the main events
LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE (LD)
Individual students argue issues concerning morality and values, such as liberty, justices, the public good, and equality. The event is named for the 1858 debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in their race for a U. S. Senate seat. The issues at the time were slavery and the rights of states to local control. Topics, or resolutions, change every two months. Students must prepare to argue both sides and expected to be persuasive in delivery. Competitors rely on ethical and philosophical analysis, grappling with such questions as: How do you determine what is “good” for society? What civic duties do people have? What human rights should the government protect? While this event is challenging, students tend to experience success earlier with LD than they do with CX (see below). Rounds last 40 minutes. Tournaments usually hold four to five preliminary rounds, octofinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. (Example resolutions: The United States has a moral obligation to mitigate international conflicts; Terminally ill patients have the right to die how they choose; Obedience to the law ought to take precedence over obedience to conscience.)
CROSS-EXAMINATION DEBATE (CX)
Students pair up with a partner to compete against other teams of two, arguing issues that concern government policies, such as social security, health care, immigration, etc. The affirmative team presents a plan to implement what they argue would be a beneficial change to society based on the given resolution. The negative attempts to uphold the status quo or offers a counterplan while explaining the disadvantages of the affirmative’s program. Competitors rely on hard facts and current evidence to create viable solutions to modern problems. Because an inordinate amount of research is required, students often speak rapidly (or “spread”) to maximize the amount of information they can fit into the time limit for their speeches. Rounds last about one hour and fifteen minutes. Students debate the same topic area the entire year but may wish to write and must be prepared to address a variety of plans. Tournaments usually hold four to five preliminary rounds, octofinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.
PUBLIC FORUM (PF)
Students pair up with a partner to compete against other teams of two, arguing issues that concern current national issues, such as social security, health care, immigration, etc. The Pro and Con teams presents arguments for each side of the resolution that last a month. To find out the resolution go to nflonline.org. Rounds last about 40 minutes. This type of debate is designed to have absolutely anyone judge and debaters need to adapt to their audience and adjust their arguments accordingly. Debaters work on their speaking skills and need to dress professional to create a good impression. Tournaments usually hold four to five preliminary rounds, octofinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.
EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING (USX & FX)
Individual speakers randomly draw three current-event questions from an envelope and choose one upon which to speak. Competitors receive 30 minutes to prepare a 7-minute speech that answers the questions any way they wish. No notes are used while speaking. During preparation time, speakers may use files of news articles compiled prior to competition. Speakers cite evidence from these sources to support their position. Extemp is usually divided into “domestic” and “foreign” categories. Tournaments typically hold two preliminary rounds, semifinals, and finals. (Sample questions: What role should the United States play in rebuilding Iraq? Who is the most viable Democratic candidate for the upcoming presidential election? What can be done to help the U. S. economy recover?)
ORIGINAL ORATORY (OO)
Students write a 10-minute original, persuasive speech and present in from memory – no notes. The topic is of the student’s choosing, but most tend to be motivational or inspirational in theme. It is acceptable to present a social problem and offer a solution that preferably involves some sort of audience action. Some quoted sources should be included, but there is a limit on outside material. Students may use the same speech for one school year and should expect to revise it multiple times. The best competitors combine creative writing with a dynamic delivery that they use to “work a crowd.” Speakers are “trying to convince an audience to do something differently, like work harder, be more honest, get more involved in community issues or in the family, etc.” Tournaments usually hold two preliminary rounds, semifinals, and finals. Some topics prepared by Austin High students in the past include: Why we should value fathers more in our society; Why people should accept themselves for who they are and worry less about outside appearances; Why people should need to learn to listen better and talk less. Oratory is offered at all TFA and NFL competitions, but is not offered at UIL tournaments. (Description from http://speech.ihigh.com.)
INTERPRETATION OF LITERATURE (HI, DI, PO, PR, DUET)
Students are welcome to compete in these events at tournaments but may not focus on these events for their class grade. These events must be prepared for outside of class. Several events are included in this category: humorous interpretation, dramatic interpretation, poetry interpretation, prose interpretation, and duet acting. Exact time limits and other rules vary according to the event and the competition. In general, each event involves presenting a selection 7-12 minutes in length from an appropriate piece of published literature, such as a novel, short story, or play. The performance is done without the use of costumes or props (except for two chairs allowed in duet acting only). Manuscripts are required in prose and poetry events, in which the competitor does a theatrical reading that brings to life characters and emotions through vocal techniques and limited movement. No manuscripts may be used in HI and DI. These are memorized performances that portray the tone of a piece through the use of the voice and bodily expression. In all interp events, one student may portray multiple characters – think Eddie Murphy in “The Nutty Professor” movies. Monologues, however, are acceptable. Tournaments usually hold two preliminary rounds, semifinals, and finals in all interp events. Students can qualify to TFA State and NFL Nationals in HI, DI, and Duet. Students can qualify to UIL State in prose and poetry.
IMPROMPTU SPEAKING
This event does not meet course competition requirements. Students may enter this event for fun when it is offered but not for their grade. Rules vary according to tournament, but typically individual speakers randomly draw three topics from an envelope, choose one, spend about one minute preparing, and then deliver a speech about 5 minutes in length with no notes. Humor and creativity are encouraged. Students are encouraged to used their knowledge of current events, trivia, history, and pop culture in planning their speeches. This event helps students strengthen their ability to think and speak on their feet. This event is not offered often but is always available at the UT-Austin tournament. Topics include famous names, historical events, quotes, proverbs, objects, and abstract concepts (such as isolation, respect, opportunity, hope, etc.)
