NOTE
There are two places to find out information about Speech Team: the description displayed below on this page, and the article on Individual Events on Wikipedia.com.

ALSO
Feel free to check out the new student handout from this year - it has descriptions and pictures of various Speech Team events and facts.

OVERVIEW
Speech Team is a competitive activity in which students compete in 13 very unique events, ranging from impromptu speaking to acting to newscasting to verse and prose reading. Students are judged against their competitors at tournaments, competing for a chance to compete in the final round of the tournament, and boost the team score of Wheaton North, while winning trophies and medals for themselves. Speech tournaments, of which there are generally 12-16 (attended by Wheaton North) each year, take place on Saturdays, and usually last eight to twelve hours. Students are usually judged in rounds of five to eight competitors. There are generally three preliminary rounds of competition, and the top-ranking competitors in each event advance to the final round. While there can be anywhere from thirty to sixty students entered in each single event at a tournament, only six or seven usually make finals, and these finalists take home awards. A common misconception is that Speech Team is Debate Team. This is not true - Speech and Debate are two separate activities. The Wheaton North Speech Team competes in Speech: Individual Events (since there are 13 individual events), while Debate is not even related to Individual Events. Currently, Wheaton North does not have a Debate Team. Also, Speech: Individual Events does NOT encompass the Drama/Group Interpretation categories (also known as Contest Plays). Wheaton North does not participate in Drama/Group Interp or Debate competitions; only Individual Events.

QUICK LINKS TO EVENT DESCRIPTIONS
Dramatic Duet Acting
Dramatic Interpretation
Extemporeaneous Speaking
Humorous Duet Acting
Humorous Interpretation
Impromptu Speaking
Oratorical Declamation
Original Comedy
Original Oratory
Prose Reading
Radio Speaking
Special Occasion Speaking
Verse Reading
Performance in the Round

HOW ROUNDS WORK
In each round, students compete against other students from other high schools (usually). Each performance is evaluated by a judge, who writes comments on a critique sheet that will be used by the competitor to enhance his/her performance at coaching sessions. After all performers have given their pieces, the judge ranks them by giving them a number, 1 thru 6. A 1 is the highest rank, while a 6 is the lowest. After all three rounds of competition, each competitors ranks are added together, and those with the lowest totals (with the most 1's and 2's, usually) advance to the final round. However, at most tournaments, the top two competitors in each event (the two with the lowest total) score team points, whether they advance to finals or not.

SCORING
All these ranks and scores can be confusing at times. Here's a more detailed description of the whole scoring mechanic. Each competitor is given a rank between 1 and 6 in each round, 1 meaning 1st, 2 meaning 2nd, and so on. After the preliminary rounds, the three ranks are added together - thus someone who got a 1, 2 and 3 would have a total of 6. The people in the tabulation room put together a list of finalists (aiming for a six-person round), comprised of the top-ranking competitors. Usually, students with totals of 3 (1-1-1) or 4 (1-1-2) get in automatically, while people with totals of 5 (1-2-2), 6 (2-2-2) or even 7 (2-2-3) may sneak in depending on how many 1-1-1's and 1-1-2's there were in the tournament. In case of ties, more than six competitors may be in a final round. The team usually gets points from the top two performers in each event. When scoring for the team, each 1 is worth 6 points, each 2 is 5 points, each 3 is 4 points and so on. Thus, a person going 1-1-1 would get 18 points for the team (6+6+6), while a person getting 1-2-3 would get 15 points for the team (6+5+4). Generally, only preliminary rounds count toward team score totals (though at some tournaments, only final rounds count for scoring).

FINAL ROUNDS
In final rounds, the top competitors in each event compete against each other. While there is only one judge in each preliminary round, there are usually three judges in each final round. Each judge ranks the competitors individually, and all ranks from all judges are added together to get a total final score for the competitor. Thus, a competitor who got 2-2-3 would place higher than someone who got 1-1-6 (2+2+3=7, while 1+1+6=8, and 7 is less than 8). The finalists are organized according to their final round ranks, and the competitor with the lowest total wins 1st, 2nd lowest wins 2nd, and so on. All finalists get a trophy or medal, but students finishing lower than sixth (in final rounds with more than six competitors) are all given 'finalist' medals.)

