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Forensics: New Addition to the APAC Squad

Published 6 years ago Anna Kong6y ago • Bookmarks: 43 • Comments: 11441

APAC Forensics, AKA Speech & Debate, comes to AISG

There will be a new speech and debate team joining the APAC squad next year—the APAC Forensics team, coached by Ms. Barga with two other teachers. Although the national organization for forensics in the U.S. has changed their name to the National Speech and Debate Association, our APAC division still refers to this activity as forensics.

Despite this name, the team has nothing to do with criminology or crime investigation, but is a competitive APAC activity designed to hone and display public speaking skills in both creative and expository directions—there are serious, comedic and creative options, so this appeals to students interested in stand up comedy, acting or drama, politics, and business. Forensics is for students with good oral skills, or those looking to build those skills, and is similar to MUN, but with less of a focus on geopolitics. Practices will most likely be offered all year, but the competitive season is during the second season of sports. Students can participate based on their own interests and don’t have to participate in all of the competition formats. Those formats include Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, Oral Interpretation, Original Oratory, Public Forum Debate and Solo Acting.

Ms. Barga said, “We need Forensics… because when I attend school events organized by school groups, I notice that many students have weak public speaking skills—we don’t always have a lot to say. Although we have plenty of speech practice, such as the 10th-grade The Way I See It speeches, we need a place to practice speaking regularly. When I was in high school, I wish I’d developed better public speaking skills. There is such a wide range of professions that require spontaneous speaking skills, from business to politics to acting.” She hopes that competitive students and those who worry that their oral skills may be lacking will take an interest.

I interviewed a few students and got varied responses. Carmen C., a freshman, said, “I wouldn’t go, mainly because it is in a sports season and I would prefer doing sports more as I am more of a sporty person.” Lily L., also a freshman, said, “I would definitely be interested. However, because I am leaving next year, I wouldn’t be able to join.” Abby P., a sophomore, said, “It sounds interesting, so I would consider it.”

For those who are interested in joining next year, the following guidelines are taken from the APAC Forensics handbook, and more information from the coaches is coming at the end of the year.

Public Forum Debate:

In Public Forum Debate, each debate team will try to convince the judge(s) that they did a better job of persuading for their side of the resolution. The resolution will be selected by the host school each year and should be a topic that is controversial in nature.

Each round begins with a coin toss by the timekeeper. The winner of the coin toss will have one of two choices: pro or con, and to speak first or last in the debate. There is no presumption favoring either side and the burden of proof is equal for Pro/Con. Speakers are to deliver constructive, summary/rebuttal, and “final focus’ speeches from a standing position at the podium. During Crossfire/Grand Crossfire debaters will be standing at their desks. Laptops are not permitted during the debate. Notes are however permitted.

Solo Acting:

Each speaker acts out a small part of a script (film or stage). A selection from prose, poetry or original (student written) work is not permitted. Pieces chosen for the competition will be either all comedic or all dramatic on a rotating basis in opposition to the style or pieces featured in Oral Interpretation that year. For example, if Oral Interpretation has dramatic pieces, Solo Acting will be comedic in nature. (Odd years will be comedic and even years will be dramatic.) Judges, coaches, and speakers need to be aware that a “comedic” piece is considered “comedic” if it contains any, but not limited to, the following elements: Humor, Wit, Elements of the bittersweet, Farce, Parody, Black Humor. Judges, coaches, and speakers need to be aware that a “dramatic” piece is considered “dramatic” if it contains any, but not limited to, the following elements: Sadness, Discomfort, Tragedy, Suspense, Tension, Horror, Fear, Anger.

Oral Interpretation:

One selection of poetry and/or prose, that is age appropriate, will be prepared. A selection from drama, film or original (student written) work is not permitted. Pieces chosen for the competition will be either all comedic or all dramatic on a rotating basis in opposition to the style or pieces featured in Solo Acting that year. For example, if Oral Interpretation has dramatic pieces, Solo Acting will be comedic in nature. (Odd years will be dramatic and even years will be comedic)

Extemporaneous Speaking:

Speakers are given a choice of two questions concerning ongoing current events and are given 30 minutes to prepare a persuasive speech on their question of choice. Questions will be based on current events in periodicals (TIME and the Economist) that will be on hand in the preparation room. The host school must provide the magazines to be used in the preparation room. Magazines are selected from three months prior to the tournament. A one 5×7 inch notecard will be provided for each speaker in the preparation room and they will use this note card during their presentation. Evidence can only come from reputable news sources. The honor code should be followed when deciding what a “reputable” news source is. All lines must be memorized.

Impromptu Speaking:

For each round the Tournament Director, prior to the tournament, will determine one word and one phrase. The tournament director will be the only person to know what words or phrases have been selected. As the rounds progress the word and phrase should get progressively more challenging for the speakers. The word and phrase for each round are placed in envelopes that speakers are given at the start of their 1-minute planning time. All speakers in each round select from the same word or phrase. Participants will be given one 5 x 7 note card and pens or pencils to silently plan their speech. Evaluation will be weighted sixty percent (60%) for content and forty percent (40%) for delivery. All rounds are limited to 2 minutes, 50 seconds (2:50) minimum and 5 minutes, 10 seconds (5:10) maximum time. Any violation of these limits may receive a reduction of 10 points at the discretion of the judge. (Often this is due to audience reaction, timer being slow to push the stop button etc.) If this is the case the judge must inform the tournament director of the reason.

Original Oratory:

An Original Oratory must be a persuasive speech about a person or a personal or universal issue. The topic of the speech may not be the same topic chosen for debate. All speeches must be written specifically for this event and not have been previously presented. The speech must be the original work of the speaker. No more than 150 words of quoted material may be included. Quotations must be designated as such in the manuscript. Coaches must email a turnitin.com report with the working draft and bibliography to the host school no later than five days prior to the tournament. Once speeches have been submitted to the host school at the coaches meeting, presenters may not add, delete or modify content. Speeches which contain material that is politically sensitive to the host school country must be reviewed by the host school prior to the tournament. The host school must notify a coach prior to the tournament if there is a point of contention.