Month: August 2012

Hello, friends. As you know, Logan Scisco has chosen to retire from Extemp Central, and we are all sad to see him go. However, we definitely don’t want to see this site, and the resources it provides for extempers, disappear. So we’re pleased to announce that Extemp Central will continue to operate under new management: Seth Peckham and Todd Rainey.

As the 2012-2013 season kicks off, we’ll be getting underway next week with many of the resources you know and love, and we’ll also be rolling out some new features this year. What can you expect from the new Extemp Central? Here’s what we’re working on now:

Questions lists – We’ve both been huge fans of the question lists put out by Logan Sisco, and will be continuing the tradition of offering question lists as a handy practice resource. We will ensure a wide variety of topic areas, question approaches, and difficulty levels so that all competitors and coaches are able to make the most out of Extemp Central.

Focus articles – Knowledge of world affairs is an indispensable tool for tournament success. Being aware of the goings-on in our world makes source use during prep more efficient, reserving more time for argument formation, organization, and practice time – all culminating in an improved rank. We hope to bring you focus articles with links to relevant news sources so that both new and veteran competitors can add to their wealth of knowledge. Don’t forget to file the news articles if you don’t already have them!

News Quizzes – We’re going to offer news quizzes, though in a slightly different way from the past. Under the old format, news quizzes were focused on the particulars of data – naming world leaders, estimating unemployment, and the like. The news quizzes from this point on will shift focus toward questions that test your level of awareness on central issues.

Linkfests – Whether news articles, blogs, or longer research pieces, the linkfests will be broad compilations of useful internet resources worthy of your time. While not all links will be usable in-round as a resource, all will have a viewpoint and analysis of current events which can enrich your perspective on a wide array of topics.

Point-Counterpoint – Extemp is about answering the question, but for every question, there are many possible answers. We’ll be posting regular point-counterpoint articles on current events throughout the year, to offer sources and perspectives that examine multiple sides of a question.

We’ll be rolling out additional changes in the coming weeks as we make this transition. We hope you like the new Extemp Central, and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook for the latest updates from the site!

Extemp Central began in August 2006 as a project to assist high school extempers across the country by providing free, quality questions for students to use in practices.  Over the years, the site expanded to include topic briefs, news quizzes, strategy columns, a National Points Race, and a magazine and expanded its reach to hundreds of high school students and coaches across the country.

Due to work responsibilities and other academic pursuits, I have decided to end my participation in Extemp Central.  It has been rewarding to help and interact with students and coaches across the country through this forum for the last six years.  Extemp Central will come under new management within the next several weeks, as SpeechGeek is arranging for others to take over the website and continue Extemp Central’s mission to provide quality materials for extempers across the country.  Extempers should continue to check back for these future updates.

I will still be available for random inquiries by e-mail at [email protected], but more in-depth updates on the website will no longer be done by me.  Again, I appreciate the support given by loyal readers to this website for over the years and I wish all of you the best in your future endeavors.

-Logan Scisco