Hammond Central League Tournament

2010 — NY/US

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Junior Varsity Extemporaneous Speaking

Event Description:

Criteria for judging: Topicality: The speaker should state and answer the question accurately. The speech should be organized so that all content contained therein is relevant to the question’s answer. The speaker should be held accountable to the strict adherence to the precise statement of the topic selected and should be penalized for any obvious shifting to a different topic. Speakers must not be penalized for expressing views with which the judge happens to disagree. Structure: The introduction should gain attention, lead to the question, provide an answer to the question,and/or justify the importance of the topic, and give some direction as to how the speech will unfold or develop. The body should be organized to best answer the question. Transitional words/devices should help to move the speech from point to point. The conclusion should restate the question and answer, succinctly summarize the speech’s main points highlighting how they led to the question’s answer, and end interestingly. Content: This presentation should be an original speech developing the issue(s) raised by the selected topic. It should be a synthesis of current facts and opinions on the subject, not a mere listing of current data. The information presented in the speech should be accurate and timely. Sources consulted by the speaker during the preparation time should be cited effectively in the speech. These sources should be varied and credible. The speaker should make clear and reasonable use of the research, and provide explanation of the issues that is easy to follow. Language: The word choice should be clear and precise, interesting and easy to understand. If employed, creative devices, analogies, metaphors, alliteration, word plays, and the like should be effectively used and advance the purpose of the speech. Vocal Delivery: The speaker should be audible, articulate and fluent. The speaker should make use of contrast, making use of the elements of vocal variety: pitch, volume, rate, pausing, phrasing, stress, tone. The speaker should stress words to enhance meaning. The speaker should be conversational and concerned, passionate and pleasing. The speaker should be in control of the words and the emotions. The speaker should sound confident throughout the presentation. Physical Delivery: The speaker should vary facial expression to accentuate the natural flow of thoughts and feelings. The speaker’s eyes should show thinking and feeling. The speaker should make eye contact with the audience. The speaker’s stance should be erect and controlled, without distracting movements. Movement, if used, should be motivated by transitions in thought or mood. Gestures should be visible, effectively used for emphasis, and varied. 1) The speech should be an original synthesis by the contestant of the current fact and opinion on the designated topic as presented by numerous sources. 2) The contestant should be held accountable for strict adherence to the precise statement of the topic selected and should be penalized for any obvious shifting to a quite different topic. 3) Information presented should be well-chosen, pertinent, and sufficient to support the central thought of the topic. 4) The speaker is permitted a personal opinion or interpretation of the subject. 5) Material should be organized according to some logical plan to produce a complete speech within the time allowed. The speech must be extemporaneous and delivered without notes. 6) Speakers shall be allowed to bring to the preparation room the following printed materials and only these: magazines, newspapers, dictionaries, thesaurus, reference indexes, newspaper and/or magazine clippings - files organized under general headings, almanacs and appropriate reference books, books and/or pamphlets. Speakers may bring a laptop, but they are not permitted to access the internet or a power source while in use in the prep room. 7) All material brought into the preparation room by speakers will be subject at any time to scrutiny of the Tournament Committee and staff responsible for this event. 8) Speakers may share reference materials; however, any collaboration on speech preparation is forbidden. 9) When the speaker's code number is called, s/he draws 3 questions from among those prepared for the specific round. After consideration, the speaker returns 2 and gives the Director of the event the number of the question s/he has chosen to answer. The Director notes the topic and time, and the contestant begins to prepare the speech. The speaker should remain in the preparation room until sent to the competition room by the Director of the event. 10) Speakers will have thirty (30) minutes of preparation time. Upon instruction by the Director of the event, speakers must surrender all preparation materials except the drawn question. 11) Time limits: Maximum - 7 minutes. If the speaker goes over a 30 second grace period, that contestant may not be awarded first place. No minimum time.