Events

Debate

Cross-examination debate: (CX, Team or Policy debate) Two person teams debate one resolution all year that proposes a plan to solve a problem. This year’s topic: Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives in the United States.

 

Lincoln-Douglas Debate: (LD or Value debate) A one-on-one debate about philosophical issues. This topic changes five to six times during the tournament season. TFA & NFL use the same topic which can be found on the NFL website. UIL has a fall and a spring topic.

 

Public Forum: (PF) Public Forum Debate is an audience friendly debate. Two team members will debate controver­sial issues that are “stripped” from the newspaper headlines. A new topic will be announced the first day of each preceding month at www.nflonline.org. A Public Forum Debate round begins with a flip of a coin between the competing teams to determine sides and speaker position. Public Forum will test the debater’s skills in argumenta­tion, cross-examination, and refutation.

 

Student Congress: (SC) This is individual debate in a large group setting. Legislative debaters research and write pieces of Congressional legislation that they feel will better the society in which we live. At a tournament, debaters will then speak on the legislation while using proper parliamentary procedure. Judges score each com­petitor based on argumentation ability, speaking technique, knowledge of parliamentary procedure, and overall participation.

 

Speaking Events

Extemporaneous Speaking: (Extemp) Speakers are given 30 minutes to prepare a 7 minute speech on current issues. Speakers take information from extemp files which contain articles from various magazines and inter­net sources. In TFA & NFL tournaments a student may enter either Domestic (US) or Foreign (International) extemp. In UIL, the categories are informative and persuasive. To compete in this event, a student must help with the upkeep of the files.

 

Orignial Oratory: (OO) A ten minute memorized speech written by the contestant, with no more than 150 quoted words. This speech can be on any topic but is usually motivational in nature. Participants are ex­pected to research and speak intelligently, with a degree of originality, in an interesting manner, and with some profit for the audience, about the chosen topic. Although many orations deal with a current problem and propose a solution this is not the only acceptable form of oratory. The oration may simply alert the audience to a threatening danger, strengthen its devotion to an accepted cause, or eulogize a person. An orator is given free choice of subject and judged solely on the effectiveness of development and presentation.

  

Impromptu: This is usually a consolation event that involves speaking with little or no preparation. A topic is drawn and the speaker has a total of seven minutes to prepare AND give a speech. A student will not be allowed to only compete in this event as it is not a qualifying event.

 

Acting/Interp Events

Dramatic & Humorous Interp: (DI or HI) Students select and memorize a ten minute scene (including in­troduction) that is either dramatic or humorous in nature, depending on the event. Selections shall be cuttings from published-printed novels, short stories, plays, poetry, or any other printed-published materials. This is an individual event, so the contestant portrays all characters in the scene.

 

Duet Acting: (DA) Students select, memorize and perform a 12 minute scene from a play. This scene can be either humorous or dramatic, but only two chairs may be used as props to perform the scene.

 

Duo Interp: (Duo) This event is similar to duet, but the actors do not touch each other and use off stage focus. No chairs may be used. The maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

 

Prose: Prose consists of a seven minute prepared reading from a work of literature. In TFA and NFL Competition a student my choose any appropriate published selection. UIL has two categories of prose that change every three years. Category A: Exploring the Southern Experience Category B: Exploring Prose Fiction. A student prepares a selection from each category and will be required to present the one selected by the tournament officials.

 

Poetry: This event is a seven minute prepared reading of a poem or collection of poems. In TFA and NFL Competition a student my choose any appropriate published selection. Again, there are two categories for UIL. Category A: Exploring Excellence in Poetry (award winning authors) Category B: Exploring Poetry (single poem, collection, or woven - no more than six poems).  A student prepares a selection from each category and will be required to present the one selected by the tournament officials.