Richmond Public Schools Inner District Invitational
2022 — Richmond, VA/US
Extemporaneous Speaking
Event Description:
Purpose of Contest: To encourage students to combine clear thinking, good extempore conversational speaking andinteresting presentation in establishing a definite thought with respect to current fact and opinion on a designated topic aspresented by contemporary sources.
Contest Regulations:
1. Topics for extemporaneous speaking shall be chosen from articles appearing in the issues of nationalnewsmagazines such as Newsweek, Time and U.S. News and World Report or from mainstream newspapers withnational circulations. Topics will be selected from these periodicals, may relate to either domestic or foreign affairsand will be released at least 30 days before each tournament. Questions pertaining to topics are not to be madeknown to the contestants before the event.
2. Contestants shall report to an assigned area where they will, in order, draw three topics each. From these, eachcontestant is to choose one and return the other two. Each contestant shall have 30 minutes to prepare beforehe/she is to speak. Time begins immediately after the three topics are drawn. During preparation period,contestant must not consult with anyone or make use of previously prepared notes. As with impromptu speaking, itis important for coaches running the extemp prep room to be CONSISTENT with each contestant in each round andin each division (Class 1, Class 2, Class 3…). Extemp proctors, please be sure that students do not leave preproom with any prep materials other than their question strip and optional note card.
3. The speech may not exceed seven minutes in length. The timekeeper will indicate time elapsed at the beginning ofthe fourth minute of the speech, show progression of minutes at five, six, 6:30 and at the end of the seventh minuteindicate that time has expired. Any contestant who exceeds the established time limit by more than 30 seconds maynot rank first or score highest in the round. There is no minimum time requirement as long as the topic is adequatelycovered. Visual aids and/or props used while speaking are prohibited.
4. The speaker shall be allowed to use both sides of one note card not exceeding 4” X 6” in size and provided by thetournament.
5. Either before beginning the speech or as part of the introduction, the contestant is to read his topic in the exactwords or phrasing as it appears on the paper he selected.