Competition Events
Broadcast Announcing
Definition: Students assume the role of a radio broadcast announcer
· Depending on the particular tournament and the particular round, students will either read the news copy directly as printed, or have up to thirty minutes to edit a news program before reading it to the judges
· Students will be judged solely on the basis of what is heard, which includes articulation, fluency, accuracy, clarity, understanding of content, appropriate tone, and pronunciation
Congressional Debate (Congress)
Definition: A mock congress where students assume the role of a U.S. Senator or Representative
· Students draft a bill for debate a week before the tournament
· Students receive copies of other students’ bills before the tournament
· Students thoroughly research all the bills in preparation for the tournament
· Students debate the bills using Robert’s Rules of Order at the tournament
Declamation
Definition: The performance of a speech written and published by someone else
· The speech must be memorized
· No props or visual aids are permitted
· Seven to ten minutes
Dramatic Interpretation
Definition: The performance of a published piece of serious literature
· This is an interpretive event and not an acting event; therefore, movement is restricted to bending, stooping, pivoting, and upper body movements (e.g. emphatic gestures)
· The scene may come from a published play, novel, short story, or movie script
· The selection must be memorized
· The cutting may either be a monologue or a dialogue between multiple characters
· Six to ten minutes
Duo Interpretation
Definition: The performance of a scene or cutting from a published play, novel, short story, or movie script, presented by two individuals
· This is an interpretive event and not an acting event; therefore, movement is restricted to bending, stooping, pivoting, switching positions and upper body movements (e.g. emphatic gestures)
· The use of a manuscript is mandatory
· The selection may be from a published play, novel, short story, or movie script
· The selection may be serious or humorous
· Six to ten minutes
Extemporaneous Speaking
Definition: A limited-prep speech that analyzes and answers a question that addresses a current issue
· The student will be given three speech topics. The student will choose the one topic of his/her preference
· Students will have up to thirty minutes to prepare a speech on the chosen topic
· In a supervised prep room, students may use “files” of information collected before the competition to write the speech
· Part of the responsibility of competing in Extemp. is helping to organize files of information to take to the tournaments
· The speaker may use one 3 x 5 note card
· The speech must be five to seven minutes
Humorous Interpretation
Definition: The performance of a published piece of humorous literature
· This is an interpretive event and not an acting event; therefore, movement is restricted to bending, stooping, pivoting, and upper body movements (e.g. emphatic gestures)
· The scene may come from a published play, novel, short story, or movie script
· The selection must be memorized
· The cutting may be either a monologue or a dialogue between multiple characters
· Six to ten minutes
Impromptu Speaking
Definition: A limited-prep speech with topic selection varied from round to round
· Students will receive the speech topic (quotation) and will have up to three minutes to prepare a speech
· No research / source materials may be used
· The speaker may use one 3 x 5 note card to organize the essay
· Both the speech content and delivery are both important factors
· The entire presentation (prep time included) must last no longer than seven minutes.
Improvisational Duo
Definition: A limited prep-performance involving the portrayal of two characters by two individuals
· The duo will receive a performance topic and will have up to three minutes to prepare a scene
· The scene must contain only two characters with equal sharing of dialogue
· Scene topics will range from humorous to serious, and must be treated in the manner intended
· No make-up, costumes, props, or lighting are permitted, but a table and/or two chairs may be used
· The scene must be three to six minutes in length
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Definition: A one-on-one debate emphasizing logic, ethical values, and philosophy
· Students debate a nationally published resolution that changes monthly
· Students follow a specific timed format
· Students must prepare cases ahead of time, but the side that they debate is not determined until the tournament begins and may change each round.
Oratory
Definition: A speech prepared and presented by the student to inform or persuade
· The speech must be the original work of the student
· The speech must be memorized
· No props or visual aids are permitted
· Seven to ten minutes
Poetry Interpretation
Definition: The interpretation of a published poem or poems that is (are) narrative, descriptive, or lyrical.
· This is an interpretive event and not an acting event; therefore, movement is restricted to only upper body movements
· Selections may come from one poem or a program of shorter poems from a published poet or poets of literary merit
· A manuscript must be used and referred to
· Five to ten minutes
Policy Debate
Definition: A two-man debate that typically deals with policy change for the US government
· Students debate a nationally published resolution for the entire year
· Students follow a specific timed format
· Students must prepare cases ahead of time, but the side that they debate is not determined until the tournament begins and may change each round.
Prose Interpretation
Definition: An interpretation of a piece of published prose of literary merit
· This is an interpretive event and not an acting event; therefore, movement is restricted to only upper body movements (e.g. emphatic gestures.)
· Selections may come from published narrative, descriptive, or expository prose of literary merit
· A manuscript must be used and referred to
· Five to ten minutes
Public Forum Debate
Definition: A two-man debate that is “audience friendly” and deals with hot topics in the news
· Students debate a nationally published resolution that changes monthly
· Students follow a specific timed format
· Students must prepare cases ahead of time, but the side that they debate is not determined until the tournament begins and may change each round.
Storytelling
Definition: The recreation of a story for the purpose of entertaining the audience
· Performers may sit, stand, or move about in a limited performance area
· The use of costumes, props, or furniture is prohibited
· May be either serious or humorous
· Selections come from legends, tall tales, myths, children’s stories, ghost stories, etc.
