A Beginners Guide to Judging Forensics

I’ve never judged before, and I don’t think that I am qualified. All public speaking events are designed for a lay (non- trained) audience, the speakers goal is to be good enough to get your vote regardless of your expertise or knowledge. Will I be judging my own son/daughter? Never. If you enter a room to judge and your son/daughter is in there, leave immediately and return to the Judge’s Lounge for reassignment.

Do I have to bring anything when I judge? Yes. You should always bring pen and paper when you judge. You should also bring some type of electronic timer (cell phones and watches are acceptable). You should also bring something to read or occupy yourself during downtime. Will I be allowed to watch my son/daughter perform? Yes, provided that you do not have a ballot for that round and your child feels comfortable with you watching.

Will I be able to choose which events I judge? As a general rule no, the person responsible for assigning judges will do so based upon the needs of the tournament. You can always request an event, but be aware that you may be asked to judge another event. Do I have to stay for the entire tournament? Yes!!! Unless you have made arrangements with your schools coach, it is generally assumed that all judges will judge for the entire day. If you leave early, you may cause the tournament to slow down due to a lack of judges.

Why does this tournament take so long? Tournaments take a great deal of time. Each round generally takes at least one hour to complete, and then the tab room has to enter in scores and re-assign competitors for the next round. Most deviations from a posted schedule are generally due to missing or incomplete ballots (this is why returning ballots is critical to the smooth operation of a tournament)

What do I do if a door is locked? Many tournaments will have a number to call for assistance. If this is not available send a student to the tab room to inform them of the situation. If the problem drags on for more than 15 minutes, feel free to take whatever steps you need to get the round going (I have run rounds in hallways or on lawns when the situation demanded it) What happens if a student doesn’t show to a round? The general rule is that if a student is more than 15 minutes late, he or she forfeits that round and they get last place. This may be modified due to double entry or tournament logistics. When in doubt contact the judges lounge or tab room for help.

Registration / Check-In All tournaments have a period of time in which judges must check in. This will change from tournament to tournament so always ask your schools coach for the times. Make sure you know your schools code and the events that your son/daughter are entered in prior to registration. Registration locations vary, so ask your coach, or follow posted signs and/or students in suits.

Picking up ballots Judges should check in minutes prior to their scheduled round, and if they have not already checked in, do so now. Ballots will usually be called out, but some tournaments will place them on a table to picked up If all ballots are passed out and you have not been called, ask the person directing the Judges lounge if you may leave.

Filling out Ballots Ballots vary by event and tournament, but there are some general guidelines you can follow. Make sure the ballot has the event, round, room number, and competitors name/code marked on it. Make sure you sign the bottom of the ballot Make sure your school affiliation is listed Write your cell phone number on the bottom (useful if there is a problem with the ballot, and is generally optional) Record the ranking of each competitor based on the tournament rules, generally speaking 1 st is best and most tournaments tie at 4 th place.

Returning Ballots Once a round is completed, quickly complete your ballots and return immediately to the designated ballot return area. Hand in your ballot to the person collecting them and wait until they have been checked for accuracy. DO NOT GO ANYWHERE ELSE UNTIL YOUR BALLOTS HAVE BEEN TURNED IN!!!

What are Individual Events? IE’s are the term used for non-debate speech events, and are normally done on an individual basis (with the exception of Duo). Most IE events are memorized and students are not allowed to use scripts or props (some exceptions do exist, more on that later) Most IE events will have between 5-7 competitors per round.

While you are judging a round it is important that you are keeping constant track of what is happening, a useful tool is the IE ranking schematic. 1 Speaker 1 Speaker 2 Speaker 3 Speaker 4 Speaker 5 Speaker 6 Speaker 7

While you are judging a round it is important that you are keeping constant track of what is happening, a useful tool is the IE ranking schematic. 1 Speaker 1 12 Speaker 2 Speaker 3 Speaker 4 Speaker 5 Speaker 6 Speaker 7

While you are judging a round it is important that you are keeping constant track of what is happening, a useful tool is the IE ranking schematic. 1 Speaker 1 12 Speaker Speaker 3 Speaker 4 Speaker 5 Speaker 6 Speaker 7

While you are judging a round it is important that you are keeping constant track of what is happening, a useful tool is the IE ranking schematic. 1 Speaker 1 12 Speaker Speaker Speaker Speaker 5 Speaker 6 Speaker 7

How do I determine the winner of a round? This answer can get complicated, but essentially the winner of a round is the student who did the best job of presenting their piece (persuade, inform, interpret, analyze, etc) Remember that all judging is ultimately subjective, so do your best to be fair and impartial, and vote for the person who you would most like to see again. The next slide contains some general public speaking criteria that applies to most written speeches.

Suggested Judging Criteria-Written Events Speakers Did the speech display effective writing? Was the speech organized clearly and easy to follow? Did the speech contain good reasoning and logic rather than shallow thinking and broad generalization? Did the speech contain evidence, examples, or expert opinions in support of ideas or conclusions? Did the speaker use effective oral presentation skills (volume, diction, clarity of speech, speed and pacing of delivery)? Was the speaker poised, sincere, and comfortable in delivery? Did the speaker use effective body language (gestures, facial expression, eye contact)? Did the speech exemplify the highest standards of language usage, style and vocabulary? Did the speaker avoid slang, poor grammar, and mispronunciations? Other: Notes (use both sides of the page):

Original Oratory (OO) A 10 minute speech to persuade Generally focuses on non- legislative issues No notes may be used. 30 second grace period, then they drop 1 rank Original Advocacy (OA) 10 minute speech to persuade Must advocate a legislative solution to a problem. No note may be used 30 Second Grace Period Expository (Expos): 10 minute speech to inform The use of visual aids is allowed and expected Speech must be memorized Set up time is part of the speech 30 second grace period Original Prose and Poetry: 10 minute student created performance, may be a story or poem. Must be memorized No notes may be uses 30 second grace period

