Oprah Brad Pitt Adam Sandler Mellessa Gay Denny

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. l All of those years of pent up frustration now have a space to roam free. l Trophies!! *shiny* l The pleasure of meeting people from all over the state. l The fulfillment of proving others wrong time and time again. l

Trophies!! l Learning to argue effectively in any situation, against ALL. (Unlike martial arts, we allow you to use your skills outside the arena. ) l Become certified in pulling persuasive, and winning, arguments out of nowhere…quickly. l Missing school to travel to uncharted lands (i. e. Lubbock, Hereford) l

Become a family with your team members l Bus rides on fancy charter buses l Trophies!! l Learn to lie more easily than you tell the truth. l Become informed on the realities of the world around you. l Did we mention winning trophies? l

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. l Example: Is socialism more just than capitalism? l Cross-Examination Debate- Partner debate focusing on plans to make the world a better place, emphasizing facts. l Example: How should the government increase aid to Africa? l Public Forum- Relaxed partner debate with a focus on persuasion through logic. l Example: Should pilots be allowed to carry handguns in the cockpit? l

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.

l Original Oratory- A 10 minute memorized speech that you wrote on your soap box issues. l Example: Why pantyhose should be outlawed or why affirmative action is a joke. l Impromptu- An on the spot speech over a quote that you are given. l Example: “The early bird catches the worm. ”

l 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. l Example (DX)- Is Obamacare going to fail? l 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. l 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. l

l 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) l Duo Interpretation- The same thing as duet acting, except your time limit is instead 10 minutes, there are no chairs allowed, 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 l 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 l *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. l 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. l

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. l

l 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! l

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. l

FYI To be fair, we should probably tell you about the way a tournament runs.

l 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? l They were all members of speech & debate in high school and now have millions of dollars. l 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!