Extemp/Impromptu Instructions

Extemp Procedures

Important Information

We will be using a separate Zoom room with breakout rooms for Extemp Prep.  The prep rooms WILL NOT be Campus rooms. Extempers will use Campus rooms for competition. All Extempers will proceed to the main prep Zoom room (the link will be made available Friday afternoon (12/11) with the Tabroom Extemp schematic blast. Make sure cell numbers are entered into Tabroom. For Round 1, competitors should report to the main Zoom room by 3:45 once the blast is released. Alma Nicholson, the extemp proctor, will provide reminders about rules and procedures before speakers go to their breakout rooms to start draw at 4:00. 

Breakout rooms are determined by speaking order: Room 1 – Speaker 1, Room 2 – Speaker 2, etc.  Attendance will be taken and announced in the main extemp room. This is when we will make possible speaker order changes starting in Round 2 (for example: if a cross entered speech event is running behind). Attendance will be rechecked in the breakout room. There will be NO speaker order changes for Round 1. Any extemper late to draw will get what prep time remains for their speaker position. Always report to draw first even if you’re double-entered in Pattern A!

How Draw/Prep Will Work

Draw will occur in 10 minute intervals from when Speaker 1 draws. When it is time to draw, the prep room moderator will post three topics for the speakers. After choosing a topic, the speaker will inform the moderator of their selection and begin prep. 

All prep must occur ON CAMERA. At any point during prep, the prep moderator could also ask a competitor to turn on their mic. 

When 30 minutes of prep expires, competitors will be dismissed from their breakout prep rooms; they will then login to Campus and find their competition rooms.

Competitors must stay signed in in their draw room throughout the entirety of draw unless they have been allowed to leave by Alma Nicholson (ex: a speaker is allowed to go speak first in another event and then return to draw – this is highly unlikely since we are keeping rooms to no more than 6 speakers). Individual draw room proctors will only dismiss you to leave when prep time is complete.

Moderators in the breakout rooms will give competitors prep time reminders and let competitors know when they can leave for their competition rooms. Competitors may NOT leave early – If a competitor leaves early, this could result in the tabroom ranking the competitor last, or getting disqualified from the event.

 Other extemp reminders

Computers may be used for research only. Extempers may NOT draft speeches on a computer.

Extempers are not allowed to use notes while speaking. If a judge sees notes while you are speaking, you will be ranked last. If a judge suspects you have notes, they may consider using it their ranking. It is advisable to make sure you do not even give the appearance of speaking with notes. 

 Extemp topic areas:

Rd 1: US Foreign Policy
Rd 2: Coronavirus
Rd 3: Economics
Rd 4: International Hotspots

Impromptu Procedures

Judges will be directly messaged/emailed a link for impromptu topics.  Topics will be grouped on the sheet with three for each speaker.  The judge will share the three topics designated for speaker one with the student via the chat.

If a judge has not received the topics by 5minutes before the round, please contact the helpdesk immediately.

The student will choose and announce their topic and then will begin prep in the NSDA Campus room, with the camera turned on.  Time will be monitored by a judge; however, students are free to time themselves as well.

Each speaker has a total of 7 minutes, which includes Prep Time. 30 seconds of grade period is permitted. Thus, if a speaker uses more than 7 min but less than 7:30, the judge should not assess any penalty due to being over time.