John C Stennis Novice Tournament
2025 — Starkville, MS/US
Extemporaneous Speaking
Event Description:
The tournament director will prepare a list of topics on current foreign and domestic issues. The student will draw three questions and return two before he/she begins his/her preparation period.
· The student will have thirty minutes of time to prepare his/her speech. There is a 30-second grace period. Students who exceed the time limit by more than 30 seconds should not be given first place in a panel.
· The student may use one note card with a maximum of fifty words on it.
· Laptop computers and tablet devices may be used by speakers during prep time, but may not be used to receive information for competitive advantage from non-competitors (coaches, assistant coaches, teammates, other students, etc.) inside or outside of the preparation room.
Criteria for judging:
ANALYSIS & CONTENT: Did the speaker analyze the topic adequately? Did the content show that the speaker has
adequate knowledge of the subject? Was the content relevant to the topic?
INTRODUCTION: Did the speaker get your attention and introduce the subject in an interesting manner? Did the introduction relate to the rest of the speech?
ORGANIZATION: Were the ideas carefully selected and set forth in the speech? Did the speaker preview the main points and develop them in the body of the speech?
SUPPORTING MATERIALS: Did the speaker have adequate support for his/her assertions? Was the evidence pertinent and logically set forth?
STYLE: Did the speaker exhibit command of informal conversational style rather than stilted or formal usage? Was the language communicative rather than “memorized”?
CONCLUSION: Was the conclusion concise? Was it well-motivated? Did it effectively tie the speech together?
ORAL PRESENTATION: Was the speaker’s speech devoid of dialectical errors, mannerisms, etc., that call attention to
themselves rather than communicate the ideas presented? Did the speaker’s bodily action contribute to his/her skill of communication?