BEN HAMIN!

9/23/2005

Fantastic Fellow Forensicating Friends!

Ok, enough with the alliteration. Ben is here! Hope everyone's days have been passing with much happiness! I've talked to most of you, though I dearly miss those that I have not spoken with. Lots to cover, so let's get started!

1) We now officially have the Fall Semester Tournament Schedule in order! It's as follows:

Oct 1-2 NIU (MAFL #1+#2)
Oct 22 Wartburg, IO (MAFL #3)
Nov 12-13 Eau Claire (MAFL #4) and Madison
Dec 2-3 Stout

We have 4 people going to the NIU meet: Shauna, Kate, Carlie, and myself. Let's all get working on pieces so that we can have lots more entries for Wartburg! Make sure to make appointments with Jeanine!

2) Jessie and I are running a New Member Meeting on this next Wednesday the 28th at 5pm. It will be right before our General Member Meeting. It's in Heide, like always. If you can make it, please show up. It would make for an excellent impression on the newbies. Plus, there will be pizza at the New Member Meeting! Yay!

3) As I said, we also have a General Member Meeting this Wednesday the 28th, same time same channel. 6:00 for e-board, 6:15 for general members. We've got lots to discuss. Please be thinking about t-shirt ideas, as well as possible Homecoming contributions, and potential Team Practice dates. E-board members...please have your goals ready. I hope to see you all there!

4) Lets have F-U-N-N! We all know the reason we do Forensics is because it's fun. So lets keep at it! Drop by the office whenever you want, and lets try and do some stuff together! We'll have some fun team stuff planned later down the line, but lets not be strangers! That being said, lets also kick some butt this year! If anyone needs help with pieces, let me know! Make sure to talk to Jeanine and Mike...they are our coaches for a reason! We all have talent. So let's use each other to make our pieces awesome this year!

We've got a killer season lined up, waiting for us to knock down the pins! Mark your calendars and let's boogie! I hope to see everyone sometime Wednesday, or hopefully before! Super! Rock on!

-Ben

9/28/2005

Greetings Earthlings and Forensicators,

Yes indeed I have arrived. And there was much rejoicing. (Yay!) Seeing as this is Ben and this is my first official email as Member Liaison I need not be shy. I could be, if I needed to be. However, seeing as I do not need to be shy, no shyness will be involved in the making of this email. Right! So... We have a fantastic meeting that will be held Wednesday the 14th in Heide 112 @ 6:00pm. The meeting will involved many of the beginning of the year stuff just to get started. Yeehaw. Wait. YEEHAW!!!! It will be glorious and happy and super and fun and .... well yeah. You get the idea. Be there or be square. And since we don't like squares... be there. Anyways, my first email has been a rambling mess and that makes me happy. I hope to see you all there on Wednesday!

With just a bit of Forensicating love (need to build up thoughout the year),
Ben (with Brian constantly adding in bits)

10/3/2005

By your powers combined I am Ben Walker!

Oh. Hello everyone. I wasn't day dreaming... only fools do that and I am not a fool. But on to business!

This weekends trip down to Illinois went smoothly as can be expected. Mike, Shauna, Kate, Carlie, Bosco, and myself all returned in one piece. No one broke into finals, but we all got some valuable beginning of the year experience. It was a swing weekend, so we had two tournaments which made it doubly interesting! We got to see Virgil Miller (an old UWW 4n6 coach) who is now working with MATC. Mike and I had some interesting problems with our hotel room. And Mike got to judge on the college circuit for the first time. Yay Mike! And of course the usual quote taking was in session.

There will be no General Member Meeting this Wednesday, seeing as we had one last week. However, we are having an optional meeting Wednesday @ 6:00 Heide 112, to discuss some proposals for changes in the constitution. Feel as if some team policies should be altered? Come Wednesday and we'll talk about it!

More Forensicating fun! This Thursday night we are having a Bowling Night! We are going to meet @ 7:00pm in the UC Rec Center. It is located underneath the University Center, and the cost is $2 a game and $1.25 for shoe rental. For those of you living in the dorms (like me!) I believe we got a packet of goodies at the beginning of the year that included some free bowling tickets. Now's the time to use them!

Our next tournament is October 22nd at Wartburg College in Iowa. I would be tickled pink if we could have more people go to Iowa then we did this last weekend! So I encourage you to work on those pieces! Need help? Just ask your fellow Forensicators, and we will be happy to help you get started or whatever you need!

Ok, that's a wrap. I think. Hope everyone is doing dandy! Peace!

