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ForensicsTeam


What is "Forensics"?

“The term ‘forensics’ is derived from the Greek language and refers to courts of law.  Aristotle, in dividing speech into three categories, contrasted foresic speaking (in a court of law) with deliberative speaking (in the legislative assembly), and epideitic speaking (in a ceremony or other special occasion),” according to Directing Forensics: Contest and Debate SpeakingDirecting Forensics: Contest and Debate Speaking by Don F. Faules, Richard D. Rieke, and Jack Rhodes.  “the term ‘forensics’ is used to refer to any extracurricular speech activity in both high school and college.”  Therefore, in

Ohio, we compete in four general areas: debate, oratory, interpretation, and Student Congress.   Categories Explained and Defined

Nine Categories of Individual Events (also known as I.E.)

Cleveland Region

Date                    Location
10/16-10/17           John Carrol University
10/23                    Brecksville
10/30                    Edison  
11/6                      Lincoln West
11/13                    Vermillion
11/20                    Mentor
12/4                     Olmsted Falls
12/11                   Chagrin Falls
1/8                       Hathaway Brown
1/15                     Berea
1/22                     Laurel
1/29                     Solon
2/4-2/5                 District Competition in Vermillion
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Ashley Tartell First Place OI Laurel Tournament 2011
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Victoria Rogers Third Place OO Brecksville Tournament 2010
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Third Place OI Solon Tournament 2011
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Ben Jesionowski 2009-10

Dramatic or Humourous Interpretation (two different categories)—known as “DI” and “HI”

General Structure: The student presents a memorized selection from a published play, novel, short story, or non-fiction piece, interpreting all of the characters vocally and physically.  Dramatic Interpretation selections must be primarily serious into one, while Humourous Interpretation selections are primarily funny (many are children’s literature).

Specifics:
1. The student finds or prepares a cutting from literature, which he them memorizes and presents in each round.  He interprets all the characters.
2. Monologues are acceptable.
3. The student must present an introduction that includes the title and author of the literature; however, this introduction does not have to come at the opening of the presentation.
4. While the use of gestures and body language is extremely important, (i.e. actual walking) is limited.
5. Time Limit is 10 minutes, with a 30-second grace period.

Judging Criteria: Judges will evaluate the student on the effectiveness of his interpretation of the characters and the cohesiveness of the script.

Duo Interpretation—known as “Duo”

General Structure: Two students present a memorized selection from a published play, novel, short story, or non-fiction piece, interpreting all of the characters vocally and physically.  The literature can be either serious of funny.  Each student may portray several characters. 

Specifics:
1. Two students work as a team t find or cut a piece of literature, which is them memorized and presented each round.
2. The students must present an introduction that includes the title and author of the literature; however, this introduction does not have t come at the opening of the presentation.
3. While the use of gestures and body language is extremely important to portray the different characters, the student may not touch each other or make eye contact with each other when in character.  Movement (i.e. actual walking) is permitted.
4. Time Limit is 10 minutes, with a 30 second grace period.

Judging Criteria: Judges will evaluate the student on the effectiveness of his interpretation of the characters and the cohesiveness of the script.

Impromptu Speaking—known as “IS”

General Structure:  The student prepares a speech on a topic quotation for each round of competition.  The student has seven minutes to both prepare his-her speech and present the speech without benefit of notes.

Specifics:
  1. The students report to the competition room for each round of a tournament with (optional) his box of research materials.  During the round, the student draws (blindly) three quotation slips from an envelope the judge has.  He selects one quotation slip and returns the others to the envelope.
  2. The speaker will have seven minutes to prepare and present his/her speech.  The speaker decides how much of that time s/he will use for preparation and how much time for speaking.
  3. Time Limit is a maximum of 7 minutes, with a 30-second grace period.  The judge will give the student time signals.
Judging Criteria:  Judges will evaluate the student on the content and structure of the speech, as well as the vocal and physical delivery. 

International or United States (.S.) Extemporaneous Speaking (two different categories) – known as “IX” or “USX”

General Structure:  The student prepares a speech on a current event topic for each round of competition.  After thirty minutes of preparation, the student presents his speech without benefit of notes.

