Individual events

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Individual events is a type of speech competition characterized by individuals competing in a variety of different events. These events span the areas of public speaking, acting, reading and interpretation. Sometimes confused with competitive Debate, Individual Events is actually a unique form of competition, often referred to simply as Speech Team or Forensics. Organized competition takes place both on the high school and collegiate level. Speech and Debate competitions are subsets of Forensics competition.

Individual events: the events themselves

There are many types of events included in any Individual Events competition, and these events vary by state and/or conference. A brief overview of these event types is given below.

Public address events

Original oratory

Original Oratory, or simply Oratory, is one of the most common speech events. In Original Oratory, a competitor prepares a speech, usually between eight and ten minutes in length, addressing a problem, and then suggesting a solution to the problem. Original Oratory can also be referred to as Persuasive Speaking. Original Oratories are generally not meant to inform. Oftentimes, a competitor may use only one speech for the entire season. The purpose of an Oratory is to first define a problem and to then build a solution, in such a manner that an audience acknowledges the severity of the problem and is convinced that the speaker is providing a logical solution to it. This speech event is generally memorized.

On the college level, this event is called "Persuasion."

Informative

Informative Speaking is a speech meant to inform the audience. This speech can take on topics ranging from the newest, high-tech inventions from around the world that hope to cure cancer, to more light-hearted topics such as Wikipedia itself. The topic should be one that is timely and interesting, making it something that the general audience doesn't readily understand. Essentially, the topic should be one that is difficult to understand. It is the job of the speaker to make it easy to understand. In intercollegiate competetion, the speech is eight to ten minutes long and typically memorized. In high school competetion, the time limits will vary among different states. Informative Speaking is also referred to as Expository Speaking.

Declamation

Declamation, or Oratorical Declamation, is the interpretation and presentation of a non-original speech. These speeches may be historical (Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech, etc.), adapted from magazine articles, or any number of other adaptations of non-original material, including forensics speeches from previous years. Declamations tend to be persuasive, and competition is similar to Original Oratory. As in Oratory, the length of a speech is generally about eight minutes. Memorization is usually a requirement in Declamation. It is also termed 'Oratorical Interpretation'.

Communication Analysis/Rhetorical Criticism

Communication Analysis, or Rhetorical Criticism (frequently shortened to CA or Rhet Crit) is perhaps the individual event that is least understood by the general public. The speaker (or rhetor) has ten minutes to present a memorized speech examining a particular use of rhetoric, or artifact with the aid of an analytical framework, or model.

The artifact may be anything that has rhetorical significance: a book, a speech, an advertising campaign, a protest movement, etc. The rhetor identifies the goals the artifact seeks to accomplish. He or she then selects a model form of analysis - typically borrowed from communication scholars - to determine the effectiveness of the artifact in reaching its goals. For instance, in analyzing an anti-smoking campaign, the rhetor might opt for a model discussing the most effective methods of employing fear in persuading a mass audience.

The rhetor would then apply the model to the artifact and draw various conclusions about the artifact's strengths and weaknesses, the success or failure of the model as an analytical tool and other insight gained from the analysis.

Special Occasion Speaking

Special Occasion Speaking is similar to Oratory, but focuses on lighter subjects. Comedy is seen frequently in Special Occasion Speaking, but should not detract from the message the speaker is trying to relate. The speech is not as strictly persuasive as in Oratory, but can be designed to inform. Speeches typically run about eight to ten minutes long.' 11 min sos means you have to dance

After Dinner Speaking

After Dinner Speaking is a public address event meant to take an important topic and make greater sense of it through the use of humor. It can take the form of any of the accepted public speaking structures but often takes the form of an Informative or Persuasive speech. This event covers a variety of topics, but the use of humor is central to the execution of the event. The After-Dinner speech should not resort to the base forms of humor. The humor should be topical and relevant to the idea presented. This type of speech is found at the collegiate level and is typically eight to ten minutes long. It is also known as ADS.

Limited Preparation Events

Extemporaneous speaking

Extemporaneous Speaking, Extempore Speaking, or simply Extemp, is a speech given at a tournament with little preparation. Extemp is a mainstay at most speech competitions. At the beginning of any round of extemp, competitors are given a question relating to current events to prepare a speech on. The competitor have a preparation period, usually referred to as "prep time", during which they use periodicals they brought to the tournament to prepare the speech. This "prep time" usually lasts between thirty and forty-five minutes, and at the end of this time, competitors must present their speech. Note cards may or may not be used to aid in the presentation of this speech. Extemp speeches range from six to eight minutes in length.

Certain high school competitions subdivide Extemp into Domestic and International categories. Few collegiate-level competitions practice this subdivision.

Impromptu speaking

Impromptu Speaking is an uncommon event prepared on the spot, with a preperational period factored into the speaking time. Competitors are given a topic, usually a single word or phrase, that may be a person, thing, well-known saying, a less well-known quote, or an object. They then compose a speech based on the prompt. Impromptu speeches generally run about four (the minimum required speaking time at most tournaments) to six minutes in length, with anywhere from 15 seconds or three minutes (max prep time) of "prep time". Judging typically focuses on overall speaking ability (enunciation, pace, vocal variety, etc.), creativeness (pre-made or "canned" speeches are generally frowned upon), and overall balance of the speech (points of roughly equal length, appropriate length of intro, conclusion, etc.).