-Ben

10/11/2005

Hello everybody! (Hi Dr. Ben!) I hope everyone is in typical tip-top shape as this semester forges on. Just a couple reminders for everyone to take heed of. We will be having a General Member Meeting at 6:15 Wednesday, in Heide 112. We shall talk about many things, and it just might satisfy your fix for Forensics. (With a capital F, that rhymes with...uh,.. and that stands for... umm... FORENSICS!) No obligation, just good, clean fun! Our next meet shall be in Waverly, Iowa at Wartburg College. We are leaving Friday the 21st, then competing and returning on Saturday the 22nd. We'd like to see lots of people go with awesome pieces! However, there is a catch. (There always is.) If you haven't already, you need to get your piece(s) approved by Jeanine by THIS Friday. Make sure to sign up on her office door or work something out with her. Lets get working on those pieces! On a personal side note, I know the office is an awesome place to hang out. And I encourage more people to stop in as often as possible. The more the merrier! But I'd really like to see the office be a place where we also get some work done. There are tons of things that the team needs to get done over the course of a year, and I'd like to see some of those things get taken care of right away when you have the chance. If you are in the office and you can help, please do. This holds true to all e-board members especially: When you've got office hours, get your Forensics duties done first, then homework. Just a happy reminder! :) Ok, that's about it. Work on those pieces and I'll see you Wednesday evening! -Ben

10/14/2005

Greetings one, Greetings all! Step right up and amuse yourself with the glitz and glamour of the Foreniscating world! Hope all is well, and seeing as this is your friendly neighborhood Ben- yes, I am well. Thanks for asking.

If you weren't at the meeting this Wednesday, we went over some stuff. This "stuff" could be vital to your existence; so listen up.

1) COACHING! We have a new coach! Jamie Los will be joining our team as an Assistant Coach. She is a Graduate Student, and I'm sure you all read the e-mail she sent out recently. So that's exciting! Let's make her feel welcome and all...that...jazz! Her office hours are posted in the Forensics Office, though she will not be around unless appointments are set up. So if you would like to see her (and who wouldn't?) email or call her.

2) HOMECOMING! Ok, yeah. Probably a bit too much excitement over that, but still...yay! This year the Forensics Team decided to get our butts in gear and help out a bit with the Homecoming festivities here on campus. Point #1: We are going to be Window Painting at the UC, this Sunday the 16th, at 3:00 pm. Be sure to wear clothes you don't mind getting messy while we paint our team window for all the campus to see! Paint and brushes will be there. Come out and lets bond as only Forensicators can. Point #2: On Monday, we volunteered to help set up the Trivia Contest for the Homecoming Steering Committee. It'll be Monday the 17th, @ 4:15 pm at the Leadership Center. Kate, Heather, and I have set aside time to go do this, but anyone else that wants to help... come on down!

3) POTPOURRI! On Wednesday the 19th, we are having a team practice session. It'll be starting at 6:15 pm in Heide 112 or around the office area. There is no time limit, so come when you can. I hope everyone can make it. Bring material, pieces, ideas, yourself...etc... and It'll be a swinging good time! I hope we can take team picture to put on the website! I highly encourage newer members to attend (it will give you a better taste of what Forensics is all about), though I really would love to see everyone there! Heck, bring a friend!

We need to make sure that everyone is signing the Hold Harmless form. Stop by the office when you can and read that and sign it. Much obliged.

Eboard officers: Mike is putting pictures on the website and would like small write ups about you. Just do a little bio (name, age, major, why 4n6, fav cheese, etc.). It's all good.

Mark your calendars! Friday, December 9th we shall be hosting the annual Forensics Holiday Party. It is tentatively scheduled to be at Jeanine's house on this day. We won't get into it too much. But its a heads up.

We have a tournament on October 22nd! Yay! It's in Waverly, Iowa at Wartburg College. Carlie (Poetry, Prose), Shauna (Duo), Kate (Duo), Heather (Poetry), and myself (DI) are all competing. Louise Austin shall be returning to her duties as driver and judge for this weekend. Tournament Information will be sent out later.

I think that about sums up my little newsletter. Shauna informs us that our team was paid a high compliment by a Royal Purple staff member. They noted that we show rare dedication, reflected by constant office use. Yay us! Let's keep it up! Hope everyone is doing well. Hope to see you all Sunday! (Window Painting. Remember?)

-Ben

PS- It's Shauna's B-Day on the 19th!

10/24/2005

Hello all!

I hope that everyone is in one piece and happy like a butterfly! Time to kick start another week with the plentiful goodness known as Forensics!

Let's see. First things first. We accomplished much this past weekend at the tournament at Wartburg College in Iowa. Carlie got 3rd in poetry. Yay! Shauna and Kate placed 5th in Duo. Yay! Heather and I also competed well, and got some feedback to work on for next time. Louise was a sport. She drove, judged, and entertained us with her wit! Overall, we had a rockin' good time!

We have a General Member Meeting this Wednesday. The same details as normal. 112 Heide. 6:00pm e-board. 6:15pm general members. Be there AND be square.

The office is dressed very nicely for the Halloween holiday. We can thank Jessie for that. Purple and green spider webs make for an interesting office decor.

