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"All the world's a stage, and we but actors upon it." -- William Shakespeare
What is Forensics?
What is Forensics?
Forensics is the art of public speaking. The Latin root of the word comes from forum -- the place where legal arguments and debate took place in ancient Rome. Evidence at court in those early days was primarily of the verbal kind such as witness statements, defense and prosecutorial arguments.* A school forensics league is a place for students to learn poise, confidence, and all the aspects of verbal declamation needed in front of an audience. It is not only for those who enjoy acting (and talking in class!), but also for the shy and nervous who want to learn how to give better presentations and reports at school -- and in life.
*Today, evidence is of a scientific nature (fingerprints, DNA, etc.) as well as that of an oral one, leading to the term "Forensic Science."
Team Information
Team Information
The SBA forensics team is composed of 5th-8th level students who choose which category they’d like to participate in, and select their pieces according to the rules of their category. After preparing and practicing their pieces, students are eligible to attend the tournaments that are held on Saturdays (occasionally Friday) at various Catholic middle schools throughout the year. Registration is usually 8:00-8:30 a.m., and will be half-day tournaments. The tournaments will end after the tabulations for the first two rounds are completed. Snacks/lunch are available to buy from the host school (and usually involves pizza).
See below for more info.
The Forensics Team at St. Bernard Academy is open to students in grades 5th-8th and is part of the Nashville Catholic Middle Schools Forensics League (NCMSFL). There are no tryouts; all who are eligible to join are welcome. The team participates in tournaments at various other schools throughout the year. Our "season" usually starts in early September and runs through to the Championship tournament in early March. Tournaments generally take up a Saturday, but only 8 or 9 times over the six months of the season. Categories for performance include Poetry, Prose, Dramatic Interpretation, Duo Improvisation, Audition, and Humorous Interpretation among others (see link).
Meetings are on most Mondays in the Library from 3:10-4:30. Students are expected to find their own pieces (with help) and to bring them to every meeting. Parents must pick up children by 4:30 or they will be sent to Aftercare. An initial $70.00 fee is required. This covers the cost of registration to other tournaments (single category) and helps fund the running of our own tournament. If the student doubles in another category, the additional fee monies will be due at that time.
Tournaments vary by year, see the link at the bottom for the current schedule. Other links will describe the categories, tips for students and judges, and specific information for our team is posted below. This information is also available from the Forensics Group link for students and parents logged into the SBA portal.
Parent participation at tournaments is mandatory. If you are unable to help provide a judge for tournaments, the student may not participate. Please see the Letter to Parents below for further information.
Links to documents below (these should open for everybody!):
NCMSFL Categories -- with descriptions!
Awesome article from high school forensics competitor in HuffPost: Why I Love Forensics
For further questions, please contact Ms. "Coach" Bruer at jbruer@stbernard.org
List of NCMSFL Categories.docx
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