DIRECTORS
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PETER POBERPETER POBER (Professor of Communication, Director of Forensics and Distinguished Service Professor) is proud to continue the legacy of GMU forensics started in 1971 by Margaret Duffner and propelled by Bruce Manchester and Sheryl Friedley. Entering his 41st year in the forensic arts, Peter has been privileged to coach more than 50 individual and team national champions at both the high school and college levels. He has been awarded the Texas Intercollegiate Forensic Association Coach of the Year, the Texas Speech Communication Educator of the Year, the American Forensic Association District III Distinguished Service Award, the L.E. Norton Forensic Educator Award, the AFA-NIET National Distinguished Service Award, and the American Forensic Association National Distinguished Service Award. He is the National Chair of the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament. Just this past June, Peter became the first college coach in 25 years to be inducted into the National Speech and Debate Association's Hall of Fame. His students mean the world to him and he is honored to call so many of them across the world his dear friends.
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COACHES
ANDREW EILOLA PRO & PERS COACH ANDREW EILOLA is a third-year PhD student from Minnesota where he received his Bachelor's Degree in 2012 from Concordia College in Communication and Sociology. This is his 5th year coaching at GMU and he could not be more excited for the upcoming season! He is pursuing his PhD in Health Communication and will be coaching Persuasion and Prose this year. 
JON TYREE di & INFO coach JON TYREE is a former GMU competitor turned coach. After graduating in 2014, he took a year off from forensics, but is very excited to be returning to the team. When not coaching, you can find Jon working hard in Alexandria with the Association of Consulting Foresters or whipping up something crazy in the kitchen for his awesome roommate Genevieve! |
DEION HAWKINS DEION HAWKINS comes to George Mason from Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a first year doctoral student studying health communication with a concentration in interpersonal HIV communication. He completed his BA at The Ohio State University in 2012 where he was the Vice President and Debate Captain of Ohio State's student run forensics team. Additionally, he completed his MA at Marshall University. Deion is thrilled to be coaching ADS and Duo this year and is humbled by the opportunity to work with such an amazing program. 
GEORGE KUEPPERS ADS & POE COACH This is GEORGE KUEPPERS' first year on the team and first year in the Master of Arts Program in Communication. He graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN in 2015 with a BA in Political Science and Global Studies He is from Spicer, Minnesota. He is coaching Informative Speaking and Poetry Interpretation. His favorite TV shows include Breaking Bad, House of Cards and Game of Thrones. He likes sports, music and current events. He is an avid dog lover and sarcasm is his first language. |
JOE DINEEN EXT & CA COACH JOSEPH DINEEN earned his Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Saint Joseph's University. While studying for his Master's degree in Political Science at George Mason University (which he received in 2014), he spent two years working with the team. After a very long year away, Joe found that he missed this--all of this--too much. He will be coaching Extemp and Communication Analysis this year, and he is immensely privileged to be working and learning here once more. 
MOLLY HOKE PRO & DUO coach MOLLY HOKE hails from the majestic hills of wild and wonderful West Virginia! After being with this family for 4 wonderful years, Molly is now continuing her academic journey as a first year M.A. student in the Women and Gender Studies program at GMU. In her free time you'll probably find her jamming out to The Beatles or watching a fantastic film. Wanna strike up a conversation? Comment on a good movie (Pulp Fiction is a good place to start). Molly is ecstatic to be coaching the events that make you laugh and cry: After Dinner Speaking and Dramatic Interpretation. |
The job of a coach is to teach students to see vitality in themselves...."
STUDENTS
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you."- Maya Angelou
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NAME: Alekhya Tallapaka (Co-Captain)
YEAR: Senior MAJOR: Global Affairs HOMETOWN: Rosemount, MN FAVORITE EVENTS: PERS, CA, EXT BIG: AK Komanduri LITTLE: Shreetika Singh Alekhya is so excited to be at George Mason University for its 46th season! Originally from the frozen tundra (AKA Minnesota), Alekhya is majoring in Global Affairs while concentrating on International Development. While not doing speech, Alekhya can be found making tofu, reading novels about the Indian-American diaspora, and obsessively tweeting about Zayn Malik and Narendra Modi. She could not be more excited about the upcoming speech season with her wonderful family. |
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“I just wanna rap good and not sell breadsticks” - Milo
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NAME: Jim Welty (Co-Captain)
YEAR: Senior MAJOR: Government & International Politics HOMETOWN: Phoniex, AZ FAVORITE EVENTS: EXT, DI BIG: Nathan Leys LITTLE: Adia McLaughlin Jim is incredibly excited for his third year on the team and to be participating in a vast array of equally exciting events. He is also thrilled to spend another year in Virginia as his home state of Arizona has no water. |
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"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Mahatma Gandhi
"You said don't ever take advice. That was great advice"- Aubrey 'Drake' Graham
"These pretzels are making me thirsty!"- Kramer
"My greatest pain in life is that I'll never be able to see myself perform live."-Kanye West
"Stranger things have happened, so everything is possible."-Anonymous
"Shut up Danny"- Nathan Leys
"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing." - Pele
"Bienvenidos a Chili's"- Daniel L. Drane
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"You must strive to find your own voice because the longer you wait to begin the less likely you are to find it at all."-
Robin Williams
"Keep your nose out the sky, keep your heart to god, and keep your face to the raising sun."- Kanye West
"You're not wrong."- Allen Hester
"Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever."- Walt Disney
"I think I'm gonna like it here."- Annie
"Do more."- Casey Neistat
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"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions." -the Dalai Lama
“Never let success get to your head and never let failure get to your heart.” -Drake
"Florals? For spring?.....Groundbreaking."-Miranda Preistley
"What's hard times without the people you love?"- J. Cole
"We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents." -Bob Ross
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“No such thing as a life that’s better than yours”- J Cole
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