Ok, I think that is about it. Got pieces in the works? Let's see 'em! E-mail, call, set an appointment with Jeanine, Mike, Jamie, or any team member. We're all in this together. I'll see you all on Wednesday!

-Ben

10/31/2005

Happy Halloween! I hope you all are acquiring candy somehow, though stealing from kids isn't the best option. Mike was dressed up as a Budweiser lizard today, and Brian was um....something Renaissance-ish. Heather is also dressed up as...something with fangs and horns. I decided to dress up as a sexy college student, 'cause God knows I'm not that on a regular basis. *wink wink*

Just some reminders for everyone. We are having a Practice Night on Wednesday the 2nd @ 6:00pm in Heide 112. Bring your pieces, speeches, material, etc... we shall look it all over for the benefit of the team in general.

ALSO! We have a Team Social planned! YAY! It's an organization/make cookies event for the team! Ok,... not gonna lie, we are doing cleaning and I tried to make it a cool happening. But it is! Show up! We are getting together this Friday the 4th, at 4pm in the Office (Heide 113A). After we organize some stuff, we'll go make some cookies! Yay!

On the request of Jeanine, we are starting a new practice requirement for members. If you have a piece, starting next week its team policy for you to get two coach critiques per week. One of them must be from Jeanine. Mike and Jaime are also available so use them! Coaches will keep mental tabs on who they've seen...so make sure to get your critiques in. We are going to try and hold more Team Practices where multiple coaches will be there, so that will take care of your 2 critiques for the week!

Our next tournament is on the 12th and 13th of November. We will be going to Eau Claire and Madison. To compete you are going to need to get a practice session in with Jeanine and another coach before this coming Friday. Deadline for that tournament sign-up is Friday. Already we have Ryan, Heather, Shauna, Kate, Jessie, and me. Let's get lots of people going!

Ok. I hope everyone is doing super. I shall see everyone on Wednesday. Practice Night! Woo woo!

-Ben

10/31/2005 Happy Halloween! I hope you all are acquiring candy somehow, though stealing from kids isn't the best option. Mike was dressed up as a Budweiser lizard today, and Brian was um....something Renaissance-ish. Heather is also dressed up as...something with fangs and horns. I decided to dress up as a sexy college student, 'cause God knows I'm not that on a regular basis. *wink wink*

Just some reminders for everyone. We are having a Practice Night on Wednesday the 2nd @ 6:00pm in Heide 112. Bring your pieces, speeches, material, etc... we shall look it all over for the benefit of the team in general.

ALSO! We have a Team Social planned! YAY! It's an organization/make cookies event for the team! Ok,... not gonna lie, we are doing cleaning and I tried to make it a cool happening. But it is! Show up! We are getting together this Friday the 4th, at 4pm in the Office (Heide 113A). After we organize some stuff, we'll go make some cookies! Yay!

On the request of Jeanine, we are starting a new practice requirement for members. If you have a piece, starting next week its team policy for you to get two coach critiques per week. One of them must be from Jeanine. Mike and Jaime are also available so use them! Coaches will keep mental tabs on who they've seen...so make sure to get your critiques in. We are going to try and hold more Team Practices where multiple coaches will be there, so that will take care of your 2 critiques for the week!

Our next tournament is on the 12th and 13th of November. We will be going to Eau Claire and Madison. To compete you are going to need to get a practice session in with Jeanine and another coach before this coming Friday. Deadline for that tournament sign-up is Friday. Already we have Ryan, Heather, Shauna, Kate, Jessie, and me. Let's get lots of people going!

Ok. I hope everyone is doing super. I shall see everyone on Wednesday. Practice Night! Woo woo!

-Ben

11/7/2005 Hello All!

Due to the fact that neither Jeanine or Jaime can make Tuesday night (Practice Night. Remember?) we are canceling the event. HOWEVER! We will still be having a General Member Meeting on Wednesday November 9th @6:15 (6:00 e-board) in Heide 113. I will be in Heide afterward the meeting to discuss pieces and just be there to talk and stuff. Stop by if you can't make it to the meeting. It would be cool. We are going on a trip this weekend! Lets see... Heather, Shauna, Kayte, Carlie, Jessie, Ryan (observing!), and myself are going along with Mike and Jaime judging for us! It'll be a rockin' good time! I'll let everyone know through a later e-mail what the dillio is with leaving Friday and such. Make sure to get some practices in this week! [Yes Jeanine, I'll sign up on your door this week. :)]

I'll see you all Wednesday!

-Ben

11/10/2005 Greetings Fellow Earthlings!

'Tis a fine day for a 4n6 update. Let us get started. Shall we?

