What Is Forensics?

What Is Forensics?

Forensic activities fall under three distinct categories:

  1. Debate
    1. Lincoln-Douglass Debate (LD): This is one-on-one debating.
      1. It is one-on-one debate focused upon a proposition of value.
      2. You are assigned a topic and must be prepared to debate both the affirmative and negative position. (The position you must take alternates from round to round.)
      3. The topic changes every TWO MONTHS.
    2. Public Forum Debate (PF): This is two-on-two debate.
      1. It is two-on-two, team debate focused upon controversial issues that are “stripped” from the newspaper headlines.
      2. You are also assigned a topic and must be prepared to debate both the PRO and CON position. (The position you must take alternates from round to round.)
      3. The topic changes every MONTH.
      4. Note: Though this is officially a “speech event,” most tournaments run this event in conjunction with their LD schedule and rounds.
    3. Policy Debate (Cross-X; CX; Team Debate): This is also two-on-two debate.
      1. It is two-on-two, team debate focused upon a proposition of policy.
      2. You are also assigned a topic and must be prepared to debate both the affirmative and negative position. (The position you must take varies from round to round.)
      3. The topic stays the same all year long.
  2. Individual Events (IEs): there are multiple IEs including, among others:
    1. Original Composition Events: (speech writing/preforming)
      1. Extemporaneous Speaking (EXT)
        1. International Extemp (IX)
        2. United States Extemp (DX)
      2. Impromptu Speaking (IMP)
      3. Improvisational Acting (IPV)
      4. Original Oratory (OO)
    2. Interpretation Events: (acting)
      1. Declamation (DEC)
      2. Dramatic Interpretation (DI)
      3. Duo Interpretation (DUO)
      4. Humorous Interpretation (HI)
      5. Poetry Interpretation (PO)
      6. Prose Interpretation (PR)
  3. Model Congress: a simulated exercise of the legislative process, focusing upon the US Congress as its model:
    1. You write Bills or Resolutions
    2. You debate and vote on the Bills and Resolutions, as presented
    3. You must follow parliamentary procedure
    4. Judges and one’s peers determine the best speakers

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