Individual students argue issues concerning morality and values, such as liberty, justices, the public good, and equality. The event is named for the 1858 debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in their race for a U. S. Senate seat. The issues at the time were slavery and the rights of states to local control. Topics, or resolutions, change every two months. Students must prepare to argue both sides and expected to be persuasive in delivery. Competitors rely on ethical and philosophical analysis, grappling with such questions as: How do you determine what is “good” for society? What civic duties do people have? What human rights should the government protect? While this event is challenging, students tend to experience success earlier with LD than they do with CX (see below). Rounds last 40 minutes. Tournaments usually hold four to five preliminary rounds, octofinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. (Example resolutions: The United States has a moral obligation to mitigate international conflicts; Terminally ill patients have the right to die how they choose; Obedience to the law ought to take precedence over obedience to conscience.)
CROSS-EXAMINATION DEBATE (CX)
Students pair up with a partner to compete against other teams of two, arguing issues that concern government policies, such as social security, health care, immigration, etc. The affirmative team presents a plan to implement what they argue would be a beneficial change to society based on the given resolution. The negative attempts to uphold the status quo or offers a counterplan while explaining the disadvantages of the affirmative’s program. Competitors rely on hard facts and current evidence to create viable solutions to modern problems. Because an inordinate amount of research is required, students often speak rapidly (or “spread”) to maximize the amount of information they can fit into the time limit for their speeches. Rounds last about one hour and fifteen minutes. Students debate the same topic area the entire year but may wish to write and must be prepared to address a variety of plans. Tournaments usually hold four to five preliminary rounds, octofinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.
PUBLIC FORUM (PF)
Students pair up with a partner to compete against other teams of two, arguing issues that concern current national issues, such as social security, health care, immigration, etc. The Pro and Con teams presents arguments for each side of the resolution that last a month. To find out the resolution go to nflonline.org. Rounds last about 40 minutes. This type of debate is designed to have absolutely anyone judge and debaters need to adapt to their audience and adjust their arguments accordingly. Debaters work on their speaking skills and need to dress professional to create a good impression. Tournaments usually hold four to five preliminary rounds, octofinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.
EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING (USX & FX)
Individual speakers randomly draw three current-event questions from an envelope and choose one upon which to speak. Competitors receive 30 minutes to prepare a 7-minute speech that answers the questions any way they wish. No notes are used while speaking. During preparation time, speakers may use files of news articles compiled prior to competition. Speakers cite evidence from these sources to support their position. Extemp is usually divided into “domestic” and “foreign” categories. Tournaments typically hold two preliminary rounds, semifinals, and finals. (Sample questions: What role should the United States play in rebuilding Iraq? Who is the most viable Democratic candidate for the upcoming presidential election? What can be done to help the U. S. economy recover?)
ORIGINAL ORATORY (OO)
Students write a 10-minute original, persuasive speech and present in from memory – no notes. The topic is of the student’s choosing, but most tend to be motivational or inspirational in theme. It is acceptable to present a social problem and offer a solution that preferably involves some sort of audience action. Some quoted sources should be included, but there is a limit on outside material. Students may use the same speech for one school year and should expect to revise it multiple times. The best competitors combine creative writing with a dynamic delivery that they use to “work a crowd.” Speakers are “trying to convince an audience to do something differently, like work harder, be more honest, get more involved in community issues or in the family, etc.” Tournaments usually hold two preliminary rounds, semifinals, and finals. Some topics prepared by Austin High students in the past include: Why we should value fathers more in our society; Why people should accept themselves for who they are and worry less about outside appearances; Why people should need to learn to listen better and talk less. Oratory is offered at all TFA and NFL competitions, but is not offered at UIL tournaments. (Description from http://speech.ihigh.com.)
INTERPRETATION OF LITERATURE (HI, DI, PO, PR, DUET)
Students are welcome to compete in these events at tournaments but may not focus on these events for their class grade. These events must be prepared for outside of class. Several events are included in this category: humorous interpretation, dramatic interpretation, poetry interpretation, prose interpretation, and duet acting. Exact time limits and other rules vary according to the event and the competition. In general, each event involves presenting a selection 7-12 minutes in length from an appropriate piece of published literature, such as a novel, short story, or play. The performance is done without the use of costumes or props (except for two chairs allowed in duet acting only). Manuscripts are required in prose and poetry events, in which the competitor does a theatrical reading that brings to life characters and emotions through vocal techniques and limited movement. No manuscripts may be used in HI and DI. These are memorized performances that portray the tone of a piece through the use of the voice and bodily expression. In all interp events, one student may portray multiple characters – think Eddie Murphy in “The Nutty Professor” movies. Monologues, however, are acceptable. Tournaments usually hold two preliminary rounds, semifinals, and finals in all interp events. Students can qualify to TFA State and NFL Nationals in HI, DI, and Duet. Students can qualify to UIL State in prose and poetry.
IMPROMPTU SPEAKING
This event does not meet course competition requirements. Students may enter this event for fun when it is offered but not for their grade. Rules vary according to tournament, but typically individual speakers randomly draw three topics from an envelope, choose one, spend about one minute preparing, and then deliver a speech about 5 minutes in length with no notes. Humor and creativity are encouraged. Students are encouraged to used their knowledge of current events, trivia, history, and pop culture in planning their speeches. This event helps students strengthen their ability to think and speak on their feet. This event is not offered often but is always available at the UT-Austin tournament. Topics include famous names, historical events, quotes, proverbs, objects, and abstract concepts (such as isolation, respect, opportunity, hope, etc.)