Suggested Judging Criteria-Written Events Speakers Did the speech display effective writing? Was the speech organized clearly and easy to follow? Did the speech contain good reasoning and logic rather than shallow thinking and broad generalization? Did the speech contain evidence, examples, or expert opinions in support of ideas or conclusions? Did the speaker use effective oral presentation skills (volume, diction, clarity of speech, speed and pacing of delivery)? Was the speaker poised, sincere, and comfortable in delivery? Did the speaker use effective body language (gestures, facial expression, eye contact)? Did the speech exemplify the highest standards of language usage, style and vocabulary? Did the speaker avoid slang, poor grammar, and mispronunciations? Other: Notes (use both sides of the page):

Impromptu Speaking: Spontaneous speech where students are given their topics in round. 2 minutes of preparation time 5 minute speech Students are given 3 choices and must choose one topic to speak on No notes may be used Time signals must be given Extemporaneous Speaking: Spontaneous speech focusing on current event. Students are given their topic 30 minutes prior to the start of the round The speech should last 5 minutes Students are expected to cite sources in their speech. Analysis of the topic is critical to success in Extemp.

Suggested Judging Criteria-Spontaneous Speakers Did the student present an organized speech? Did the student understand, clearly and effectively discuss, analyze, and evaluate the selected topic? Did the speaker use effective oral presentation skills (volume, diction, clarity of speech, speed and pacing of delivery)? Was the speaker poised, sincere, and comfortable in delivery? Did the speaker use effective body language (gestures, facial expression, eye contact)? Did the speech exemplify the highest standards of language usage, style and vocabulary? Did the speaker avoid slang, poor grammar, and mispronunciations? Other:

Thematic Interpretation (TI): 10 minute presentation that uses at least 3 different pieces to explore a theme Students must have a binder/script with them when performing The speech does not have to be memorized The binder may be used as a prop

Suggested Judging Criteria-TI Speakers Did the presentation present a single unified theme that extended beyond a simple topic? Did the presentation help to evoke or clarify an understanding of and appreciation for a single unified theme? Did each selection clearly reflect, analyze, shape or relate to the single unified theme? Was each selection effectively edited and easy to follow with transitions in time, character, mood and emotion clearly evident? Did the speaker use effective oral presentation skills (volume, diction, clarity of speech, speed and pacing of delivery)? Did the speaker demonstrate mastery of performance details (voice, facial expression, body language, and movement) to achieve clarity, force, and aesthetic effect in recreating character(s) and situations and conveying? Did the speaker convey an understanding of the mood and emotion of the characters? Did the speaker consistently portray the character(s), including clear differentiation if more than one? Other:

Oratorical Interpretation (OI): 10 minute speech where a student is giving a speech written by someone else This is an interpretation event, not a mimicry event.

Suggested Judging Criteria-OI Speakers Was each selection effectively edited and easy to follow? Did the speaker use effective oral presentation skills (volume, diction, clarity of speech, speed and pacing of delivery)? Did the speaker demonstrate mastery of performance details (voice, facial expression, body language, and movement) to achieve clarity, force, and aesthetic? Did the speaker convey an understanding of the thoughts, emotions, ideas, and purposes evident in the speech? Other:

Humorous Interpretation (HI): In this event, the speaker will give a presentation of a humorous story, play, poem, novel or other literary material (excluding speeches). The piece must come from a published source. The student will attempt to interpret the story through the use of characters, voices, gestures and facial expressions. They must state the title and author. Consider the quality of the student’s interpretation, do not downgrade a student for interpreting a piece of literature you do not consider one of your favorites. Also remember, Humorous interpretation does NOT mean the funniest speech wins. As noted above, this is not acting but interpretation, so the first place should go to the student who does the best job of interpretation. (See Appendix I for judging sheet) Dramatic Interpretation (DI): Essentially the same as Humorous Interpretation (see above), but without an emphasis on humor (there may be some humorous aspects, but that will not be the main emphasis of the speech). Dramatic Interpretation does NOT mean most dramatic piece wins. As noted above, this is not acting but interpretation, so the first place should go to the student who does the best job of interpretation. (See Appendix J for judging sheet) Duo Interpretation (Duo): This event is similar to Humorous Interpretation and Dramatic Interpretation, but it involves two speakers, instead of just one. In this event, each of the two speakers will play the parts of one or more characters to interpret a story, play, poem, novel or other literary material (excluding speeches). The piece may be humorous or dramatic. During the performance, the students must give the title and author of the piece. The piece must come from a published source. The students will attempt to interpret the story through the use of characters, voices, gestures and facial expressions. Because it is not acting, but a speech event, the two students will never touch each other, look at each other, or appear to directly interact with each other. In judging, consider the quality of the students’ interpretation, and do not downgrade a duo for interpreting a piece of literature you do not consider one of your favorites. The first place should go to the students who do the best job of interpretation. The time limit is 5 to 10 minutes. (See Appendix K for judging sheet)

Suggested Judging Criteria-Interp Speakers Was each selection effectively edited and easy to follow with transitions in time, character, mood and emotion clearly evident? Did the speaker use effective oral presentation skills (volume, diction, clarity of speech, speed and pacing of delivery)? Did the speaker demonstrate mastery of performance details (voice, facial expression, body language, and movement) to achieve clarity, force, and aesthetic effect in recreating character(s) and situations? Did the speaker convey an understanding of the mood and emotion of the characters? Did the speaker consistently portray the character(s), including clear differentiation if more than one? Other: