MONTA VISTA SPEECH AND DEBATE
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (IE)
The three categories of individual events are original events, interpretive events and spontaneous
events. Each of the eleven individual events has its own judging criteria. Students compete in two
preliminary rounds. The scores in those rounds determine the fourteen students in each event who
progress to semi-finals. Of those fourteen, seven will compete in the final round. The tournament will
last from 7:30 a.m. to about 9:00 p.m.
STUDENT CONGRESS
Student congress is a mock legislative session patterned after our government's congress. Using the
rules of Parliamentary Law, students debate and vote upon four to six bills and resolutions regarding
national and international problems. From this event, students learn research and analysis skills as well
as extemporaneous and impromptu speaking skills. Further, students become familiar with current
social and political problems and learn the appropriate behavior and rules for formal meetings.
Students are evaluated on their analysis of arguments, use of evidence, speaking skills and use of
parliamentary procedure. Congress competitions are usually held on weekdays, after school, from 3
until about 9:30 p.m.
DEBATE
POLICY DEBATE (POLICY):
The highly structured Oxford-style debate is 2-person team debate in which one team, the affirmative,
supports a resolution and the other, the negative, opposes it, using in-depth research and detailed
factual knowledge. All teams use the national debate topic which is a policy topic: Example: “The
United States Federal Government should substantially reduce poverty in the U.S.”
PUBLIC FORUM (POFO):
This structured debate is a 2-person team debate in which the debaters argue a topic of national
importance, typically one involving foreign or domestic policy, in terms that a “common person”
would understand. Example: “In the US, organized political lobbying does more harm than good.’
PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE (PARLI)):
This structured debate is a 2-person team debate in which the style emphasizes argumentation and
rhetoric, rather than research and detailed factual knowledge importance, Example: “This House
favors gun control.”
LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE (L-D):
Lincoln-Douglas debate, known as "one-man" debate, is often used in political campaigns. There is an
affirmative speaker and a negative speaker. The debate focuses on a reasoned clash over the merit of
the value implied in the resolution. Example: “ A just society ought not use the death penalty as a form
of punishment.”
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS
ORIGINAL EVENTS
MAXIMUM TIME: 10 MINUTES MINIMUM TIME:
NONE
ORIGINAL ORATORY (O.O.): The student will present an original speech. The subjects will vary
considerably; but, regardless of the topic, the student's aim is to arouse, persuade and/or convince. No
notes are allowed.
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ORIGINAL ADVOCACY (O.A.): The student presents an original persuasive speech which clearly
describes a problem and offers a legislative solution which names a specific agency. No notes.
EXPOSITORY (EXPOS): The purpose of this speech is to inform, rather than persuade. These
speeches range from simply giving information to actually demonstrating a process, and include all the
levels in-between. A student is not required to use visual aids, but most speakers who win use them.
ORIGINAL PROSE/POETRY (OPP): The presentations in this event are perhaps the most varied.
The presentations will be the original work of the student and may be plays, stories, poems, essays or a
combination.
INTERPRETIVE EVENTS
MAXIMUM TIME: 10 MINUTES MINIMUM TIME: NONE
DRAMATIC/HUMOROUS INTERPRETATION (H.I./D.I.): The selections will come from
stories, plays, poems or other literary material. The student will convey the author's meaning through
character voice (s), gestures and facial expressions. No notes are allowed.
THEMATIC INTERPRETATION (T.I.): In this event, the student attempts to communicate a
certain theme, such as "war is hell", by using at least three literary selections which illustrate and
develop that theme. A script must be held at all times.
DUO INTERPRETATION (DUO): In this event, two students perform a dramatic or humorous
interpretation. They may not look directly at each other, nor touch, but they may perform multiple
characters.
ORATORICAL INTERPRETATION (O.I.): The selections must be from speeches given in a
public forum by real people. The student is to deliver the speech as it might have been given to fulfill
the purpose of the speech.
SPONTANEOUS EVENTS
EXTEMPORANEOUS (DX/NX): This event is divided into questions about current national and
international issues. Thirty minutes before the student speaks for judges, s/he has drawn three topics.
After selecting one, s/he prepares the speech and delivers it, speaking for no longer than seven minutes.
No notes are allowed. The speaker should give the judge the slip of paper with the topic on it.
(Maximum time: 7 minutes; no minimum time)
IMPROMPTU: In this event, the student actually prepares the speech in the judges' presence. The
topics vary by round from quotations to general current events to abstract words. From the time the
student draws his topic from the judges and announces it, s/he has two minutes to prepare his speech.
No notes are allowed. (Maximum prep time: 2 minutes; maximum speaking time 5 minutes; no
minimum time)
GENERAL RULES
 Students must complete and turn in registration form and fees no later than October 15 of the
current school year.
 Students must attend every practice. Roll will be taken. Students who do not attend practice
will not be allowed to compete.
 Students must meet deadlines and due dates. Students who do not meet deadlines and due dates
will not be allowed to compete.
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
Students must maintain grades of “C” or better in all their classes to be eligible for competition.
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