Sams Test Tournament
2021 — Online, WA/US
Novice Original Oratory
Event Description:
Original Oratory (Please note: novices are allowed to use scripts at this tournament)
Orations may deal with a current problem and propose a solution OR they may alert the audience to a threatening danger, strengthen its devotion to an accepted cause, or eulogize a person. Give the orator free choice of subject and judge him/her solely on the effectiveness of its development and presentation. The use of appropriate figures of speech, similes and metaphors, balanced sentences, allusions, and other rhetorical devices should be noted. Delivery should be judged for mastery of the mechanics of speech: poise, quality and use of voice and bodily expressiveness, and for qualities of directness and sincerity.
1. The presentation must be memorized.
2. The speech must be the original work of the speaker. No more than 150 words of quoted and/or paraphrased material may be included in the oration and must be designated in the manuscript. This speech may not have been used in forensic competition by the student prior to the current competitive season.
3. A copy of the oration must be available from the student upon the judge’s request.
4. The time limit for this event is TEN (10) MINUTES, which will include audience reaction time. If the speaker goes over a 30 second grace period the contestant may not be awarded first place in the round. No minimum time limit.