Speech and Debate
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The mission of the Columbia City High School Speech and Debate team is training today's students to be tomorrow's leaders.

The Speech and Debate teams of Columbia City High School are members of the National Forensic League, the National Catholic Forensic League, and the Indiana High School Forensic Association. Students select from among eighteen different speech and debate events. Competitions are on Saturdays - October through March.

CCHS debaters won the 2007 state championship in policy debate.

The 2007 state debate championship is Columbia City High School’s 13th.

Tournament held at Kokomo High School February 2 and 3.

Nelson's Chicken BBQ Fundraiser: Oct. 6 @ 10:30 am on the Wal-Mart parking lot.

Speech and Debate Tournament Schedule 2007-2008

Date

Speech Tournament

Debate Tournament

October 6

Chicken BBQ

Chicken BBQ

October 13   West Lafayette
October 20   Plymouth
October 27   Columbia City
November 3 Homestead Concord
November 10 North Side Kokomo/Munster
November 17 South Side 16-17 Evansville North
December 1 Northrop LaPorte/Logansport
December 8 Elkhart Central Elkhart Central
December 15 Snider 14-15 Chesterton
January 5   Ben Davis
January 12 TBA South Side
January 19 Plymouth TBA
January 26   NFL Debate (25-26 @ Concord)
February 2   State Debate (Feb. 1-2, TBA)
February 9 Westview  
February 16 Columbia City NFL Congress-Columbia City
February 23 TBA  
March 1 Sectional (@ Columbia City)  
March 8 NFL Speech @ Plymouth  
March 15 No meets  
March 21-23 No meets (Easter)  
March 28-29 State Finals (TBA)  
May 23-26 NCFL Nationals Appleton, Wisconsin
June 12 OR 13-21 NFL Nationals Henderson, NV

Students may select one or two events for a single season. Students may do an event for more than one year, but students must use new material each year. No student is expected to do every event.

Congress
Congress speakers are modeling a state or national congress legislative session. Speakers give short speeches on model legislation. The goal of the speech is to convince the congress members to vote for or against the model legislation.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Students debate values and priorities surrounding current issues. During the tournament students will debate both sides of the issues. Students debate one on one. The topic changes every other month.

Public Forum Debate
Students debate important current issues in a format featuring short speeches and cross questioning. Students debate each other as part of a two person team. Debaters need to debate both sides of the question which changes every month.

Policy Debate
Policy Debaters study a topic of national importance working as a two person team. Each team will develop cases for both sides of the national resolution. The topic does not change during the school year.

Extemporaneous Speaking
Students give speeches up to 7 minutes long answering a current issues question drawn and prepared at the tournament. Students use major newsmagazines as sources for the speeches they prepare. Students may enter divisions focusing on either international issues or United States issues. Each student speaks as an individual.

Drama or Humorous Interpretation
Students memorize selections from plays, short stories, essays or novels. The speakers’ selections will have two or more characters telling a story. Each selection cannot be longer than 10 minutes. Each student speaks as an individual.

Original Oratory
Students write and memorize a speech focusing on individual concerns or pet peeves. Each selection cannot be longer than 10 minutes. Each student speaks as an individual.

Oratorical Interpretation
Students memorize a speech written and delivered by another person. The speech usually focuses on concerns or pet peeves. Each speech cannot be longer than 10 minutes. Each student speaks as an individual.

Poetry
Students prepare a poetry program focusing on a single theme. Each poetry program must be at least 5 minutes long and include at least 2 poems. The poems must be written by someone other than the reader and be published. The poetry is read from a script. Each student speaks as an individual.

Prose
Students prepare a prose (short story) program. The prose program must be a short section taken from a novel, short story, or essay. The program must be at least 5 minutes long. The program is read from a manuscript. Each student speaks as an individual.

Duo
Two speakers work together presenting a selection from a play, short story, or novel. Each speaker must do at least one character. Duo students may enter either a division for memorized selections or selections read from a manuscript. Each duo program cannot be longer than 10 minutes.

Impromptu
Students are given a word, a quotation, or a current events question 30 seconds before they speak. After 30 seconds of preparation, students give a speech up to 5 minutes long. Each student speaks as an individual.

Broadcasting
Students present their material over a microphone to a judge in another room. Some material is prepared ahead of time, other material is prepared at the tournament, and other material is impromptu. Broadcasting contestants present newscasts, commercials, editorials, and on-the-spot newscasts. Each student speaks as an individual. 

Discussion
Students participate in a round-table type discussion on current events using a problem-solving format. The topic changes 3 times during the season. Each student speaks as an individual.

Original Performance
Students write and perform their own material. Students may write poems, brief stories, plays, or essays. The performance may be read or memorized. Students may work as a duo team or as an individual speaker.

Debate and director of forensics: Mr Bob Brittian

Head speech coach: Mr. Joe Urschel

Speech coach: Mrs. Karen Koday

 

 


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