Tournaments

1. Lincoln Douglas (LD)
   • Individual event – one person vs. another
   • Debate is approximately 45 minutes long / Double flighted (2 groups debate in a round)
   • LD debaters must convince judge that the position on the resolution they uphold is better / more important / more meaningful than the position their opponent upholds.
   • Topics change throughout the year – Current Topic: States ought not possess nuclear weapons.
2. Policy Debate
   • Teams of 2 people compete
   • Debate is approximately 1 ½ hours
   • Topic for the year:  Resolved:  The United States federal government should substantially reduce military and/or police presence in one or more of the following countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, South Korea, Japan, and Turkey.
3. Parliamentary Debate
   • Teams of 2 people compete
   • Debate is approximately 1 hour
   • The topic for the debate changes each round and is given to the teams 20 minutes before the beginning of the round.
   • The debate stimulates debate in a House of Parliament and stresses rigorous argumentation, logical analysis, quick thinking and breadth of knowledge over the preparation of evidence.
   • The round is judged based on whether the affirmative team proved their case or if the opposition team effectively undermined the affirmative team’s case.
4. Public Forum Debate
   • Teams of 2 people compete
   • Debate is approximately 35 minutes / Double flighted
   • The topic for the debate changes monthly.
   • Current Topic: Resolved: Allowing deep water offshore oil drilling is in the best interest of the United States.
   • The affirmative should prove that the resolution is true while the opposition is trying to prove the resolution is false.
5. Student Congress
   • Student Congress is modeled after the procedure of floor debate in a legislature.
   • Debate lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
   • Approximately 7 to 14 students participate and are ranked on their performance during the round

Types of Speeches

1. Original Oratory (OO) and Original Advocacy (OA)
   • In original oratory, students present an original speech about an issue or current event.
   • In original advocacy, students present an original persuasive speech that identifies a problem and offers a clear, concise, legislative solution.
2. Expository Speaking (Expos)
   • The purpose of the speech is to inform rather than persuade.  The speech describes, clarifies, illustrates or defines an object, idea, concept or process.
   • Visual/auditory aids are not required but are encouraged.
3. Original Prose / Poetry (OPP)
   • The presentations are the original work of the students and may be plays, stories, poems, essays or any combination thereof.
4. Dramatic Interpretation (DI) and Humorous Interpretation (HI)
   • The selections come from stories, plays, poems or other literary material.  The student will convey the author’s meaning through character voice(s), gestures and facial expressions.
   • Dramatic presentations will overall be dramatic but may contain lighter, more humorous moments.
   • Humorous presentations will overall be humorous but may contain more serious moments.
5. Thematic Interpretation (TI)
   • The student attempts to communicate a certain theme, such as “war is hell”, by using at least three literary selections that illustrate and develop that theme.
6. Duo Interpretation
   • Two students interpret a single selection taken from a short story, a novel, a play, a poem or other literary material.
7. Oratorical Interpretation
   • Students present a speech that was previously delivered in a public forum.  The student’s aim is to convey the message intended by the original speaker.
8. Extemporaneous Speaking
   • Students receive 3 topics 30 minutes prior to speaking.   They select one of the topics that concerns either national or international issues.  Students prepare and deliver a speech no longer than 7 minutes.
9. Impromptu Speaking
   • Students draw a topic for a speech and have 2 minutes to prepare a speech no longer than 5 minutes.