People competing in forensics tournaments are...?

Asked from the perspective of being the interim managing editor (55 weeks and counting!), what is a competitor in a forensics tournament called?

I think it's "forensor," and I seem to remember it that way when I was in high school.

The coach here uses "forensicator" which sounds awful (even without the obvious puns).

Any suggestions?

 

I also asked some other friends. One of them said "forensicator" actually appears to be a word but "forensor" isn't.

I'm going to go with "forensics competitor."

If "forensicator" is OK, then they'd better not give me shit next fall when I speak of "master debators."

 

Like Moddy, I have some experience in this field. We were simply "speechies."

That's probably not the technical, AP-approved style.

 

I remember looking the last time that "forensicator" appeared in the coach's summary. Nothing in the style guide about it. And I have some of my friends saying "neither are in the dictionary." One of them, who was a forensics person said, "We just called ourselves forensics competitors."

So there's some irony in that people who are masters of linguistic skill in this manner have no consensus on a word to describe themselves.

 

The only way I would use "forensicator" is in a feature story explaining what a forensicator is and what he or she does. It's just not a word you can use as a passing reference. Otherwise, I would call them competitors in a forensics contest -- and I still have no idea what is involved in a forensics contest.

 

It's speech and debate.

You're a speaker or a debater.

Now, if you're a speaker or debater at an overnight tournament you might be fornicator.

 

Why don't they just call it speech or debate? Forensics sounds to me like they're scraping underneath fingernails, lifting prints off murder weapons, and matching up DNA evidence. I guess the CSIization of the country has altered the meaning of the word.

 

Nah, Qincy M.E. was doing that long before CSI ever came along.

 

.....not getting coverage in my section. Beg all you want.

 

Because if they did, then you'd have to cover the JV forensics tournaments. Make sure all the cadavers' names are spelled right.