Forensics

SCHOLARSHIPS

Highly respected and competitive, the NWC Forensics Team includes students from various disciplines across campus who compete in tournaments around the region. Forensics students have the opportunity to apply for two named scholarships dedicated to the team: the Lars & James Bly Memorial Scholarship and the Cecil Fish Memorial Scholarship. Donations made this Giving Day will be split between the two funds in order to offer more scholarship dollars to future Forensics students. Learn more about each of the scholarships below.

Lars & James Bly Memorial Scholarship

Lars Bly was an accomplished and talented graduate of Powell High School. He was a National Merit Finalist and an excellent tennis player along with numerous other achievements. Growing up, he was often seen around the Northwest College campus where his father, Jim Bly, was a longtime and beloved journalism professor. The summer after his senior year, Lars was killed in a tragic car accident. The entire campus, indeed the whole town, mourned in shocked disbelief. Jim continued teaching journalism at Northwest until his retirement. He died in 2003. Jim’s widow Gertrud and daughter Aree established this scholarship to honor the memory of these two very special people.

Cecil Fish Memorial/Fish Family Scholarship

The Fish family connection to Northwest College Forensics began in the fall of 1971, when Duane and Virginia arrived on campus as students and met while competing on the speech and debate team.

Duane joined the Northwest College faculty in 1976, and began coaching the Forensics Team soon after. From the beginning, Virginia participated as adjunct faculty and/or volunteer forensics coach before joining NWC’s full-time staff in 1987. As students, Duane and Virginia had won numerous regional and national awards for their NWC team, laying the groundwork for a legacy of success. Together they positively shaped students to carry on their winning tradition, amassing hundreds of students awards and dozens of national team sweepstakes.

Following the death of Cecil Fish, Duane’s father, the Fish family created a scholarship endowment with funds from the generous outpouring of support from Duane and Virginia’s former students and the community.

During Duane’s 39 years of coaching, NWC reached the top 10 debate schools in the nation – a ranking NWC held in 3 debate categories through 2015. As leaders, Duane and Virginia enhanced NWC forensics by introducing computerized tournament administration and shared this expertise with other colleges. Duane served for many years as tournament director for the Phi Rho Pi national and Wyoming high school tournaments. In 2014, Duane and Virginia were inducted into the Wyoming Debate Hall of Fame.

Upon Duane’s retirement from Northwest, former team members coached by the Fishes also raised money to name the Forensics Team squad room in honor of his passion for helping students succeed… and for these memories:

Hard work and hard play. Sweater vests. Corny jokes.

Late nights, early mornings and retreats.

Cinnamon rolls. Squirrel cases. Long drives.

And lots of good friends!