February 2021

Dear Forensics Coach,

The University of Alabama Forensic Council will host the Hall of Fame High School Forensics Tournament on February 20 and 21, 2021. This year, we will host our tournament Asynchronously, with preliminary rounds taking place Saturday, February 20^th, and Outrounds (if necessary) and Final Rounds taking place Sunday, February 21^st. We are confident that the tournament will provide an excellent competitive and educational experience for your students. In the past, the competition has been of the highest caliber. With your school in attendance, we can continue to offer the best in competition.

The tournament offers:

• Flight A Individual Events: Duo Interpretation, Prose Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, After Dinner Speaking, and Impromptu Speaking
• Flight B Individual Events: Poetry Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Oratory and Extemporaneous Speaking, Program Oral Interp, and Informative Speaking

In the following pages you will find tournament information for all forensic events, entry submission, and an explanation for how the asynchronous tournament will function. We greatly appreciate each of you for the time and energy you have poured into adapting to the changes this tournament season necessitates. If we can be of further assistance, please contact us. See you soon!

Sincerely,

Ben Pyle                                                    Cory Paul Harrison                                                Sim Butler

Director                                                      Assistant Director                                                  Executive Director

Alabama Forensic Council                         Alabama Forensic Council                                    Alabama Forensics                                                  

REGISTRATION

All entries must be received by 5:00 p.m. Thursday, February 18th. NO ENTRIES WILL BE TAKEN AFTER THIS TIME.

Entries will be handled at SpeechWire.com

All students and judges will need activated Speechwire accounts prior to tournament registration.

INDIVIDUAL EVENTS

A school may enter an unlimited number of entries per event.

Group A:

Prose Interp: Contestants will present a reading from published prose material. Students may present one selection or a group of selections on a unified theme. The maximum time limit is 10 minutes. A manuscript must be used.

Duo Interp: Two contestants present a cutting from a published play, humorous or serious, involving two or more characters. This material may be drawn from stage, screen, or radio. This is not an acting event. Thus, no costumes, props, lighting, etcetera are to be used. A manuscript must be used. The maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

Dramatic Interp: Selections must be cuttings from published plays only. The selection must have one or more characters. A manuscript must be used. This is an interpretation event, not an acting event. The maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

After Dinner Speaking: Contestants will present an original speech that is humorous in nature and related to one central theme. This is a speech, not a comedy routine. The same principles for good speechmaking should be applied. Humor should be in good taste and presentation should be from memory. The maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

Impromptu Speaking: Contestants will present an impromptu speech, serious in nature, with topic selections varied by round and by section. Topics will be of a proverb nature. Speakers will have a total of 7 minutes for both preparation and speaking. Time commences with the acceptance of the quotation. Limited note card use is permitted.

Group B:

Extemporaneous Speaking: In each round the contestant will draw three topics and select one to speak on. The contestant will have 30 minutes to prepare a 4-7 minute speech. The topics will be based on current events (national and international) since November 1, 2018. Limited note card use is acceptable.

Poetry Interpretation: Contestants will present material from a published source of poetry. Students may present one poem or a group of selections on a unified theme. The maximum time limit is 10 minutes. A manuscript must be used.

Original Oratory: Contestants should discuss a topic of interest to his or her audience. The oratory should be intelligent, original, and interesting. Although orations may deal with a specific problem and propose a solution, this is not the only acceptable form of oratory. The speech need not offer a solution. Presentation should be from memory. The maximum time limit is 10 minutes. Humorous Interpretation: Contestants will present a cutting from published humorous material (play or prose). A manuscript must be used. The maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

Informative Speaking: Students deliver a self-written, ten-minute speech on a topic of their choosing. Limited in their ability to quote words directly, Informative Speaking competitors craft a speech using evidence, logic, and optional visual aids. All topics must be informative in nature; the goal is to educate, not to advocate. The speech is delivered from memory.

Program Oral Interpretation: Using a combination of Prose, Poetry and Drama, students construct a program up to ten minutes in length using at least two out of the three genres. With a spotlight on argumentation and performative range, Program Oral Interpretation focuses on a student’s ability to combine multiple genres of literature centered around a single theme. Competitors are expected to portray multiple characters. No props or costumes may be used except for the manuscript. Performances also include an introduction written by the student to contextualize the performance and state the titles and authors used in the program.