MIFA
MIFA carries its pandemic-era innovation into a return to normal
Virtual debate for a third year, theatre back on a college campus, two new IE events and a first in-person middle level workshop.
By Sarah Scurti · Sunday, October 1, 2023
Sarah Scurti is an MSCI Member-At-Large and serves on the MIFA Forensic Council.
The 2022-2023 school year brought MIFA events the best of the last few years, along with the beginning of a return to normal through its Debate, Theatre, Individual Events and Middle Level activities.
The ingenuity and creativity that MIFA tirelessly worked toward as we navigated through the uncertainty of the pandemic gave the MIFA Debate State tournament the ability to run virtually for the third year in a row. The use of NSDA Campus and tabroom has allowed members the continued opportunity of expanded access to debate across the state.
MIFA Theatre brought students back to a college campus for state finals for the first time in several years. Central Michigan University graciously hosted our student actors, technicians, and directors, giving them the opportunity to work and perform in college theatre spaces.
It was an exciting year for MIFA Individual Events. After polling its members, MIFA officially added two new competition events - the interpretation event Program Oral Interpretation, or POI and the limited preparation event Duo Commentary. These two categories shook up the IE season, giving students, coaches, and judges the ability to create new opportunities for success. IE also returned to both a two-day state tournament and a college campus, sharing Wayne State University’s campus with their spring final exams and commencement.
MIFA Middle Level hosted its first in-person fall workshop, giving its youngest members the ability to learn more about speech activities. Students from fifth to eighth grade made the most of what they learned, competing in Spring State Finals at Birmingham Covington School.
If pandemic competition taught us anything, it is that we have the ability to adapt and innovate. This spirit of innovation carried MIFA through this year of competition as we continue to provide quality competitive speech activities for its members.
Originally published in the MSCI Year in Review, October 2023.