Not at all. We have a budget given to us by the University for travel and expenses. When you compete at a tournament, your entry fees are covered and you receive a modest meal stipend for the day. Well, if you make it to final rounds, you usually win some sort of trophy or awards. We find that those types of awards are the ones that aren't the best.
Most trophies end up collecting dust somewhere.
The real rewards we get out of forensics come from the people we meet, the experiences we have, and the skills we learn. Those who become seriously involved in forensics get opportunities to bond and grow with the rest of the team. Forensics brings together all kinds of people from different backgrounds and different majors. We tend to grow very tight-knit as a group because of all the time we spend practicing, competing, and travelling. We also get awesome opportunities to interact with people from other schools and grow in our faith, both in learning and sharing.