Prepared Commentary

Prepared Commentary

Rules (following NSDA manual, amended for the dates of this tournament):

• Topics: This event is like Extemporaneous Commentary adapted for online events.  A list of topics will be released on the tournament’s Tabroom website on January 10th. 

• Drawing: Competitors will choose one topic from the list to speak on.

• Preparation: Students will prepare a speech by consulting published books, magazines, newspapers, journals, or sources found on the internet. The internet may be used for preparation. There is no time limit on preparation. Preparation time should not be recorded; only the speech itself should be filmed.

• Notes: No notes are allowed during presentation.

• Time: The maximum time limit of a recording is 5 minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” This is a hard limit, and time spent walking to and from the camera count toward the recording time if performed via recording. If there are multiple judges in the round, all must agree that the student has gone beyond the grace period. Should a student go beyond the grace period, the student may not be ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed penalty for going over the grace period. The ranking is up to each individual judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to time are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing devices. No minimum time is mandated.

• Presentation: The commentary must be delivered seated behind a table or desk.

Reminders:

• Asynchronous recordings must be added into Tabroom by Wednesday January 12th @ 7pm mtn.

• Coaches are responsible for checking links and ensuring videos are available. 

Topics: 

1. Year in Review: People We Lost - Betty White

2. Year in Review: People We Lost - Desmond Tutu

3. Year in Review: Challenges - Supply Chain 

4. Year in Review: Challenges - Vaccine Availability 

5. Year in Review: Unexpected - Gamestop & the Stock Market 

6. Year Ahead: People to Watch - Joe Biden

7. Year Ahead: People to Watch - Content Creators

8. Year Ahead: Challenges - School & the Pandemic 

9. Year Ahead: Challenges - Climate Change 

10. Year Ahead: Unexpected - The Midterms