Last Friday's social was a rockin' good time! Shauna, Alex, and myself started to clean out the filing cabinet. We managed to get through the top drawer in 3 hours, so that's a good thing! It is all reorganized, and will be properly indexed once we get the other 3 drawers finished. To help with the cause, we are having ANOTHER cleaning social! (Try not to think of it as such. Think of it as a time to bond with your fellow Forensicator, and get to look through some really neat paperwork from past Forensics teams!) So... Next Friday, the 18th, @ 4:00pm in the office = office clean up time! Lets do it!

We have a van and car heading to Eau Claire and Madison this weekend! YAY!!! Those attending the tournaments are as follows: Heather, Shauna, Kayte, Carlie (Bosco included! Stupid hotel people...), Jessie, myself, and Ryan is observing. Jamie and Mike will be our judges. It is going to be a sa-weet weekend!

Next week will be full as well! To go along with the social on Friday, we have a Team Practice and General Member meeting! Team Practice will be this Tuesday, the 15th, @ 6:00 pm in Heide 113. I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE everyone to attend! If you can make it, please come. The process will be painless, fun, and besides...Ben will be there. And we all love Ben! Does it get any better Ben? You might think not....but IT DOES! Not only the Practice, but a General Member meeting the following day! Wednesday the 16th (6:00 E-board, 6:15 General Members) in Heide 113! But wait! There is more! We will be voting on a Forensics Team Scholarship proposal written up (see attachment) by our loving President Shauna. Attending the meeting will let you have valuable input on whether we approve of this proposal or not. AND FINALLY... we are having our Team Picture being taken this coming Wednesday to be put on the website! Wow... see, now you have to come. So many reasons to come!

Almost done...
We have a tournament at UW-Stout on December 2nd and 3rd. It is a Friday tournament, so you get excused from Friday classes! Yay! Stout is a fun tournament so get those pieces ready and approved! There is a special category in this tournament: Music Interp. If you are interested in trying this out, talk to a team veteran and they'll steer you in the right direction. Heather and Shauna are planning to do Music Interps...so they are fountains of knowledge on this subject! Remember, if you need help on pieces...ask someone. For Stout, you need to have your pieces approved before Thanksgiving...so November 23rd will be the final date to get approved.

The Edna Sorber Tournament is far away, but somehow approaching rapidly. For those of you who do not know, the Sorber tournament (aka- Sorber) is a annual tournament UW-Whitewater holds. It is the only tournament we host this year. The theme for Sorber will be "At the Movies" and we are looking for a cool slogan to go along with that theme. Last year's theme was "Superheroes" with the slogan "Might and Mayhem"...so if that helps I'm glad. Any ideas for slogans? E-mail any ideas or bring them to next weeks meeting! FINALLY! On a personal note, The Muse is accepting submissions until the end of November...though that might be extended. The Muse is the only literary arts magazine on campus, and is run by students (I'm on staff! Yay!) Categories include Poetry, Fiction, Visual Art, and Creative NonFiction [under 2,500 words]. There are cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. Being published is a cool thing...so give it a try. Submit any writing you've got to themuse@uww.edu ... its the cool thing to do.

Oh! And just as a FYI, Kayte will be taking over as the Member-at-Large for Alex the rest of this semester. There was some scheduling issues so Alex requested this. I hope ALL is well, and everything in all your lives is going smoothly. I'll be sending out a pickup Friday schedule out later to those people it pertains to.

Happy Forensicating!

-Ben

11/14/2005 I'm Ben Walker. And you are not.

This weekend was super fun, as this week will be!

On Friday Shauna, Kayte, Carlie, Heather, Jessie, Ryan, Mike, Jamie, and I all took off to Eau Claire. The Saturday tournament in Eau Claire went ok, and we left for Madison that night right after the tourney finished. Then Sunday morning we competed in the Madison tournament. That tournament went well team wise, with Shauna and Kayte grabbing 5th in Duo, and myself placing 6th in DI. Yay! It was a good time had by all, even though it was a long weekend. Ryan and Jamie got to experience a Forensics tournament for the first time, so that was nice to see!

This week we've got stuff planned! Tuesday is a Practice Night! We are meeting in Heide 112 at 6:00 pm. Bring your pieces, material, etc...and we can work on stuff and get better! Wednesday night is a General Member Meeting! 6:00 for Eboarders, 6:15 for General Members. Heide 112 as usual. We shall be voting on the scholarship, taking a team picture, as well as other things. For further information on the meeting, check out my last e-mail! ALSO! Friday we are having a Cleaning Social in the office (113A Heide) starting around 4:00 pm. Come when you can, we shall be there until 7 or 8. We will be organizing the file cabinet among other things. Come on down to the office and let's do this!

I hope everything is going swell with everyone. I hope to see you all Tuesday night! And Wednesday night! And Friday! Excellent!

-Ben "Sweetness" Walker

11/21/05 Goooooooooooooooooooood Monday Whitewater! This is not a test; this is Forensics! Time to rock it from the Office to the PKD!