Specifics:
  1. The student arrives at the Prep Room of a tournament with his box of research materials.  When the round begins, the student is called to the desk, where he draws (blindly) three topic slips.  He selects one topic slip and returns the others to the envelope.  The topics are phrased as questions.  He them has the remainder of the thirty minutes to research and prepare a speech which answers that question.  He uses only the research material he has brought with him.
  2. Topics are drawn from current broadcast or print news medias (often magazines such as Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News and World Report).
  3. The OHSSL Constitution has specific information about how the student can store, outline, etc. his research material.
  4. Time Limit is a maximum of 7 minutes, with a 30-second grace period.  The judge will give the student time signals.
  5. Judging Criteria:  Judges will evaluate the student on how he answers the question, the accuracy of his facts and statistics, the speech structure, and the vocal and physical delivery of the presentation.

Original Oratory – known as “OO”

General Structure:  The student writes a speech that includes an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.  The speech is memorized and presented in each round.

Specifics:
  1. Any subject may be used for the oration, but the student should keep in mind this question:  What do I want my audience (including my judges) to understand from my speech?
  2. The speech may be serious or light-hearted in tone.
  3. The orator must be truthful.  Any non-factual reference, especially a personal one, must be so identified.
  4. A maximum of 150 quoted words is permitted in the speech.  Please refer to the OHSSL Constitution for more information.
  5. Plagiarism is grounds for immediate disqualification.
  6. If the student is competing at District and State Tournament, he must type the speech according to information found in the OHSSL Constitution.
  7. Time Limit is 10 minutes, with a 30-second grace period.
Judging Criteria:  Judges will evaluate the student both on the physical and the vocal delivery of the speech and on the content and structure of the speech.
Note:  The manuscript of the oration must be turned in with District Tournament registration; with the new OHSSL web site registration program, the coaches upload the manuscripts for District chairs and the Executive Director.  Don’t forget the sources for a work cited page.  See the OHSSL Constitution for the format.  The manuscript must have the “official” Original Oratory Cover Sheet, found at www.ohssl.org .

Oratorical Interpretation – known as “OI”

General Structure: the student finds a speech written and delivered to an audience by someone else; he then memorizes it and presents it in each round.

Specifics: 
  1. Many speeches have been written by students and presented at the OHSSL State Tournament in previous years.  These speeches are collected in Winning Orations, available from the League office.  These speeches may be used in this category.
  2. Libraries contain book collections of speeches given by numerous people.  Any of these speeches may be used in this category.
  3. Proper credit must be given to the original author/speaker during the performance.
  4. Nothing in the speech can be changed, even statistics that are out-dated.  The student in his introduction may reference this.
  5. Time Limit is 10 minutes, with a 30-second grace period.
Judging Criteria:  Judges will evaluate the student only on the physical and vocal delivery of the speech, not the content of the speech.

Prose Poetry – known as “PP”

General Structure:  The student weaves together a program of literature, that includes both prose and poetry genres, revolving around a central theme.  Although the students have a manuscript in their hands during the presentation, students interpret (not read) the selections in each round.

Specifics:
  1. The prose and poetry must have a common theme.  Any subject may be chosen, and it may be serious or light-hearted.
  2. Prose is defined as all non-poetry writing such as short stories, cuttings from novels, plays cuttings form non-fiction pieces, etc.  Poetry includes song lyrics.
  3. Selections are not to be deliberately memorized.  It should appear that the students are “reading” them from the manuscript in a notebook.
  4. An over-all introduction and transitions from selection to selection should be written.  These are to be memorized.  Although the manuscript/notebook does not have to be closed during the presentation of these transitions, most judges will expect that to happen.  There are no rules regarding the size or color of the notebook.
  5. There must be 200 words minimum of each type of literature (i.e. prose and poetry).  This may be found in only one piece of literature (for example, a poem) or it may be achieved by several selections (for example, three shorter poems).
  6. If the student is competing at District and State Tournament, he must type the manuscript according to information found in the OHSSL Constitution
  7. Time Limit is 10 minutes, with a 30-second grace period.
Judging Criteria:  Judges will evaluate the student on the effectiveness of his interpretation vocally an physically, as well as the adherence to the central theme and the impact of the literature.

 Note:  The manuscript of the Prose Poetry piece must be turned in with the District Tournament registration; with the new OHSSL web site registration program, the coaches upload the manuscripts for District chairs and the Executive Director.  Don’t forget the sources for a work cited page.   See the OHSSL Constitution for the format.  The manuscript must have the “official” Prose Poetry Cover Sheet, found at www.ohssl.org. 

