Siblings share a bond for life and Cedarville UniversitystudentsDeidra and Connor Hall of Pawcatuck, Connecticut, have only grown closer through their love of speech anddebate. Both are members of Cedarville’s forensics team.

Theiraffinity forforensics began in childhoodwhen the brother and sister team begancompeting in elementary school. As young students, they performed well, but have come a long way since those early days.

Deidra, a sophomore majoring in psychology, was part of Cedarville’s reader’s theatre team that was the 2024 champion at the National Christian College Forensic Championship in Nashville, Tennessee. Connor, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, meanwhile, earned the top debater at the 80thannual Falcon Classic at Bowling Green State University earlier in the year.

Deidrahas always followed her older brother, and her journey to college was no exception.

“When Connor came to Cedarville, he called me every night to tell me about his friends and professors,” Deidra said. “It was obvious how much he loved Cedarville, so joining him here was a no-brainer.And, since I’ve been at Cedarville, having the opportunity to compete with him on the forensics team was abonus.”

Throughtheir college years, the Hallshave watched each other grow as speakers.They have been each other’sbiggest supporters—although it hasn’t always been easy.

“In high school, we often had to compete against each other to advance in competitions,” Deidra said.“This definitely heightened our natural sibling rivalries, but it also taught us how to encourage and build each other up, to help each other succeed.”

Competing with the forensics team at Cedarville has also allowed the siblings to grow in their faith.

“Entering the secular arena with the forensics team was hard,” Deidra said. “It pushed us to go outside of our comfort zoneby taking the opportunity to share the gospel through our speeches.”

The siblings recently performed a duo speech to close their collegiate competition together. "Itwas one of my favorite experiences,”Deidra said.“Overall, studying at Cedarville with my brother has been amazing; I always found comfort in knowing he was there for me.”

While Connor will be graduatingin May, Deidra looks forward to competing inforensics and helping new members on the team feel at home.

“I like pouring into others. I found a supportive community in the Cedarvilleforensics team, and I want to share that with new students,” Deidra said.