Speech & Debate
Teacher/Sponsor: Casey Andrews
| Cross Examination Debate | CX debate is where two people team up to debate over whether to change a U.S. policy on something. This debate event is highly evidence-heavy. It usually takes about 1 and 1/2 hours to complete a round. |
| Dramatic Interpretation | DI uses tragic, heart-rending material. Watching a good D.I. is a very cathartic experience. Most speakers in D.I. say they feel spiritually exhausted after any performance; they put their whole selves into it. You get your material from a play (nine times out of ten, though some people use dialog from books), usually with only 2 or 3 characters. More characters than that distracts the audience from the dramatic action. You play all the characters; this distinguishes D.I. from straight drama, and makes it a speech event. |
| Duo Interpretation | Duo interpretation is basically a DI or HI with two people performing. Contestants may not touch each other or look at each other in the eyes. The two must show interaction by doing their individual parts so it appears as though the two are actually talking to each other. All other rules and strategies applying to either DI or HI apply here. |
| Extemporaneous | In this event you draw three speech topics out of an envelope and choose the one you have the most evidence to support your point of view. You then have 30 minutes to prepare your speech. You are allowed to use your outline in the round you are speaking. However the best speeches will have their outline memorized and give their speech. There are two different types of Extemp: U.S. and Foreign. U.S. Extemp deals with issues that are occurring in the United States, usually political and economical topics. Foreign Extemp deals with issues from around the world, usually dealing with current events in the news and foreign policies. |
| Humorous Interpretation | This event consists of choosing a published work (often a play) and "cutting" or editing it down to approximately 10 minutes, then performing it for your audience. Most good H.I.'s are cut from plays to include 3-5 characters, and you differentiate them for your audience by changing their voices, stances, attitudes, etc. The material is usually physical, situational, and ethnic humor. Although there are exceptions, a stereotypical H.I. performer is a speaker who switches characters often, makes bizarre faces, and uses crazy accents. If you LOVE making people LAUGH, this is an event for you. |
| Lincoln Douglas Debate | L-D debate is one-on-one debate and is primarily focused on competing values. Every two months, a resolution is decided upon by coaches across the nation and it is debated at most tournaments within that two-month period. Resolutions generally take the form in which two values are pitted against each other. L-D is split into two flights with each flight taking about 45 minutes each. |
| Original Oratory | The preparation and presentation of a memorized 8-10 minute original speech. Usually persuasive or motivational in nature. This speech needs to be presented in a formal yet conversational tone in order to win with the judges. Competitors tend to use the same speech for the whole year. As the speeches are original compositions, good writing ability and creativity are very important. Also, because the event depends heavily on delivery, if you feel that you are great at "working a crowd," this is an event for you. |
| Public Forum Debate | This is a combination of L-D and CX debate. You pair up with a partner and debate about a current issue in society. Ideas are mainly debated and aren't evidence-heavy. Public Forum debate is split up into flights as well, with each flight taking about 45 minutes. |
Mask & Gavel Tournament Schedule
| (All dates are tentative. Team will only travel if we have enough entries.) | |||
| October | February | ||
| 14-15 | Glendale Novice/Kickapoo Varsity | 10-11 | Heart of the Ozarks, Joplin |
|
21-22 |
Neosho Novice Debate | 10-11 | Republic HS Speech/Debate |
| 24-25 | Neosho High School | ||
| November | 28-29 | MSHSAA One-Act Play, Readers Theatre | |
|
4-5 |
Central Novice, Springfield | ||
|
11-12 |
Nixa Fall Classic | March | |
| 2 | One-Act Finals, Crowder | ||
| December |
2-3 |
MSHSAA Districts, Carthage | |
|
2-3 |
Aurora Novice Speech/Debate |
16-17 |
NFL Districts Speech & Debate, Crowder |
|
2-4 |
Monett Priscilla Bradford Varsity | ||
|
16-17 |
Carl Junction Novice/2nd yr. Soph. | April | |
|
5 |
NFL Districts Congress Prelims, Joplin | ||
| January |
9 |
NFL Congress Finals, Monett | |
| 20-21 | Webb City/Carthage |
20-21 |
MSHSAA State Tournament |
| June | |||
|
10-15 |
NFL National Tournament, Indianapolis | ||
| This schedule is tentative and subject to change at any time. Each member of the Cassville Speech and Debate Team is required to attend at least 2 tournaments per semester and compete in at least 2 event genres (debate, oral interpretation, or public address). | |||
| All members of Mask & Gavel are welcome to compete at tournaments. Competition events include Humorous Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Storytelling, Prose/Poetry, Radio Speaking, Original Oratory, Extemporaneous Speaking, Public Forum Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Congress Debate. Some tournaments offer Improv events. | |||