Interp Events:

My rankings are usually based on who is able to create the most believable characters and moments. There should be multiple levels within your piece and in the portrayal of your characters ~ not everything should be intense, or fast/slow, or super loud or quiet.

Everything you do in your performance should have a purpose. If you give a character an accent, be consistent with that accent. Make sure that each movement, mannerism, or gesture makes sense within the scope of the story you are telling. Additionally, I should be able to easily differentiate between multiple characters. Facial expressions, moments, and character development are very important for the overall performance.

Speaking Events

A clear structure is important: your delivery should be cohesive, and flow logically from point to point. A natural delivery style that allows for your personality to shine is preferable to the “Platform Speaker”. Put simply: avoid speech patterns.

Extemp: The most important thing is that you answer the question! A polished speaking style is important, but I will often default to a speaker that has stronger analysis and evidence over a pretty speech with fluffy content. Do not rely on canned introductions - creativity is important when trying to engage me.

Oratory/Informative: Your attention getter, vehicle, and conclusion should be creative, but they also need to fit well with the topic. Again, I will default to stronger analysis/evidence over fluffy content.

Interp Events:

My rankings are usually based on who is able to create the most believable characters and moments. There should be multiple levels within your piece and in the portrayal of your characters ~ not everything should be intense, or fast/slow, or super loud or quiet.

Everything you do in your performance should have a purpose. If you give a character an accent, be consistent with that accent. Make sure that each movement, mannerism, or gesture makes sense within the scope of the story you are telling. Additionally, I should be able to easily differentiate between multiple characters. Facial expressions, moments, and character development are very important for the overall performance.

Speaking Events

A clear structure is important: your delivery should be cohesive, and flow logically from point to point. A natural delivery style that allows for your personality to shine is preferable to the “Platform Speaker”. Put simply: avoid speech patterns.

Extemp: The most important thing is that you answer the question! A polished speaking style is important, but I will often default to a speaker that has stronger analysis and evidence over a pretty speech with fluffy content. Do not rely on canned introductions - creativity is important when trying to engage me.

Oratory/Informative: Your attention getter, vehicle, and conclusion should be creative, but they also need to fit well with the topic. Again, I will default to stronger analysis/evidence over fluffy content.

Hi there!

My name is Kai, I graduated from PSJA North HS in 2019, but now I am at THE University of Texas at Austin.

I am on the Texas Speech team and I am so excited to continue speech in College. In high school, I was the 2019 TFA State champion in DI, I made out rounds in DI and DUET at NIETOC in 2018 and 2019. I had also competed in UIL in Extemporaneous speaking, and Prose and Poetry with a state final in prose at the 2019 UIL State Meet. I was also a Poetry finalist at the NSDA 2019 National tournament in Dallas, and I also had an outround in DI and PRO as well.

In College however, I was the National Champion in Dramatic interpretation at the 2021 NSC Tournament, Made multiple outrounds at the AFA & NFA National tournaments in DI, POI, PRO, DUO and POE with an AFA final in Poetry in 2021, AFA Final in DUO in 2022, NFA Final in DUO and POI in 2022 and a 11th place finish in the NFA pentathlon in 2021. I enter my 4th year on the team and I'm so excited to share my knowledge and skill sets with you all.

For interpretation events, I obviously love a good dramatic story but lets not get to over dramatic with the script. BLOCKING IS IMPORTANT, you can accomplish so much with such little blocking. I believe in subtle blocking and its impact on the performance. I live by less is more, unless the scrip/program calls for that dramatic blocking then by all means RUN WITH IT!

But I am a sucker for those dramatic moments with just you and your audience, above all this performance should feel like a conversation with your audience; You shouldn't have to compromise the story for overdramatic blocking/acting unless the script calls for it!

I will forgive little stumbles because I know how tough the nerves can get (I see you, I understand) but lets try to be prepared!

In my opinion the introduction will make or break your overall argument! If you can create an argument that will:

1) Draw me in further into your performance,

2) Make me question your argument (or left wanting more)

&/or 3) brings in new insights/ideas/questions

then you have my vote!

sell me your story, and I will buy it!

Hello!

My name is Valeria Najera. I graduated from Lebanon Trail High School in Frisco, Texas. I am a former high school speech competitor, and currently a collegiate speech performer at The University of Texas at Austin. There I frequently compete in Interp and Public Address. I have been a competitor for 5 years and I love helping other students. This far into the year I have qualified Poetry, Dramatic Interpretation, and Communication Analysis for the national competition.

When I judge interpretation events, I look for emotional levels. It is very important to me that I see each character presented go on an emotional journey. Every character should be different from where they started. I think it is extremely important that as a judge I can tell that students have made an emotional connection to the characters they perform. I also find introductions to be important to the overall rank of the piece. I want to see a relevant and well-thought out argument. In addition, I love when performers take risks.

For Public Address I want to see a professional speech, but at the same time, I want to see you having fun! I personally loving seeing PA events where I can see performers personality shine through.

Overall, I look less for small mistakes like a stumble or an awkward page turn, but instead I look for bigger picture moments that influence the overall feeling of a piece.

I think that public forum is, at its core, the melding of sound argumentation and solid speaking. You should present not only well-structured, rational, strongly warranted arguments, but you should also do so in a way that can be relatable to whomever is in the back of the round.

That being said, I don't mind some speed - but be sure you are articulate and clear, especially with tags and authors. Sacrificing quality for quantity is a poor choice if you cannot handle (or your judge cannot handle) the speed. Make wise choices.

In terms of 'atypical' arguments. I think that it is very hard to run a K argument well in PF. I don't believe that it cannot be done, just that it is very rare. If you are running theory, then you better have extremely solid warrants and you should have it explained to the level of access of understanding fitting to this style of debate. DO NOT just read cards that you got from your Policy friends/teammates and call it a day. ALSO...YOUR ADVOCACY SHOULD MATCH YOUR ACTIONS. Do NOT use theory arguments as a cheap tool to surprise unwitting opponents and get the ballot when you have engaged in no actions that match the advocacy of your theory arguments. If you are running disclosure theory, there better be a history of you disclosing at EVERY round and you engaged in multiple forums, workshops, discussion boards where you are ACTIVELY engaged in increasing disclosure in a way that promotes education and fairness. If you get up and read disclosure in front of me and do not have this, it will be an automatic loss. I am not joking.

I think that framework is a solid strategy - if there is a purpose. Frequently teams have f/w just to have it and then don't touch it for the rest of the round. If it is there, then you should extend.

On the issue of extensions, be sure that your arguments are carried through the debate. Do not read at the beginning and then bring back up in the final focus and expect me to grant them to you.

Finally, there should be a clear advocacy in the round - and a clash between teams. I hate debates that are like ships passing in the night - no clash.