Laird Lewis Invitational
2023 — Charlotte, NC/US
Extemporaneous Speaking
Event Description:
Speakers will draw current interest news topics. They will have a choice of three topics in each round. Topics
in each round will, generally, revolve around a theme or topic area. For the 2023 tournament, the themes for
each round will tentatively be as follows:
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Semis:
Finals:
Speakers will be given thirty (30) minutes of total preparation time before presentation before a single judge
and will be asked to leave the preparation room and to proceed to their rounds twenty-five (25) minutes after
drawing their topic. Speakers will be graded not only on speaking qualities, but also on their aptitude for
outlining new ideas and interpretations of current events. They should demonstrate knowledge of contemporary history. The contestant should receive no coaching help in the preparation time before his or her speech. No pre-written speeches or notes will be allowed in the preparation room.
Each speech must be a maximum of seven minutes with a 30-second grace period for going over the time limits. A speaker will be penalized for failing to observe time limits, although individual judges have absolute
discretion on the quantity of the penalty. Judges are REQUIRED to time with an accurate timing device (e.g.,
stop watch function on a smart phone). They are also required to give visual time signals during the speech, if
requested by the speaker