What
is the Speech and Debate Team?
The team is a member
of the National Forensics League and participates in NFL sponsored
tournaments that include a variety of events such as dramatic
and humorous interpretation, extemporaneous speaking and original
oratory as well as traditional forms of debate. As awards
are earned on an individual tournament basis, students are
encouraged to participate in one, two, or any number of the
ten or more tournaments the school attends each year. Students
must attend the six practices prior to the tournament. Student
participants are welcome but not obligated to attend multiple
tournaments if other activities do not permit. There is no
membership fee although students may be asked to pay up to
$30 for out-of-town, overnight trips. All tournaments take
place on Friday evenings and Saturdays. Back
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How
do I join?
Please
come to one of our meetings after school in room 302 on Tuesdays
and Thursdays. We accept new members throughout the competition
season. Back
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How
long does the season run?
The
team competes at tournaments that run from September to February.
Those students who manage to secure one of the few state spots
for nationals have to opportunity to compete at nationals
in the summer. Unlike most team events, however, there is
no team win-loss record. Individuals are awarded based on
their performances at a given tournament rather than an accumulation
of tournaments. Because of this, students have the option
to commit to one tournament, a few, or all ten over the course
of the season.
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What
are the events like?
The
following are brief overviews of available events:
Duo-Interpretation:
A two-person team memorizes a passage of published
fiction or non-fiction of their own choosing. The takes place
during the week or weeks before the tournament and the same
passage may be used all year long if desired. At the tournament
the memorized passage is delivered within a ten-minute time
limit. This event is a good choice for students who enjoy
acting.
Extemporaneous
Speaking: A student draws three current events topics,
chooses one and has thirty minutes to prepare a speech of
no more than seven minutes. The student may prepare using
periodicals and is often allowed a note card during the speech.
Great if you enjoy talking about current events.
Humorous
and Dramatic Interpretation: These two events are
identical to duo-interpretation except that a single student
delivers the entire passage. Students are placed in either
the humorous or dramatic category depending upon the content
of the passage.
Impromptu
Speaking: A student draws three broad topics, chooses
one and has about two-three minutes to prepare and two-three
minutes to give a speech. This is a great event for students
that are good at making interesting things up "on the
fly". This
is considered a "supplemental" event and is only
open to students who wish to enter more than one event.
Lincoln-Douglas
Debate: A student debates an issue of ethics or values.
An individual must be prepared to debate either side. The
topic changes every other month. As an example of the kind
of debate, the January/February 2004 topic was: "Resolved:
The protection of the environment should take precedence over
economic prosperity." This type of debate appeals to
those seeking to debate using both past and present philosophers.
Original
Oratory: The event is similar to humorous and dramatic
interpretation. The essential difference is that the student
presents a work he or she has written. This is a good choice
for students that enjoy creative writing.
Public
Forum Debate: A two-person team debates an issue
relating to current events. Teams must be prepared to debate
each side. The topic changes each month. As an example of
the kind of debate, the January 2004 topic was: "Resolved:
That the United States is losing the war on terror."
This type of debate is popular with beginners and generally
focuses on current events.
Additional
Information of the Public Forum Debate Format
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Can
I get a Pius letter in Speech and Debate?
Absolutely!
By competing in tournaments you gain points with the National
Forensics League. As you participate in tournaments you earn
various degrees such as the "Degree of Merit", "Degree
of Honor", "Degree of Special Distinction",
etc. Once you achieve the rank of "Distinction"
with the National Forensics League (150 points), St. Pius
X will award you a school letter. It typically takes 5 to
7 tournaments to earn the required number of points.
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