion for our legal system and showed me the importance that even a simple understanding of law has on our lives. Once I graduated, I put the advocacy skills I learned in Mock Trial to work in the City of Portland, working to help make the city a safer place for residents and visitors. I was proud to put what I learned at the UO to real-world practice.
~ Brendan Randall UO '22 B.S. Political Science and Global Studies, UO '27 J.D.
Shaping My Career Beyond UO: Brendan Randall
Forensics introduced me to the real nitty gritty of the US legal system. I had always considered learning law, but ultimately it was UO Mock Trial that truly set me on that path. One of the most foundational experiences UO Mock Trial gave me was getting to observe a match judged by Chief Judge McShane for the District of Oregon inside of his own courtroom. It cannot be understated how incredible a position UO's forensics program inhabits. Few undergraduates can even hope to have the level of personal and professional development that the UO offers, and it is programs like Speech and Debate and Mock Trial that keep the UO at the top.
Ultimately, I returned to the UO to obtain my J.D. almost exclusively because my combined experience as an undergraduate duck made me want to come back. I knew that with programs like ours, I could be proud to come back and attend one of the best public universities in the PNW.
~ Brendan Randall UO '22 B.S. Political Science and Global Studies, UO '27 J.D.
How I Found My Way to UO Forensics: Brendan Randall
I was heavily involved in Speech and Debate in high school, and UO's robust forensics program played no small part in my later decision to matriculate at the UO. Though I ended up doing Mock Trial instead of Speech and Debate, my participation in UO Forensics played a significant part in my development as a fledgling college student. My early years simply would not have been the same without forensics.
~ Brendan Randall UO '22 B.S. Political Science and Global Studies, UO '27 J.D.
Building My Academic and Intellectual Core: Isaac Gottesman
Forensics was the most important activity I participated in during high school and college. It provided the intellectual foundations for my professional life as a college professor and scholar. Forensics taught me how to conduct scholarly research, use evidence to support claims, engage in reasoned argument, see multiple sides to complex issues, pay attention to nuance in language, and to organize my thoughts so they are clear, coherent, and persuasive. I draw on my background in forensics every day—as a teacher, as a department chair, and as a scholar.
~ Isaac Gottesman Political Science 1997
How I Found My Way to UO Forensics: Isaac Gottesman
I competed in forensics at South Eugene HS and wanted to debate in college. Despite receiving forensics scholarship opportunities at other institutions, I chose to attend the UO Honors College because of its strong forensics program.
~ Isaac Gottesman Political Science 1997
How Forensics Elevated the University of Oregon: Greg Oakes
I coached at Lincoln HS for about 8 years after graduation. I attended UofO debate tournament in HS and came to UofO primarily due to my participation in UofO debate.
~ Greg Oakes 1988 BA recommended by School of Business Administration and Department of English
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