Posted by CotoBlogzz 03/13/2009 2:00 PM
Mission Viejo, CA – The “Bob Bornemann Spring Championships Forensics Tournament”, sponsored by the Pacific Southwest Collegiate Forensics Association (PSCFA was held on the campus of Los Angeles Valley College on February 27th through March 1st.
Saddleback College speech faculty member Bob Bornemann was honored for his contributions over the years as President, Vice-President and Executive Secretary of the PSCFA. He also coached for nine years at Los Angeles City College before coming to Saddleback College in 1983 where he coached the forensic team for 10 years. He left coaching for the classroom in 1993.
PSCFA created the honor seven years ago when they decided to honor coaches from the past who had made a contribution to PSCFA. Bornemann was asked to speak at the beginning of the awards ceremony and to hand out the sweepstakes trophies bearing his name. He was also presented with an inscribed clock trophy. Every spring the championship tournament is named after a past coach. According to Jim Wyman, the current Executive Secretary of the PSCFA, “This year we honored Bob because he had held numerous offices in the organization, he is well-liked on the circuit; and he had a positive impact on the students and the PSCFA.”
Bornemann currently teaches the basic public speaking course Speech 1 (Communication Fundamentals) and Speech 3 (Argumentation and Debate). His research involves the importance of oral communication skills in society, which involves dozens of studies from a variety of fields supporting the claim that oral communication skills are one of, if not, the most important factor in affecting the future success of students. “The skills our students gain from our classes are vital to their future education and professional endeavors,” says Bornemann. Rocky Cifone , Dean of Fine Arts, refers to the PSCFA’s coffee mug inscription, “Forensics’ finest rewards are friendships.” According to Cifone, “No better person embodies that sentiment, as a coach and a colleague, more than Bob Bornemann.”
“Congratulations to Bob Bornemann for this wonderful honor. Bob is well-known throughout campus for being an excellent speech professor and a mentor to his students, many of which maintain lasting relationships with him because of his compassion, genuine enthusiasm, and sense of humor.” Stated Dr. Tod A. Burnett, President of Saddleback College.
The fundamental reason for the existence of the forensics program is to provide students with advanced speaking opportunities beyond those traditionally available in a classroom setting. Intercollegiate speech competition serves as a motivating force in educational development of students, leading to improvements in their critical and analytical thinking abilities, their research and organizational skills, and their oral communication skills. This is accomplished through individual and team competition and the enhancement of interpersonal skills and teamwork. The Saddleback Forensics Team attends many tournaments throughout California and across the nation competing in both individual events and debate. The team is nationally recognized for the competitive success of the students as well as commitment to maintaining a team that views competition as an engagement that demands dedication, respect, and ethical behavior.
Located in Mission Viejo, Saddleback College is celebrating its 40th year of providing quality higher education to the south Orange County community. For more information on the college and its programs, please visit www.saddleback.edu. For Fine Arts events, visit www.saddleback.e
