Extemporaneous Speech (Domestic and Foreign)

Section 1. The extemporaneous speech is a spontaneous, original oral expression of ideas on a given subject about which the speaker has had previous knowledge, preparation and planning. The speech is never memorized.

Topics:

The general subject for extemporaneous speech shall be "Current Affairs." Topics shall cover both domestic and foreign affairs. Specifically, U.S. domestic and U.S. foreign policy; domestic affairs of foreign countries and the foreign affairs of all countries, including the United States. The topics shall be worded in question form and be selected from Time, U.S. News & World Report, World Press Review and Christian Science Monitor. Topics shall be selected from issues published between December 1 and April of the current school year.

a. The topics shall be used in regional and state speech and drama festivals and shall be supplied by the KSHSAA

b. The topics shall be used in state speech championships and shall be supplied by KSHSAA

c. At regional and state speech and drama festivals, there shall be two general subject divisions: Foreign and Domestic.

d.  At state speech championships there shall be two general subject divisions: Foreign and Domestic. Potential topics for this draw event will be narrowed to five broad Foreign and Domestic categories each.

·  One half-hour before the initial draw for each round, a category for that round’s questions will be determined by the blind draw.

· All questions drawn for that round will come from that category only.

· After a category has been used, it cannot be used for a future round.

· Students may draw from either subject division depending upon the qualification requirements for their classifications

Section 2. Drawing: Each participant shall draw three topics, choose one and return the other two. The other participants shall draw in like manner, in the order of speaking, at intervals of ten minutes. A participant drawing a topic on which she/he has spoken previously in the tournament shall return it and draw again.

Section 3. Preparation: As soon as a topic is chosen, the participant shall withdraw and prepare a speech without consultation and without references to prepared notes.  Students may consult originals or photocopies of published books, magazines, newspapers, journals, articles or unannotated indices.

Section 4. Notes: During the speech, brief notes may be used but they must be on a single card no larger than a 4 x 6 note card. The judge is expected to enforce this rule. The ethics committee shall decide on the penalty of disqualification for the use of more copious notes.

Section 5. Time: The Extemporaneous Speech shall be no longer than seven (7) minutes.