Speech & Debate
Speech and Debate is a competitive activity that revolves around public speaking, argumentation, and performance, offering students the chance to compete in a variety of events, either individually or as part of a team. Ranging from October to Mid-February, tournaments are held across the state, allowing participants to travel, develop their writing, research, and critical thinking skills, and meet new people while having fun. Within each tournament, students can choose to compete in either speech events or debate events, but not both.
Coaches
Eligibility Fees & Forms
REQUIRED INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN Speech and Debate:
Rank One (http://www.rankonesport.com/content/): At the beginning of the season, students and parents must complete their Risk Disclosure, Travelcard, and Code of Conduct Forms online with Rank One. (You will need your student's ID number to register them for this. For incoming freshmen coming from MCPS, it is the same number as last year. For incoming freshmen from other schools, you can call 406-728-2402 to find out their ID number). Please click on the link, click on the "Parents click here" button in the top right. Click the "Online forms" button, proceed to MCPS and Hellgate High School. Create an account (or login if you already have one), and digitally fill out and sign the forms. You are not required to fill out the Concussion form or complete a physical.
REQUIRED FEES FOR PARTICIPATION IN Speech and Debate
$30 Activity card fee (once per year)
$75 Participation fee (per activity or sport)
$20 NSDA fee (one time/lifetime membership)
Financial assistance is available for those in need – see the activities office to inquire (Leilani Booi and/or Nick Laatsch).
FEES ARE DUE BEFORE FIRST COMPETITION
Students must meet the following requirements to be eligible to participate:
- Completed at least 2.0 credits the previous semester - Incoming 9th graders have met this requirement for the fall semester
- Travel Paperwork
Schedule
2024-2025 Tournament Schedule
- November 2: Kalispell Kickoff (hosted by Flathead)
- November 15 & 16: Missoula (hosted at Sentinel)
- December 6 & 7: Helena
- December 13 & 14: Kalispell (hosted by Glacier)
- January 10 & 11: Corvallis
- January 17 & 18: Butte
- January 31 & Feb 1: Bozeman (State AA)
- February 14 & 15: Whitefish (NSDA Districts)
Speech Events
ORIGINAL ORATORY (OO)
Original Oratory is a ten minute speech written to alert the audience to an issue or danger facing society, to strengthen devotion to an accepted cause, or to eulogize a person. Orators are expected to research and speak intelligently, with a degree of originality, in an interesting manner, and with some profit to the audience, about a topic of significance. An orator is given free choice of subject and judged solely on the effectiveness of development and presentation. Students perform for up to 10 minutes.
MEMORIZED PUBLIC ADDRESS (MPA)
Memorized Public Address is a two-part event designed to highlight a previously given speech. It is comprised of an introductory analysis written by the competitor (comprising at least 20% of the total speech) and quoted material from any one speech given to the public throughout history (comprising the remaining ~80% of the total speech). Competitors find a speech (i.e. Ted Talks, commencement addresses, testimonies, etc.) and then write an accompanying introduction. Students perform for up to 10 minutes.
INFORMATIVE SPEAKING (INF)
Informative speaking is a ten minute speech written to enlighten or educate the audience about any one subject. Props (such as posters) are allowed and are commonly used in this event, but they are by no means mandatory. Competitors may choose to write about any subject that interests them. Students perform for up to 10 minutes.
Dramatic Interpretation (DI)
SOI is comprised of selections or cuttings from a single published literary work (with an ISBN number), i.e. one novel, one short story, one play, one monologue, or one or more poems. The contestant must name their piece and its author at some point during their presentation. Contestants memorize their selections and perform them without the use of any props or costumes. SOI is serious in nature, and requires talent in acting and characterization. Students perform for up to 10 minutes.
Humorous Interpretation HI
HOI is comprised of selections or cuttings from a single published literary work (with an ISBN number), i.e. one novel, one short story, one play, one monologue, or one or more poems. The contestant must name their piece and its author at some point during their presentation. Contestants memorize their selections and perform them without the use of any props or costumes. HOI is humorous in nature, and requires talent in acting and characterization. Students perform for up to 10 minutes.