IHSA STATE SERIES
At the end of the season, the judges convene and select one competitor from each event to move on to the IHSA (Illinois High School Association) State Series. The competitor from each event competes first in the IHSA regional tournament. Those who place in the top 4 in the Regional final round move on to the Sectional tournament, where more schools compete. The top 3 at the Sectional move on to the State tournament, where schools from the entire state are represented. The state champion is selected in the State Final Round.
Wheaton North IHSA State Series Page

DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH EVENT
Each event is described and its abbreviation(s) are in parentheses. Please note that only Dramatic Duet Acting, Humorous Duet Acting, and Performance in the Round involve more than one performer.

Dramatic Duet Acting (DDA) - Two students perform a memorized interpretation of a published dramatic work for two performers around 8 minutes long. Performers are allowed to utilize a table and two chairs in their performance (to sit on, kneel on, etc).

Dramatic Interpretation (DI) - One performer performs a memorized interpretation of a dramatic work, lasting around 8 minutes. Usually a piece has two or more characters in it, all portrayed by the same performer, using different stances, body language, vocal tones, etc.

Extemporaneous Speaking (ES, EX, EXTEMP) - Performers are given a topic, and have 45 minutes to browse materials (magazines, newspapers, etc) that they bring with them to the tournament for information to use in a speech related to the topic. The speech is to be around 6 minutes long, and must use citations and direct quotes from the sources that they utilized in their research.

Humorous Duet Acting (HDA) - Two students perform a memorized interpretation of a published humorous work for two performers around 8 minutes long. Performers are allowed to utilize a table and two chairs in their performance (to sit on, kneel on, etc).

Humorous Interpretation (HI) - One performer performs a memorized interpretation of a humorous work, lasting around 8 minutes. Usually a piece has two or more characters in it, all portrayed by the same performer, using different stances, body language, vocal tones, etc.

Impromptu Speaking (IS, IMP) - Students are given a topic, and have eight minutes to prepare and present a speech on the topic they are given. Topics may be quotes, concepts, etc. Usually preparation takes between 2 and 4 minutes, as the longer the speech, usually the better (as long as presentation is organized).

Oratorical Declamation (OD) - Performers memorize and perform an interpretation of a speech given by another person. The speech is memorized, but is not original, as in Original Oratory. Possible works for this event would be the Gettysburg Address, Kennedy's Inauguration Speech, or any other work (whether it was given by a 'famous' person or not).

Original Comedy (OC) - Performers write and perform their own humorous script. The topic can be anything, though it should portray something of a story (an involved plot is usually not present, but there should be some logical event progression). Performances should be about eight minutes long.

Original Oratory (OO) - Students select a topic and write a speech exploring the different points and aspects of that topic. Original Oratories are serious speeches written by the performer before the tournament on any topic of his or her choice. Length should be around eight minutes.

Prose Reading (PR) - Students find a short piece of literature and read it to the audience out of a book, using vocal inflection to express emotion and clarify the piece. Memorization is not necessary in this event; however, practice is necessary to eliminate stumbles and gain a greater understanding of the piece.

Radio Speaking (RS) - Performers are given a packet of news stories, and must construct and practice a five minute newscast from it in 45 minutes, containing world, national, local and sports news, along with weather and a commercial. Memorization is not necessary - the emphasis is on clear enunciation and easy understanding of the news material, much as a TV or Radio newscaster aims for. Sometimes scripts are prepared at home.

Special Occasion Speaking (SOS) - A speech is composed at home by the student that covers a certain topic. However, Special Occasion Speeches are generally about lighter subjects than Original Oratories; they are generally entertaining speeches that might be given at company dinners as opposed to speeches meant to persuade or inform an audience of a serious problem or major idea.

Verse Reading (VR) - Students find a poem and read it to the audience out of a book, using vocal inflection to express emotion and clarify the piece. Memorization is not necessary in this event; however, practice is necessary to eliminate stumbles and gain a greater understanding of the piece.

Performance in the Round (PIR) - This event only exists in the IHSA state series. Students not competing in an individual event in the state series are eligible to enter in Performance in the Round. This is a rather short (15-20 minute) interpretation of a script performed by a small group of students. It resembles a short play and is judged as such - however it takes place in a circular performance area with a four chairs equally spaced around the circle - thus space management plays a large role as does acting.