Yeah, ok. Maybe a bit loud for a Monday, but I'm excited! Let's see what's on the board shall we? Survey says:

1) Sweet stuff last week! Practice night went well, as Heather and I got some good feedback from those present. Wednesday night meeting went swell as well. (hehe! that rhymed!) Here's what happened: -Our tentative theme for Sorber will be "Rolling out the Red Carpet". -We've decided on team polos for shirts this year, going with this year's slogan of "Speaking to you live- UWW 4N6". It's kind of a news broadcast kind of thing. -We voted YES on the scholarship proposal, so Shauna will submit it to the Leadership Center and get that taken care of. Hopefully we can have it set up for this year!

And finally, on Friday we had a wonderful cleaning social in the Office! Shauna and I had some bonding time going through file cabinet drawer #2.

2) No meetings or team practices planned this week! Yay!

3) Keeping in mind the joyous nature of announcement #2 (see above), if you want to compete in December at Stout (Dec 2-3) you must be approved THIS WEEK by Jeanine and another coach. It doesn't take long, and the process is totally painless. Jeanine doesn't bite....hard. I know it may be difficult, but try and make appointments. Not only does it benefit you when you come in to practice, it benefits the team as a whole. If you can't work out a time, talk to Jeanine and work something out with her.

I believe that's about it. If you want a polo (we'll be wearing them at Sorber most likely) let someone know- preferably Jessie or Kayte. They look pretty shnazzy. As do the polos, and they only cost $12! The Winter/Holiday party will be on December 9th at Shauna's place. Mark your calendars! I shall provide more info after Thanksgiving break.

Ok. Now I KNOW that's it! Happy Forensicating and May the Force be with you!

-Ben!

11/28/2005 Hello all!

I sent out an e-mail earlier but it got ate by the account or the internet or something. So here's the dillio, without all the sugar.

Ok. We have a tournament at UWW-Stout this weekend. Friday and Saturday. Yay! If you weren't approved before Thanksgiving, you aren't coming. But lets keep working on pieces!

We have a General Member meeting this Wednesday! 6:00pm for Eboarders, 6:15pm for everyone else. 112 Heide. It's cool. We also have practice Wednesday! 5:00pm we will be ready to practice and video tape. Then 7-9 (after the meeting) people will be there to practice and video tape again! Yay!

I believe that is it. It'd be great to see everyone on Wednesday! Laters!

With much Forensicating love,
Ben

12/5/2005

Greetings all you Forensicators!

Much to discuss! I shall get started immediately.

We have a Tournament this weekend at UW-Stout. Shauna, Kayte, Heather, and I went on the journey. It was a trip full of fun times and good performances. We got fairly good comments on our sheets and had a great time just hanging out together. I was fortunate enough to make finals in DI, and scraped a 4th place. Yay! The drive back home was a bit perilous with all the snow, but Shauna got us back in one piece! It was cold this weekend! Brr!

If you'd like to attend the next tournament (Mankato Swing- January 28-29th) I think you are going to need to be approved by December 15th. The reason behind this is because call-in for the tourny will be right when we get back from Winter Break....so Jeanine and another coach needs to see all your pieces you wish to take to the Mankato Swing by December 15th. I know its pushing it with all the finals to study for and papers to write... but that's how its got to be. I think.

We are having our HOLIDAY PARTY this coming Friday, the 9th. It will be at Shauna's place (305 Fox Meadows), with people arriving around 7:00pm. I know many of you do not know where Shauna's place is. If you need to know how to get there, I'll walk over there with anyone who wants to go or we can give directions. It's not hard. The food sign up is attached so we are all clear on who is bringing what. So the more the merrier! (People I mean...but food too!) It'll be a good way to kick back and relax from all the pressure of the end of the semester.

I believe that is all for now. I wish thee all a good end of the semester. Happy Forensicating!

-Ben

12/20/05

Hey Everyone!

I hope finals and things are going decent for everyone! I know it can get really hectic this time of the semester/year. I wish you all immense luck in dealing with the stress.

As you all know, we have a scheduled tournament on January 28-29th. And as you all know we need to be approved before break comes to us. The official approval date for pieces to go to that tournament is THIS Thursday, December 15th!

However, as Shauna has astutely mentioned, everyone is quite busy with finals and its hard to focus on Forensics pieces. Education is the #1 priority. So we were thinking of having a time where we could have a Practice Day DURING break. The thought was to have it December 29th or 30th. We could be in Whitewater and have Jeanine and/or Mike and/or Jamie take a look at our pieces without finals weighing on our minds! Shauna has generously offered her place for those who would like to stay overnight. And we might be able to work out rides, depending on distance and stuff.

SO! Here's the question... does this work for people? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me or Shauna know if this is something you are interested in. I know it would help me a lot.

