NYSFL State Championship Tournament

2018 — NY/US

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Original Oratory

Event Description:

Original Oratory: Each original oration has been written by the speaker presenting it, so judges should evaluate the speaker's thought, composition and presentation. However, since this is a contest in speech rather than in essay writing, the judge's emphasis should be placed primarily on the way these elements are employed to deliver an effective speech. Although many orations address current problems and propose solutions, the judge is reminded that this is not the only acceptable form of oratory. The oration may simply alert the audience to a threatening danger, strengthen its devotion to an accepted cause, or eulogize a person, to name just a few alternative themes. The orator is given free choice of subject, and is to be judged solely on the effectiveness of its development and presentation, regardless of whether the judge agrees or disagrees with the orator's point of view. Speakers should be evaluated on poise, vocal quality and use, bodily expressiveness, and for the qualities of directness and sincerity which impress the oration upon the mind of the audience.

Judges: (1) Points should be given on a 100 point basis. Please award a minimum of 75 (2) The speaker with the highest point total should be given the rank of 1 (3) No two speakers may be given the same rank (4) Time limit: maximum of ten (10) minutes with no minimum. There is a mandatory thirty (30) second grace period, during which time no penalty may be assessed. Speakers who exceed this grace period may not be ranked first in the round (5) Speech must be presented from memory. No scripts, notes, or visual aids are permitted (6) No more than 150 words may be quoted from another source or sources.