Oprah
Brad Pitt
Adam Sandler
Mellessa Gay
Denny
What do these
people have in
common?!?!?
One thing, and one
thing only…
The benefits of speech are
innumerable…
Speech offers an outlet to conquer your
fears of public speaking.
 All of those years of pent up frustration
now have a space to roam free.
 Trophies!! *shiny*
 The pleasure of meeting people from all
over the state.
 The fulfillment of proving others wrong
time and time again.

Trophies!!
 Learning to argue effectively in any
situation, against ALL. (Unlike martial
arts, we allow you to use your skills
outside the arena.)
 Become certified in pulling persuasive,
and winning, arguments out of
nowhere…quickly.
 Missing school to travel to uncharted lands
(i.e. Lubbock, Hereford)

Become a family with your team members
 Bus rides on fancy charter buses
 Trophies!!
 Learn to lie more easily than you tell the
truth.
 Become informed on the realities of the
world around you.
 Did we mention winning trophies?

Worried that Debate isn’t for You?
We have something for
everyone…
Debating,
Persuasive Speaking,
Acting,
And everything in between…
Debate
For you argumentative* types…
*First off, let us say that there is nothing
wrong with this, and those who tell you
otherwise…are wrong. And with debate,
you can tell them why.
Lincoln-Douglass Debate- One on one debate
with a focus on morals and ethics.
 Example: Is socialism more just than
capitalism?
 Cross-Examination Debate- Partner debate
focusing on plans to make the world a better
place, emphasizing facts.
 Example: How should the government
increase aid to Africa?
 Public Forum- Relaxed partner debate with a
focus on persuasion through logic.
 Example: Should pilots be allowed to carry
handguns in the cockpit?

Persuasive Speaking
For those of you that want to
express your opinions, but don’t
really care what others think*.
*This doesn’t make you a bad person, it
makes you smart- you don’t have to debate
to prove that you are right.

Original Oratory- A 10 minute memorized
speech that you wrote on your soap box
issues.
 Example: Why pantyhose should be
outlawed or why affirmative action is a
joke.

Impromptu- An on the spot speech over a
quote that you are given.
 Example: “The early bird catches the
worm.”

Extemporaneous Speaking- (Don’t fear the
big words, in speech, we abbreviate
everything). Domestic (DX)- A 7 minute
speech over current events in the US.
Foreign (FX)- A 7 minute speech over
current events world wide. Each speech is
given 30 minutes of prep time to choose
your topic, research the topic, write your
speech, and memorize it.
Example (DX)- Is Obamacare going to fail?
 Example (FX)- Is Russia a corrupt nation?

Acting (Interpretation)
For those of you that want to act but are too
cool* for theater.
*Not that theater kids aren’t okay…but they
just aren’t quite as polished (talented) as
us speech kids.
Humorous Interpretation (HI)- A 10
minute memorized piece intended to make
your audience cry with laughter. The piece
can be taken from a book, play, or
monologue.
 Dramatic Interpretation (DI)- A 10 minute
memorized piece intended to make your
audience just…cry. The piece can be taken
from a book, play, or monologue.


Duet Acting- A partner event (hence duet)
in which each actor memorizes his or her
parts from a selection of a play or book to
produce a 12 minute scene (chairs are the
only props allowed)
 Duo Interpretation- The same thing as
duet acting, except your time limit is
instead 10 minutes, there are no chairs
allowed, and you and your partner may
not look at or touch one another
Prose- A 7 minute story cut from a
published book, does not have to be
memorized
 Poetry- A 7 minute composite of poems
from one author, put together in order to
tell a story and convey a message- does not
have to be memorized

*All acting events must have an introduction
to give a background to your story and give
credit to your author.
Everything in Between
For those of you that are difficult* to please
and are looking for something more.
*There is nothing wrong with being difficult.
It just means that you know what you want
and will not settle for anything less. In
speech, we know how to satisfy those
wants.
Congressional Debate- A collection of 20+
students placed in a room with preset mock
legislation. Each congressperson is given 3
minutes per speech plus 1 minute of questioning
from his/her peers. The legislation is given to
each student before the tournament allowing
them time to prepare their speeches.
 Mock Trial- Exactly what it sounds like,
pretending to be lawyers and witnesses. Mock
trial incorporates acting, debating, and public
speaking into one event. This belongs to its own
association and therefore is a tournament by
itself. MT requires the teamwork of 7-14
students and their coach and attorney advisor.

Why We’re Legit
Yes, that’s right, we aren’t just some free
for all hippies talking under redwoods
about bra burning— we have order. The
organizations we belong to each provide us
with tournaments and rules that vary
between the different groups. These
organizations legitimize what we do.

NFL- No, not the
National Football League.
NFL stands for National
Forensics League, which
has nothing to do with
CSI. For each speech you
give, the NFL will give
you points, and with
those points, you obtain
STICKERS! Each year,
the NFL hosts a national
tournament that students
compete tooth and nail in
order to represent their
school at this
tournament.

UIL- The University
Interscholastic League.
Despite what you may
have believed, UIL isn’t
just about sports. Each
year they host a district,
regional, and state
tournament. Qualifying
for district sends you to
regionals which will send
you to state if you excel.
Also, when you do well
they give you patches for
your letterman jacket.
WOO HOO!

TFA- Texas Forensics
Association (there’s that
misleading “forensics”
word again). The
majority of our
tournaments follow TFA
guidelines. At the end of
the day, if you place in
finals, TFA will award
you points for each
event. After earning 10
points, you qualify for
their state tournament.

FYI
To be fair, we should probably tell you about
the way a tournament runs.

All competitors dress professionally (suits, tiesguys, pantyhose-girls). However, we tend to look
better than they do. We can’t help it when God
gave us such good looks.
Many of our tournaments happen over two
days and usually out of town. As much as
it pains us, this means that Fridays usually
involve bus rides with people we enjoy
talking to instead of… school.  Oh well,
after we get over that heart break, we suck
it up because the tournament must go on.
Our Team
Each team has its own quirks and
traditions that make us great. Aside from
winning, our philosophy is that talent is
just talent, but work and integrity are
essential. With those two qualities, anyone
can find success in forensics. Therefore,
EVERYONE can and should maximize his
or her potential in forensics activities. The
fun of being on our team keeps us coming
back each year.
Remember Those People From the
Beginning?

They were all members of speech & debate
in high school and now have millions of
dollars.
 With Speech and Debate you too could
have success.
With all of That Having been Said…
Speech is easy to join and easy to quit, if that’s
what you choose to do. There are no losses in
giving us a try and finding an event that appeals
to your talents and interests.
SO TALK TO YOUR
COUNSELOR TODAY!