On a related note: We are currently figuring out the Spring Schedule. Heather and I have expressed interest in going to a tournament the weekend we get back (Jan 20-22). We'd need more than just the two of us going. We are currently weighing our financial position to see what we can do this spring. I'd like to have as many tournaments as possible before State, so this early meet sounds good to me. What are your feelings on it?

OK! Two things I need responses for!

1) Is a Practice Time on December 29th or 30th in Whitewater something you would/could attend? 2) Are you interested in the Jan 21-22 ( a swing! ) Iowa meet?

I'd really appreciate everyone's input on these issues. Happy end of the semester and Holidays! Good luck and stay sane!

With much Forensicating love,

Benji

1/20/06

Hello everybody! Welcome back from a fun-filled Winter Break and I hope everyone is refreshed and all that jazz, ready to tackle another semester of classes and FORENSICS! Woo woo!

Call me crazy (YOU'RE CRAZY!) but I wanted to do a quick $50 follow up e-mail to everyone regarding team things. I want to make sure we are all on the same page. So here we go. 2 big points.

1) As Jeanine said in her massive e-mail, the signup and approval deadline for this coming tournament in Minnesota is THIS MONDAY! If you'd like to go to observe (if you haven't already) or compete, please sign up to practice with Jeanine. If you want to observe what Forensics is all about and observe, then either respond to the email saying so or stop by in the office sometime soon....aka Monday. A good time to practice/get approved is Monday night @ 5:00 in Heide 112. Jaime and Jeanine will be there as will other team members. The team will be paying for meals of competing members on trips this semester, so rejoice! So far I have going on the tournament is this: Heather, Shauna, Kayte, and me. Brandi, Katie, Ryan? You want to come? Anyone else? If yes, please let us know ASAP because we have to sign up for things.

2) We will discuss more and have much Forensics fun this Wednesday! Heide 112... 5:00pm for E-board, 5:15pm General Members. I encourage all members to come! If you've been too busy to fully do something with the team last semester, NOW is your chance! Come on down and we'll have a grand ol' time!

As always, any questions or concerns give me a jingle (x3091) or email the team or myself (walkerbm08@uww.edu). Here is to a Happy Spring Semester! May we all keep our sanity!

Ben Walker Member Liaison

1/31/06

Greetings all you happy, happy people! Things look in tip top shape and lets keep it that way!

Let's see...this week. 1) We've got a meeting/practice this Wednesday (Feb 1) 5:00 pm in Heide 112. It'll be a good time to go over Sorber stuff again (What committee(s) are YOU on?), as well as see how everyone's pieces are progressing, and maybe even test out a piece of your own. So come on down.

2) Friday (Feb 3) we are going to be having a yippy-skippy cleaning time in the office at 12:30 pm until whenever we get done. We are organizing the file cabinet (almost done!) and team history things. Many hands make work light...or however you say that. So come on down for Friday too.

We are having a New Member Meeting NEXT Wednesday (Feb 8th) 5:00 pm in Heide 112. It will simply be a meeting/practice for everyone and potential members can experience what we are all about rather than just hear about it.

Finally, the team traveled out to Gustavus Adolphus College this past weekend. The trip up to Minnesota was about 6 hours and it was fun! (Can you see a gas station anywhere?) On the trip was Shauna, Kayte, Heather, myself, as well as first time trippers Katie and Lloyd. The campus was pretty for the two tournaments and we felt like we performed well. I was lucky enough to sneak into finals for DI, and by our powers combined snagged a 2nd place. It was exciting, and a good time was had by all. The trip back down to Whitewater was marked by us almost getting stuck overnight in a Subway and slippery roads. Huzzah for Katie for observing, and Huzzah for Lloyd for judging (and driving) for the weekend!

I believe that is all. I hope to see you all Wednesday and Friday. Catch you on the flip side!

Your Loving Member Liaison, Ben 2/14/06

Sweet Caroline! Ba ba ba!... I hope this e-mail finds everyone in tip top shape! I know I am! Hmm...what to discuss...

This weekend the team went up to Eau Claire for the Lovefest Tournament. It was a swing, with one tournament on Saturday and another on Sunday. The compitition was fierce with many teams showing up to scout out the place where NFA Nationals will be held. We all had a blast! Shauna, Heather, Kayte, Katie, Brandi, Lloyd and myself all made the trip and it was well worth it. We all did well, and got some happy scores, round placings, and comments. I was fortunate enough to make finals in DI on Sunday and get 7th! Yay! Many fun quotes were also gleaned from the minds and mouths of the team.

As a reminder, we have a meeting/practice this Wednesday same time same place. Heide 112, 5:00ish, Wednesday the 15th. Let's all practice hard for State this coming weekend. We have the potential to do really well and I know we'd all love that!

