NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University will host the Pi Kappa Delta National Forensics Tournament March 14-17.

Nearly 90 schools, with roughly 1,500 competitors, are expected to participate. It will be the first time in nearly two decades that a historically black college or university has hosted the tournament.

“For us to be hosting the national tournament is such a big deal,” says Sean Allen, TSU’s director of Forensics. “It’s the oldest, it’s the largest, it’s the most prestigious.”

TSU’s forensics team, which is having a record-breaking year, is looking forward to participating in the tournament, says Allen, who was an award-winning member of the Forensics team at Wiley College, which was the subject of the 2007 movie, “The Great Debaters”.

Last month, TSU’s team competed at the Tennessee Intercollegiate Forensics Association state tournament.  It had been six years since the team won the state tournament, but it brought the championship back home. The team walked away with a total of 51 awards.

TSU freshman and Forensic member Jazmyn Bolden won several awards at the competition. The Houston, Texas native, who has been in Forensics since her freshman year in high school, says she’s excited about this month’s tournament, and proud that TSU is hosting it.

“It’s exciting because it’s being held at an HBCU,” says Bolden. “And it’s a big tournament.”

To learn more about TSU’s Forensics team, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/Communications/forensics.aspx

Find out more about Pi Kappa Delta at https://www.speechanddebate.org/pkd/

Department of Media Relations

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About Tennessee State University

With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 25 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.