· Selections must be memorized
· Five to eight minutes
Broadcast Announcing
Definition: Students assume the role of a radio broadcast announcer
· Depending on the particular tournament and the particular round, students will either read the news copy directly as printed, or have up to thirty minutes to edit a news program before reading it to the judges
· Students will be judged solely on the basis of what is heard, which includes articulation, fluency, accuracy, clarity, understanding of content, appropriate tone, and pronunciation
Congressional Debate (Congress)
Definition: A mock congress where students assume the role of a U.S. Senator or Representative
· Students draft a bill for debate a week before the tournament
· Students receive copies of other students’ bills before the tournament
· Students thoroughly research all the bills in preparation for the tournament
· Students debate the bills using Robert’s Rules of Order at the tournament
Declamation
Definition: The performance of a speech written and published by someone else
· The speech must be memorized
· No props or visual aids are permitted
· Seven to ten minutes
Dramatic Interpretation
Definition: The performance of a published piece of serious literature
· This is an interpretive event and not an acting event; therefore, movement is restricted to bending, stooping, pivoting, and upper body movements (e.g. emphatic gestures)
· The scene may come from a published play, novel, short story, or movie script
· The selection must be memorized
· The cutting may either be a monologue or a dialogue between multiple characters
· Six to ten minutes
Duo Interpretation
Definition: The performance of a scene or cutting from a published play, novel, short story, or movie script, presented by two individuals
· This is an interpretive event and not an acting event; therefore, movement is restricted to bending, stooping, pivoting, switching positions and upper body movements (e.g. emphatic gestures)
· The use of a manuscript is mandatory
· The selection may be from a published play, novel, short story, or movie script
· The selection may be serious or humorous
· Six to ten minutes
Extemporaneous Speaking
Definition: A limited-prep speech that analyzes and answers a question that addresses a current issue
· The student will be given three speech topics. The student will choose the one topic of his/her preference
· Students will have up to thirty minutes to prepare a speech on the chosen topic
· In a supervised prep room, students may use “files” of information collected before the competition to write the speech
· Part of the responsibility of competing in Extemp. is helping to organize files of information to take to the tournaments
· The speaker may use one 3 x 5 note card
· The speech must be five to seven minutes
Humorous Interpretation
Definition: The performance of a published piece of humorous literature
· This is an interpretive event and not an acting event; therefore, movement is restricted to bending, stooping, pivoting, and upper body movements (e.g. emphatic gestures)
· The scene may come from a published play, novel, short story, or movie script
· The selection must be memorized
· The cutting may be either a monologue or a dialogue between multiple characters
· Six to ten minutes
Impromptu Speaking
Definition: A limited-prep speech with topic selection varied from round to round
· Students will receive the speech topic (quotation) and will have up to three minutes to prepare a speech
· No research / source materials may be used
· The speaker may use one 3 x 5 note card to organize the essay
· Both the speech content and delivery are both important factors
· The entire presentation (prep time included) must last no longer than seven minutes.
Improvisational Duo
Definition: A limited prep-performance involving the portrayal of two characters by two individuals
· The duo will receive a performance topic and will have up to three minutes to prepare a scene
· The scene must contain only two characters with equal sharing of dialogue
· Scene topics will range from humorous to serious, and must be treated in the manner intended
· No make-up, costumes, props, or lighting are permitted, but a table and/or two chairs may be used
· The scene must be three to six minutes in length
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Definition: A one-on-one debate emphasizing logic, ethical values, and philosophy
· Students debate a nationally published resolution that changes monthly
· Students follow a specific timed format
· Students must prepare cases ahead of time, but the side that they debate is not determined until the tournament begins and may change each round.
Oratory
Definition: A speech prepared and presented by the student to inform or persuade
· The speech must be the original work of the student
· The speech must be memorized
· No props or visual aids are permitted
· Seven to ten minutes
Poetry Interpretation
Definition: The interpretation of a published poem or poems that is (are) narrative, descriptive, or lyrical.
· This is an interpretive event and not an acting event; therefore, movement is restricted to only upper body movements
· Selections may come from one poem or a program of shorter poems from a published poet or poets of literary merit
· A manuscript must be used and referred to
· Five to ten minutes
Policy Debate
Definition: A two-man debate that typically deals with policy change for the US government
· Students debate a nationally published resolution for the entire year
· Students follow a specific timed format
· Students must prepare cases ahead of time, but the side that they debate is not determined until the tournament begins and may change each round.
Prose Interpretation
Definition: An interpretation of a piece of published prose of literary merit
· This is an interpretive event and not an acting event; therefore, movement is restricted to only upper body movements (e.g. emphatic gestures.)
· Selections may come from published narrative, descriptive, or expository prose of literary merit
· A manuscript must be used and referred to
· Five to ten minutes
Public Forum Debate
Definition: A two-man debate that is “audience friendly” and deals with hot topics in the news
· Students debate a nationally published resolution that changes monthly
· Students follow a specific timed format
· Students must prepare cases ahead of time, but the side that they debate is not determined until the tournament begins and may change each round.
Storytelling
Definition: The recreation of a story for the purpose of entertaining the audience
· Performers may sit, stand, or move about in a limited performance area
· The use of costumes, props, or furniture is prohibited
· May be either serious or humorous
· Selections come from legends, tall tales, myths, children’s stories, ghost stories, etc.
· Selections must be memorized
· Five to eight minutes
