Extemp Topic Rotation

Extemp Topic Areas

Prelims: All about Infrastructure

Semis: All about Natural/Human Rights

Finals: All about Elections

*novice topics will be across the same areas, but questions will feature fewer actors and will be a mix of DX and IX.

Topic Area Context

Domestic

Prelims: This round will feature an array of questions that pertain to the supportive infrastructure in the United States. As cities are recovering from natural disasters all over the country, thoughts about energy production, supportive infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.), and how communities have been impacted by the lack of effective infrastructure programs all become tantamount.

Semis: Human rights are always debated within the U.S. Think creatively about the lives impacted and bring their narratives to life and humanize their experience. This round will feature questions that delve into Natural/Human Rights (race, class, gender, LGBTQ+) issues and the way in which the media, public, and system at large address/interact with these topics and people. These questions are about people, not people seen just as statistics.

Finals: The United States is in an election year for presidents, yes, but there is more than the presidential race underway. These questions will address elections on the state and national level where areas of election integrity, public appeal/will, and candidate policies.

International

Prelims: The world has largely been developed upon colonization, and its effects are still throughout the world today on every continent. This round will encourage students to address infrastructure as a tool of influence. Roads are physical infrastructures, but the funding, areas of development, and international/domestic relations that lead up to the development of infrastructure are just as important as the material product.

Semis: No, this round is not going to be about the United Nations only. Natural/Human Rights internationally are always in limbo. Issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality are marginalized when Genocide, War, Natural Disasters, etc., are experienced. This round will feature an array of questions that identify areas of Natural/Human Rights experienced in a time of catastrophe. Things such as aid (financial or material) and international relations will be important factors to understand. Just because a catastrophe is being experienced, it doesn’t mean those experiences can ignore the social world around them.

Finals: Elections are a messy situation, especially when looking at the international level. This topic area will be exploring elections in Eastern Europe, Africa, and South America. Being aware of how political parties align and what voting looks like for the public is not always easy to explain. Take this round as way to show some extemp swagger and your ability to understand foreign politics on a personal level.