Mount St Mary Academy Forensics Festival
2025 — Little Rock, AR/US
HS Informative Speaking
Event Description:
CRITERIA: If a rule is broken, judge should lower performer one ranking and rating.
In Informative Speaking (INF), competitors craft a speech using evidence, logic, and optional visual aids. All topics must be informative in nature; the goal is to educate, not to advocate. The speech is delivered from memory.
*Speech should be well researched and organized with evidence, logic, emotional appeals, and humor (where appropriate) to convey a message .
*A visual aid may be used but is not reguired .
*The speech is to be delivered from memory. Scripts may not be used; use of scripts is against NSDA-event rules adopted by ACTAA per the Qualifying Document.
*Time limit,inclusive of introduction, is 10 minutes with a 30 second grace period. (If the performer goes beyond the 30 second grace period, the performer may not be ranked first.) There is no time minimum.
Note: It is the expectation that performances are the artistic creation of the performer(s). It is plagiarism to copy a performance in detail from a video online. If there is suspicion ofplagiarism, please be prepared to cite the source that was copied and consult with the tournament director. The tournament director will then consult with the coach of theperformer(s) concerning consequences, which may result in their disqualification from the tournament.
COMMENTS:
Introduction: Did it capture your attention?Did it establish background information?
Organization: Were the points clear and concise?Did it follow a logical order? Was the language clear and concise?
Topic Selection: Was it timely and worthwhile? Did the speaker understand the issues the topic deals with?
Conclusion: Did the speaker conclude the speech effectively?Were all points revisited and summed up?
Overall Impression: Did the speech inform, explain, define, describe, or illustrate a particular subject to you?