NOTE: We have TONS of stuff to still do for Sorber! If you don't know what you are supposed to be helping with, ask an e-board member or coach. If you know what you need to get done, get it done! The more we get done this week the less hectic it will be during...ahem...Hell Week. There are lots of little things that can be done, but need to be set up. Checking on ballots, making judges round info sheets, getting posters, etc. Once we get some of the little things done, we can start organizing and stacking and the like.

T-SHIRTS ARE IN!!!! YAY! Sorry Kayte, I beat you to the punch. But I am so excited! Hopefully we can bring them to Wednesday's meeting/practice and you can pick yours up! YAY!

Ok, that's all she wrote. Or all he wrote. Or all I wrote. Have a fantastic week! Happy Forensicating!

-Ben

2/20/06

Yes, my last e-mail got deleted...so this is the short, short version with little to no sugar.

We went to State this weekend @ UW-River Falls. We took 5th as a team, so not too shabby. Shauna and Kayte took 6th in Duo, and Shauna got 3rd in Prose! AND it was Heather B's first 4n6 trip! Yays all around! We all had a good time.

This weekend is Sorber. I will simply say that help out as much as you can, and get your jobs done early if you can. It will make the week (particularly the end of it) go much smoother. Let's all try and make Sorber the best tournament it can be, and let's try and make sure Heather stays sane. PS- Call in is tomorrow. If you signed up, remember to show up! Forms are by the phone.

Wednesday meeting, Heide 112. 5:15, 5:00 for eboarders. We will discuss Sorber things and some other things.

I hope to see you all on Wednesday and in the office all this week! Let's go team!

With Much Forensicating Love, Ben

3/18/06

Greetings those of the Forensics cult! It's been awhile since I've graced the mass e-mail airwaves. Or at least it seems like it. Let's dance!

1) PI KAPPA DELTA!!! Woo woo! A group of us went down to Tennessee this past weekend to compete in the Pi Kappa Delta off year national tournament. There were 48 schools there competing in Debate and Individual Events. It was crazy! Jeanine, Lloyd, Shauna, Heather D, Katie, Brandi, and I all traveled down in a cramped van to the tourny. The weather was warm, and the scenery was breathtaking. SHAUNA AND KATIE BROKE INTO QUARTERFINALS IN PROSE!!! Then... KATIE BROKE INTO SEMIFINALS!!! That is as far as any of us got during the weekend in competition, but we all had tons of fun. We met groundhogs outside our hotel and we named them Sam and Jerry. Lots of fun, good times, and plenty of pictures and quotes. "Just be glad you aren't Shauna."

2) SOCIAL ALERT! We'll be having a Game Night over at Shauna's appartment on Thursday the 23rd @ 7:00pm. If you need directions or a walking buddy, just let me know! We'll be playing games and just hanging out. I encourage you to bring a friend who might be interested in 4n6, or just a friend who likes games and fun people! The more the merrier!

3) Sorber Wrap Up- It was been requested that all those involved with Sorber this year please do a small write up on what you did to help the tournament run. If you helped with schematics, ballots, ballot table, etc...anything. Remember what you helped with and do a write up on it describing the activity so that next year we'll have a better idea for what to do. Nothing too extensive, but be accurate please. These are due the same night as Game Night, the 23rd. Turn them into the office before then, or bring them to Game Night. Whatever you choose!

4) We have our annual Showcase coming up as well! The Showcase is a formal event where we present our pieces to the students, staff, public, parents, etc. It is Thursday April 6th, at 7:00pm in the UC219. We'd like all team members to be there if you can. Invite people to come see the team! Some small refreshments will be available. We'd like to have the line up for the presentations decided soon, so we can make programs. So those of you that have pieces, be thinking about that.

5) Spring Break is coming up! I hope everyone survives until then! A good way to keep sanity is to go ninja-ing, as some of us did last night. (Shauna, Kayte, Katie, Heather, Carlie, Brandi, Alex, Mike, Nando... you know what I'm talking about! hehe!)

I hope everyone is doing great. I'll see you at Game Night! Congrats on making it through this e-mail! Happy Forensicating!

-Ben

4/1/06

Shed a tear, Spring Break is over. But huzzah! More 4n6 fun is to come in the rest of the semester. Listen my friends, and Uncle Wrinkle Spray (Ben) will tell you all about it!

Just to remind everyone... we have the Showcase coming up! It's Thursday April 6th, at 7:00pm in UC 219. We'll be performing out competition pieces, so its bound to be thought provoking and fun. Encourage everyone you know to come! As a follow up to that, we currently have Brandi, Katie, Kate, Shauna, Heather, Carlie, and myself performing our pieces. If that needs to be altered in anyway... let Shauna know!

It as been awhile since any of us as competed (for some, longer than others), so we are having a little practice night Wednesday, April 5th at @ 5:00pm in Heide 112. Very casual, just to get everyone up to speed again on their pieces. We don't want to look like fools for our adoring public!