Three Categories for Debate 

2-Person Policy Debate – known as “2P”

General Structure:  Two students form a team.  They research both sides of the debate resolution and build a case for each side.  In a tournament, the team alternates between affirmative and negative sides, as determined by the debate pairings for each round.  The purpose of the debate is to convince the judge that the team argued the best case.  Example of a policy topic: “Resolved: That the United States federal government should establish a foreign policy substantially increasing its support of United Nations; peacekeeping operations.”

Specifics:  The resolution is always stated as a need to change the status quo.  The affirmative team must establish a basic justification for change.  The necessary elements of a “prim facie” case make up the “stock issues: in the round.  Those elements include:
  1. A significant harm exists.
  2. Inherency – reasons the present system fails to solve the identified problems (structural attitudinal and existential).
  3. Solvency – the advocated policy solves the identified problem.
  4. Topical Plan – the detailed mechanics of the affirmative policy.
The negative team has several different strategies it can employ:
  1. Straight refutation of the affirmative case.
  2. Solvency take-outs; Plan-meets-needs arguments.
  3. Disadvantages of the affirmative plan
  4. Counter plans.
  5. Critiques
  6. Topicality
  7. Justification
Basic Rules:
  1. The debaters must debate the resolution.
  2. The debaters must follow the format/structure of a debate.
  3. The debaters must not falsify evidence or take quotations out of context.
Judging Criteria:  The debate ballot asks the question:  Who did the better job of debating?  The judge bases that decision on which team argued the “stock issues” the best; which team proved its own case the best; which team did a better job of cross examination and using the answers against the opponents; which team did a better job of using evidence.

Lincoln Douglas Debate – known as “LD”

General Structure:  One student researches the resolution and prepares a case both to affirm and negate the resolution.  In contest, he debates both sides, depending on the debate pairings per round.  He presents his case; cross examines his opponent, and rebuts the arguments.  Example of an LD resolution:  “Resolved:  Civil disobedience in a democracy is morally justified.”

Specifics:  The resolution is a statement of philosophy, not policy, and usually weighs one value as more important that the other.  The affirmative case must show the resolution is true.  The negative cause can show that the resolution is not true (that the opposite value is true) or that it is neutral (that one is as important as the other).  While policy debate relies on facts and statistics to prove the status quo works or doesn’t work, LD relies more on analogies, quotations, comparison and contrast, and schools of philosophy to prove or disprove the resolution.

Judging Criteria:  The debate ballot asks the question:  Who did the better job of debating?  The judge bases that decision on which team argued philosophy the best; which team proved its own case the best; which team did a better job of cross examination and using the answers against the opponents; which team did a better job of using evidence.

Public Forum Debate – known as “PF”

General Structure:  Two students form a team.  They debate both affirmative and negative sides of the resolution in separate debates.  However, this is determined by the toss of a coin; the winner gets to choose either which side they debate or whether they begin or end the debate.  Although the resolution is stated as a policy change, there is no burden of proof or presumption.  Therefore, because the affirmative tries to convince the judge the resolution should be adopted and the negative tries to convince the judge that it shouldn’t, the negative can begin the debate.  Example of a Public Forum resolution: “All young adults in every nation should be required to perform at least one full year of national service.”

Specifics:  Public Forum is a team debate that advocates or rejects a position posed by the resolution.  A central tenet of the debate is that the clash of ideas must be communicated in a manner persuasive to the non-specialist or “citizen judge,” i.e. a member of the American jury.  While Policy Debate focuses on a plan to solve the problem(s) posed by the resolution, and Lincoln Douglas Debate focuses on the core value of the resolution, Public Forum Debate focuses on advocacy of a position derived from the issues presented in the resolution, not a prescribed set of burdens.

Judging Criteria:  The judge may vote on one of the Final Focus arguments or another issue he felt was more important.  The judge must identify the voting issue on the ballot.

Student Congress – known as “SC”

General Structure:  Students are grouped into “Houses” or “Chambers.”  Generally, one student from each school is in the Senate; the other students are in the House of Representatives.  The students have written pieces of legislation, either bills or resolutions; students present this legislation and, using Parliamentary Procedure, present speeches either affirming or negating the legislation.

Judging Criteria:  There are multiple judges (usually three) in each session in each chamber.  The judges individually score each speech on a basis of 1-6 for NFL points.  At the end of the session, the judges independently rank the students 1-10 as a group.
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