Radio speaking

Radio Speaking is the preparation and delivery of a five-minute newscast. Scripts may be prepared the day preceding a tournament, or in a thirty to forty-five minute "prep period" before performance. Usually, competitors are given a packet containing international, national, and local news, one or more advertisements, sports news, and a weather forecast. Competitors then have the "prep period" to compose a newscast, using the most relevant news possible, and organizing it in the best fashion they can. At the end of the "prep period", the performer delivers the newscast to a judge, usually over a microphone. The time limit is very stringent in Radio, and going beyond a five or ten second grace period above or below the five minute limit results in disqualification. Competitors may use a stopwatch to keep track of their own time, and the judge and/or timer keeps track of time as well.

Acting and Interpretation Events

Interpretation (dramatic or humorous)

A very common individual event, Interpretation (shortened as Interp) is an interpretation of another author's work. In Interpretation, a competitor selects a work, usually a scene from a play, short story, or novel, and adapts it into a five to ten-minute performance. A single competitor plays several parts, which are differentiated using "pops" between various positions and voices, each representing a different character. "Pops" are supposed to be as clean as possible, and each character should be clearly distinguishable from any other character. Competition in Interpretation is separated into Dramatic and Humorous Interpretation in order to make judging as objective as possible. While the arms and hands are used in Interpretation, the feet should be moved minimaly. Manuscripts of the piece are bound in a small black binder carried by the performer, although memorization is recommended and often required.

Duet acting

Duet Acting is exactly what the name says it is - two people performing an eight to ten-minute scene. Competition is divided into Dramatic and Humorous Duet Acting, though the two might be combined into one category. "Pops" may or may not be used here, as each partner may play only one character, or several, and movement of the partners may be restricted. Some Duet Acting performances are limited to the use of two chairs for sets; otherwise, no props or set pieces are permitted.

Another variety of Duet acting is Duo Interpretation, in which props and sets are not allowed, and the partners may not make eye contact with each other.

Original comedy

In Original Comedy, performers write and give their own eight-minute comedic pieces. Original Comedies usually contain multiple characters, although some monologues are periodically entered. Movement is allowed in Original Comedy - many of the rules from Interpretation and Duet Acting are merged here. No props are used in Original Comedy.

Prose/Poetry Interpretation

Prose Interpretation and Poetry Interpretation, also called Literary Reading, consist of an interpretation of another author's work. Competitors read the material from a small binder or book they use in performance. Memorization is generally helpful, due to the need for eye contact and audience involvement. The reason for this is that although the event is called "Reading", most of the time, competitors will be interpreting the literature via facial expressions and eye contact, hence, they interpret the material they are presenting. Time limits for these events range from six to ten minutes, depending on the organization hosting the event.

Improvisational acting pairs

Improvisational Acting Pairs is an event where two competitors team up and are given a scene on a small piece of paper. After two minutes of planning, they perform their scene.

Individual events tournaments

Individual events tournaments usually take from six to twelve hours to complete, with the longest tournaments lasting multiple days. One model of a tournament schedule usually starts around 8:00 or 9:00 A.M. (typically on Saturday), at which time competitors are given schematics for the day, which tell them which rooms they are competing in for each round. Another model begins the tournaments on the first day between 3:00 and 5:00 P.M. (typically on Friday) and continues through the next night (Saturday); there is typically no scheduled competition between 11:00 P.M. Friday and 7:00 A.M. Saturday. This model is typically used when an Individual Events tournament is hosted simultaneously with a Debate tournament.

There are several preliminary rounds in a tournament, which then cut to a final round, and sometimes semi- or quarter- final rounds as well. The tournament ends in an awards assembly, in which medals and/or trophies are presented to the finalists in each event, and team awards are given to teams which get the most points all day. (See Scoring, below).

Speech rounds

A speech round consists of the performances of between five and eight competitors, who are then ranked by a judge that watches the entire round. Competitors from the same school usually do not compete against each other in preliminary rounds (although this situation can occur if a school enrolls numerous contestants in an event or paricipation in a tournament is low), and competitors should not know what schools their opponents are from, as codes are randomly assigned to each school at the beginning of the tournament. For example, if a competitor's school code is "L", they may be "L3", "L38", or "L308", depending on how many competitors are at the tournament, and how the schematic is set up. This system is designed to help prevent bias on the part of judges. After the preliminary rounds, the top speakers are tabulated and a list of speakers who have "broken" (advanced) to the next level is posted. A normal speech round has six competitors, and final rounds are "broken" with the goal of having six speakers in the round.

Scoring

Performers compete individually and for their teams during Individual Events competitions. In any given round, a competitor earns points for themselves and their team according to their rank from the judge. Usually, a competitor receiving a rank of "1" scores 6 points, a "2" earns 5 points, a "3" earns 4 points and so on, with any rank of "6" or below scoring 1 point. The top two competitors from each team in each event score points for their team. Usually, only preliminary rounds count toward a team's point totals to increase the importance of team participation, and for logistic reasons. Sometimes finals rounds may be included, or preliminary rounds may be excluded altogether.

At the awards ceremony, medals or trophies are given to individuals, and team awards are given to the top teams. If there were no final rounds at the tournament, then the individuals scoring the most points for themselves in the preliminary rounds are each given medals - usually the top three competitors in each events. In tournaments with final rounds, the finalists in each event are called on stage, where they are given their medals. Team awards are also given for the five teams with the most points.

External links

High school links

Some state forensic organizations

Some high school individual events teams

College links

Some college individual events teams

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Categories: Public speaking

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