Competition Event Descriptions

Events Overview Printable Document

DEBATE EVENTS

Congressional Debate

This is individual debate in a large group setting. Legislative debaters research and write congressional legislation they feel will better the society in which we live. At tournaments, debaters speak extemporaneously in defense of or against legislation submitted by attending schools. They listen to other members' speeches in their chamber, refute opposing arguments, and contribute new arguments to their own side.

Public Forum Debate

Two person teams assume both affirmative and negative positions from round to round debating on values and societal issues. A lively cross fire approach adds emphasis on reason and analysis. A logical and statistic-based form of debate.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Lincoln-Douglas Debate centers on a proposition of philosophical value, which concerns itself with what ought to be instead of what is. A value is an ideal held by individuals, societies, governments, etc. Each debater upholds a side of the resolution from a value perspective.

Big Questions Debate

Big Questions debating format involves two opposing contestants or teams debating a topic concerning the intersection of science, philosophy, and religion. There is one topic for the entire year that will address deeply held beliefs that often go unexamined.

SPEECH & ACTING EVENTS

Duet Acting

This is a two-person category in which the selection may be either humorous or dramatic in nature. Pieces used often include published short stories, plays, or poems. Performers are allowed eye and physical contact. Arizona allows the use of props and costumes, tables and/or chairs.

Duo Interpretation

The event involves a pair of performers acting out a short literary piece or program under certain restraints, including not looking at or touching your partner, and no props. Participants may cut anything out of their piece, but cannot add any dialogue.

Original Oratory

Orators are expected to research and speak intelligently, with a degree of originality, in an interesting manner, and with some profit to the audience, about a topic of significance. Many orations deal with a current problem and propose a solution. An orator is given free choice of subject.

Extemporaneous Speaking

A contestant draws three questions, selects one and has 30-minutes to prepare a speech in response. The contestant utilizes files of published materials s/he has compiled as a resource for answering the question. At the completion of the 30-minute preparation period, the student speaks on the topic for up to 7 minutes.

Dramatic Interpretation

Individual performers present dramatic scenes. Selections shall be cuttings from published-printed novels, short stories, plays, poetry, or any other printed-published materials. Presentations must be memorized, without props or costumes. The time limit is 10-minutes which includes an introduction.

Humorous Interpretation

This is an individual category in which the selections are humorous in nature. All other rules are the same as Dramatic Interpretation.

Poetry

Individual performers have 10 minutes to present selections from anywhere from one to four works of poetry, usually built into one cohesive theme-based event focused on narrative and morals.

Prose

This is an individual category similar to Poetry, except instead of one to four poetic works, the performers present one to three works of prose.

Program-Oriented Interpretation

In this event, performers will have 10 minutes to present a collection of poetry selections, prose, articles, scripts, and other forms of verbal media to build one cohesive narrative surrounding around a central theme, called a program.

Informative

In Informative, performers have a set period of time to present on a topic that fascinates or interests them in a factual, attention-grabbing manner. In the state of Arizona, a board or some other type of visual display is usually brought or presented in conjunction with the Informative speech.

Impromptu

Speakers are given 7 minutes to prepare and present a speech based on a topic they receive in-round. No props are allowed but note cards and a pencil for writing down thoughts and preparing the speech.

Other events may be available depending on the tournament, such as Radio Broadcasting and World School's Debate.