Frequently Asked Questions
What do you speech and debaters do?
The Speech and Debate Team at the Collierville High School is a competitive team comprising various forensics fields, individual events, and debates. Students can compete in various events such as extemporaneous, impromptu, oratory, prose, poetry, humorous interpretation, dramatic interpretation, duo interpretation, solo acting, duet acting, Lincoln-Douglas. For an excellent resource of descriptions of individual events, as well as FAQs for those events, go to http://www.forensicsonline.com/.
Forensics? Like dead people?
No. We do not carve up cadavers for fun. Check your dictionary.
What is competitive speech?
Competitive
speech is organized "sport" in which students in teams from each
school compete in individual events against other students from other
schools in speaking and debating events. Sound confusing?
Probably. But it's quite simple. Each competitor competes
in his/her events to earn an individual score, which could be reflected
in the awards ceremony, and to earn an overall cumulative team score.
Highest team scores win awards as well.
Who are my judges at the tournaments?
Often
times judges are community members who volunteered their time to judge
for the tournament. No judging experience is required to be a judge as
good speaking style should be evident whether you're a coach or
not! However, coaches sometimes judge as well. Usually
coaches judge at qualifiers.
When do you travel?
The
speech/debate season runs from mid-September through early April.
Tournaments are generally scheduled over weekends, though some
tournaments require travel on Fridays, and sometimes Thursdays or
Mondays as well. We generally tend to travel two
or three weekends a month.
Where do you go?
We
attend tournaments at high school and college campuses all over.
However, most tournaments are located in the Mid-South area (Tennessee,
Mississippi, Alabama).
Who pays for all this stuff?
Expenses
per student can exceed $ 1,000.00 for the year, and while parents
absorb much of these costs, these future leaders still need assistance
from their community. We also hold fundraisers to help
defray the costs.
So can I join?
All
CHS students, freshmen to seniors, are potentially eligible to
join our team. For specifics on how to become a part please
contact Mickey Hutson.
When are team meetings?
The team receives notices in advance of meetings and rehearsals.
How do you decide who travels?
Mickey
Hutson, Director of Forensics at CHS, decides who
travels. Most tournaments are open to any team member who is
prepared for competition. The national tournaments have
qualification requirements of their own.
Are the speech team and the debate teams different?
No,
we are one team with different divisions. Most students
specialize in specific events, but some students compete in multiple
categories.
How do you have time for all this stuff?
Your
personal level of time commitment (beyond a minimum level) is really up
to you. Our most successful competitors put in a significant
number of hours each week on their events, but many members can
enjoy the team with less. It's up to you.
But what about your grades? And do I have to miss class?
With
a few exceptions, our team does very well academically. Balancing
school and competition takes some creative time management, such as
getting assignments done before we leave for a tournament, but
generally we do just fine. There are occasions where we miss
class on Fridays and sometimes on Thursdays or Mondays. Just
remember that SCHOOL COMES FIRST!
So how does this help me (the team, not the Chinese flag)?
Well,
among many other reasons, the awards look great in your house and
on a resume, and many employers and professional schools (i.e. law
school) like to see that you have the ability to speak publicly, talk
intelligently, etc. Also, the research you do and the practice you get
in public speaking makes those class presentations a breeze!
When does this list of FAQs end?
Now. See you at a future meeting!