The Penn State Behrend Communication Department will be hosting its first Forensic Tournament for middle school students on Saturday, March 16, 2013. The purpose of the tournament is to give your students an opportunity to develop confidence in their communication skills by giving speeches in front of a small audience and by interacting with other middle school students in the area.
The tournament will run from around 9:00 am to 2:00 pm with registration at 9:00 am and the first round at 10:00. The college will provide a light lunch for coaches, judges, and students. We are planning to have two rounds of competition for the students with a possible final round (based upon number of students registered to participate). There will not be a fee for this tournament.
Students will have a choice of the following five speaking events: original oratory, dramatic interpretation, humorous interpretation, duo interpretation, or impromptu speaking. See the description of events below.
Please fill out the registration form and return it by fax or mail to the address at the bottom of the form on or before March 1, 2013 . In addition, each participant needs a completed photo release and a medical release form. Please fax or mail the photo release and the medical release to the address at the bottom of the form by 5:00 pm on March 6, 2013.
We hope to see you and your students in March!
Medical Release Form
Description of Events
Original Oratory:
The student should prepare an original oration on a chosen topic. The topic should be appropriate for the student and the audience. The general purpose of the speech should be to inform, persuade, or entertain. The presentation should be 5-7 minutes in length and should be delivered extemporaneously (with notes—not a manuscript).
The student should begin with an introduction that gains the attention of the audience and introduces the thesis or central idea. The body of the speech should include carefully selected main ideas that are thoughtfully developed with good supporting evidence. When supporting material is provided, the source must be identified. Language usage should be appropriate for a speech (not too informal or too elevated). Visual aids are not permitted.
The student should be poised, expressive, and sincere. Pitch, rate, and volume should be appropriate. The student should maintain eye contact with the audience. Movements and gestures should appear natural. The student’s delivery should support ideas rather than call attention to technique.
Dramatic Interpretation:
The student should present a reading from a published source that is dramatic in nature. The art of interpretation includes the recreating of characters in the reading and making them seem real to the audience. The presentation should be 5-7 minutes in length and may be delivered with a manuscript. Costumes and props are not permitted.
The selection for interpretation must be from a single published literary work: a novel, a short story, a play, or one or more poems. Monologues are acceptable. The selection should be appropriate for the student and the audience. During the presentation, the student must identify the author and source from which the cutting was taken. Judges will critique the literary merit of the selection.
Vocal variety (pitch, rate, and volume) should be consistent with the selection. Diction and pronunciation must be acceptable. Movements and gestures should be natural and should support the mood of the selection. If the cutting includes dialogue, the dialogue should demonstrate the student’s ability to interpret characters correctly. Narrative, if included, should be expressive and more than just “filler” between portions of dialogue.
Humorous Interpretation:
The student should present a reading from a published source that is humorous in nature. All other rules are the same as Dramatic Interpretation (as described above).
Duo Interpretation:
This is a two-person category in which the selection may be either humorous or dramatic in nature. Movement should be limited and suggested rather than exaggerated. The actors must interact and respond believably with one another but should not come in physical contact with each other. The students may look at each other during the introduction; however, students should not make eye contact during the selection itself. Each student may present multiple characters.
The selection for interpretation must be from a single published literary work: a novel, a short story, a play, or one or more poems. In Duo Interpretation each of the two performers may play one or more characters—the performance responsibility for both performers should be as balanced as possible. If the selection is prose or poetry and contains narration, either or both of the performers may present the narration.
All other rules are the same as Dramatic Interpretation (as described on previous page).
Impromptu:
Each contestant will be given a quotation when called to speak. The student should prepare a speech that is relevant to the quotation and appropriate for the student and the audience. The speaker will be given 7 minutes and may use the allotted time as needed, but judges will reward contestants that prepare less and speak longer .
The student should begin with an introduction that gains the attention of the audience and introduces the thesis or central idea. The body of the speech should include carefully selected main ideas that are thoughtfully developed with appropriate supporting material (stories, facts, examples, analogies). Language usage should be appropriate for a speech (not too informal or too elevated). The speaker should end decisively.
The student should be poised, expressive, and sincere. Pitch, rate, and volume should be appropriate. The student should maintain eye contact with the audience. Movements and gestures should appear natural. The student’s delivery should support ideas rather than call attention to technique.