Duo Interpretation (Duo)
Duo is unique in that it is the only speech event where two people work as partners. In Duo Interpretation, each of the two performers may play one or more characters. They may not make eye contact with each other or touch during their piece. It is comprised of selections or cuttings from a single published literary work (with an ISBN number), i.e. one novel, one short story, one play, one monologue, or one or more poems. The contestant must name their piece and its author at some point during their presentation. Contestants memorize their selections and perform them without the use of any props or costumes. Duo can be either serious or humorous in nature, and requires talent in acting and characterization. Students perform for up to 10 minutes.
IMPROMPTU
Impromptu Speaking is a short-prep event designed to demonstrate the competitors' speaking skills, improvisational ability, and their capability to draw critical conclusions and design a speech based off of a prompt. Impromptu Speaking is ultimately a test of a student’s ability to analyze and organize information and of his/her speaking ability. The topics are quotations/cartoons that show the author’s specific ideas on cultural, moral, or social issues. Students speak for up to 5 minutes
EXTEMPORANEOUS
Extemporaneous Speaking is a short-prep event designed to demonstrate the competitors' speaking skills, improvising ability, and knowledge and understanding of current events. Competitors draw three questions regarding current events, select one, and then have 30 minutes to prepare a speech in response. The contestant utilizes files of published materials (books, magazines, newspapers, online sources) s/he has compiled as a resource for answering the question. At the completion of the 30 minute preparation period, the student speaks on the topic for up to 7 minutes.
Debate Events
POLICY
Debaters work in pairs (teams) to address the school year’s topic, either from the affirmative side (to propose a plan to solve a problem with the topic), or the negative side (to prove how the affirmative’s plan is flawed). Argumentation includes a constructive case, cross-examination, and refutation. Skills learned include research, policy analysis, case building, refutation, questioning, organization and communication.
The 2021-22 Policy Topic is: Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its protection of water resources in the United States.
PUBLIC FORUM
Public Forum Debate is an audience friendly debate. Two pairs (teams) debate controversial topics (which change monthly) ripped from newspaper headlines. Rounds begin with a coin toss between the competing teams to determine side and order (Pro-Con or Con-Pro). Public Forum tests skills in argumentation, cross-examination, and refutation.
The 2021-22 September/October PF Topic is: The North Atlantic Treaty Association should substantially increase its defense commitments to the Baltic Seas.
Legislative Debate
This is individual debate in a large group setting. Legislative Debate models the legislative process of democracy, specifically, the United States Congress. Students optionally write legislation submitted by their coach to a tournament, and they research the docket of bills and resolutions distributed by each tournament. At the tournament, students set an agenda of what legislation to discuss, they debate the merits and disadvantages of each, and they vote to pass or defeat the measures they have examined
Lincoln Douglas
Lincoln Douglas Debate centers on a proposition of value, which concerns itself with what ought to be instead of what is. A value is an ideal held by individuals, societies, governments, etc. One debater upholds each side of the resolution from a value perspective. To that end, no plan (or counterplan) should be offered. A plan is defined as a formalized, comprehensive proposal for implementation. The debate should focus on logical reasoning to support a general principle instead of particular plans and counterplans. Debaters may offer generalized, practical examples or solutions to illustrate how the general principle could guide decisions. Topics change every two months
The 2021-2022 September/October LD Topic is: Resolved: The members of the World Trade Organization ought to reduce intellectual property protections for medicines.
Novice: Resolved: Civil disobedience in a democracy is morally justified.
Volunteer Judges
Volunteer to be a judge today!
Missoula Hellgate, Big Sky, and Sentinel are hosting a speech and debate tournament on November 15th and 16th! Click here to sign up to judge!
A few things to note:
All events will be taking place at Sentinel High School this year.
The tournament will be taking place on Friday Nov. 15th and Saturday Nov. 16th. You can sign up to judge for either (or both!) days.
Rounds typically last around an hour and half. We request that you are prepared to be at the school for at least 2 hours to account for time to write comments, rounds running long, etc.
We will be hosting 2 OPTIONAL Judge Clinics if you would like a refresher on elements of judging. These will take place on Tues. 11/12 and Wed. 11/13 in the Sentinel Library.
Light refreshments will be provided for judges :)