Ripon College Redhawk Invitational
2012 — US
[B] Forensics Crit
Event Description:
Experimental Event: Forensics Criticism
We will be offering Forensics Criticism as an experimental event at this year's Love Fest Swing. These are the official event rules:
Event Rules: Students will deliver a performance, critical in nature, written (prepared) by the student(s). Students will address trends, issues, or shortcomings of forensic competition (considered broadly), with an emphasis on suggesting changes or solutions. Students are encouraged to utilize a variety of forms of support, including, but not limited to, personal experience, surveys, textual analysis of ballots, and/or interviews, in addition to more traditional forms of supporting evidence, including literature from any genre. The time limit is 10 minutes. Audio and/or visual aids are permitted.
Forensics Criticism is an attempt to develop more civic engagement among students with a particular focus on public discourse within the forensics community. Our activity encourages productive critical comments about performances, but there is no real venue in which to voice critical commentary of the activity as a whole. This event will provide students with an opportunity to address “local” issues within a community, providing a forum of advocacy.
Students will develop rhetorical strategies that are sensitive to an audience who may be responsible for the very acts that are being criticized. Students are not only addressing a topic that is akin to local advocacy but indicts the status quo and proposes an alternative. Hopefully it will give students the kind of experiential learning they need to address important civic issues in their home communities.