VERY IMPORTANT!!! Ok, check this out. We have E-Board elections coming up. If you would like to run for a post or would like to nominate someone for a post, just e-mail back to the team or drop off a note in the office sometime. Who knows? We may even have a piece of paper just for election nominations! :) Because of the way the team works, we need to have nominations in by the Showcase. We will then have the final ballots presented on Wednesday April 12th. Then we will vote on Wednesday April 26th. Run down:

April 6th- Nominations Due April 12th- Official Ballots Out/Presentations April 26th- Vote

Because there are many out there that may be confused with the twisted workings of the e-board, I have enclosed a cutting from our Team Constitution that lays out each position and the responsibilities they entail. Feel free to nominate anyone you think would be good for a position... including yourself if you feel so inclined! ANY questions on this process, just ask any current e-board member and they can explain it to you.

Finally… here are some dates you should mark on your calendar!

-April 22nd (Saturday) - “Inauguration of Chancellor Martha Saunders, at 1:00 PM in the Irvin L. Young Auditorium” It would be nice to have our team show its support! I plan on going, and so does Shauna. Anyone else is very welcome to attend! Dress nice!

-April 26th (Wednesday) - Multicultural Student Council is hosting a Diversity Variety Show. Are we doing this Shauna?

-May 5th (Friday) - Forensics End of the Year Picnic! It’ll be in little park area by Wells, 2:00-4:00. More information about the picnic will be sent out later.

Ok! I think that’s it! I hope to see everyone this Wednesday for a practice night, or at the Showcase on Thursday! Here comes Spring! Surfs up!

-Ben

4/10/06

Greetings Fellow Forensicators!

Well, well, well... it looks like we have an exciting meeting this Wednesday! It's at the usual time and place (5:00 pm, Heide 113A). It would be really cool if EVERYONE could come to the meeting. Why? We are releasing the Official Nominations for E-Board for people to consider. We have several people up for positions. It is important to know if you are up for a position, so that you can decline or accept the nomination. We will be voting on them via e-mail or drop off ballots in the office, due April 26th. I hope to see everyone this Wednesday!!!!!

Hmm...that is it I believe. We have several events and meetings the team will be involved before the semesters end, so come to the meeting on Wednesday and hear all about them!

-Ben!

4/16/06

Greetings fellow Forensicators! Welcome back from...umm...the weekend that NFA was held in Eau Claire. I'd hate to call it Easter weekend, and offend anyone. *ahem* We have things to remember and discuss so lets get to it!

1) E-BOARD NOMINATIONS!!!! Ok, here we go. Here are the nominations for the E-Board positions for next year (by position and alphabetical order)... drum roll please....

President: Ben Walker
Vice-President: Brandi Kelley
Secretary: Kate Braun, Danielle Chochola
Treasurer: Heather Beilharz, Katie Chin
Member Liaison: Kate Braun, Katie Chin, Danielle Chochola
Member-at-Large: Katie Chin, Heather Beilharz, Danielle Chochola, Carlie Forsythe

You may only vote for one person per position. You may only vote for one person, one time. The voting period is from as soon as you get this, until Wednesday April 26th when we have a meeting where we will be holding a voting session. If you can't make that meeting at 4:00 pm in Heide 112 on that Wednesday, e-mail Jeanine (fasslj@uww.edu) your ballot. Good luck everyone!

2) As mentioned, we are having a meeting on April 26th at 4:00 pm in Heide 112. We'd normally have meetings at 5:00, but reason being is. The team is participating in a Diversity Variety Show. Organizations are putting together little pieces for a Diversity Variety Show, and we thought it'd be cool if we did too. The thought was we'd take my DI from this year and try to adapt it to use more than one person. It should be really neat if we can pull it off. The Show is April 26th, in Roseman Auditorium, from 5-8pm. We are meeting to practice Wednesday, April 19th at 5:00 pm in Heide 113A. Please come if you can help out in any way!

3) PARTY TIME!!! Yes, the end of the semester is close at hand. Which means exams, papers, projects, and studying. But it also means PARTY TIME! In honor of Heather and Shauna never having been to a Toga Party in their college experience, we are having a Toga Party on Sunday April 30th, @ 7:00pm over at Shauna's apartment. Dress in your best toga, and come ready to have a good time! Feel free to bring any games and/or food. Then we have the End of the Year Picnic! That is being held **NOTE THE DAY CHANGE** Wednesday, May 3rd from 5-7 over in the park area by Wells. Sign up for stuff to bring will be in the office, so sign up for something you can bring!

As a general reminder. Shauna and I still plan on representing the team at the Chancellor's Inauguration Ceremony on Saturday April 22nd at 1:00pm. Anyone wishing to join us is more than welcome! Jeanine will be on stage, and Danielle might be too!

Ok! Hope everything is going well and (if you celebrate it) that you had a happy Easter!

-Ben!