Month: September 2013 Page 1 of 3

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of September 30th-October 6th, 2013

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On September 30, 2013

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Should the Indian government invest in ethanol?
2. How can the British Labour Party ensure that it wins the 2015 British parliamentary elections?
3. What steps do African states need to take to reduce poaching?
4. Will the shift of several Syrian rebel factions towards favoring an Islamic state hurt their ability to secure Western aid?
5. Is al-Qaeda making a comeback?
6. What will be the composition of the next German government?
7. Why are Sino-Taiwanese relations thawing?
8. What must Pakistan do to revive its stalled peace process with India?
9. Is Italy headed for a new round of parliamentary elections?
10. Should Greece ban Golden Dawn?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of September 30th-October 6th, 2013

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On September 30, 2013

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Will Congress raise the debt ceiling before October 17th?
2. Obama’s recent Iranian nuclear diplomacy: will it produce a Libya-style victory or a North Korean-style failure?
3. Will the All Players United movement succeed?
4. Is the U.S. leaving Afghanistan too soon?
5. Are Maryland’s recent gun restrictions unconstitutional?
6. Will the infusion of $100 million by the federal government put Detroit on the path to recovery?
7. Does President Obama have enough political capital to successfully push for immigration reform this fall?
8. Should there be more regulation of violent video games?
9. Can Wendy Davis become Texas’s next governor?
10. What reforms should be made to Medicare?

R&D: Obamacare

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On September 27, 2013

In R&D

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Today’s R&D covers the controversial Obamacare initiative, which begins its official roll out on October 1st.

 

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R&D: Golden Dawn

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On September 26, 2013

In R&D

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Today’s R&D provides information on Golden Dawn, a neo-fascist group in Greece whose popularity has risen during the country’s economic crisis.  The political group is under investigation for violent acts and the murder of a left-wing hip-hop musician.  The Greek government is currently looking into banning the group.

 

 

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Strategy: Speaking in Front of Large Crowds

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On September 25, 2013

In Strategy

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by Logan Scisco

Although the goal of forensics is to encourage and teach people to speak in front of audiences, the size of those audiences can greatly impact a competitive round and a competitor’s psyche.  Depending on what event you do in forensics the crowd sizes fluctuate, especially when elimination rounds are held.  Of all forensic events, extemporaneous speaking tends to pull in the fewest number of audience members.  Extempers do not make their audience laugh as often as an HI or cry during a DI and there are some people that just do not find a discussion about the next Federal Reserve chairman that interesting.  Extempers usually speak in front of audiences ranging from one to five people for most of their rounds but what do you do when you are in a state or national elimination round and there the room is suddenly packed to watch the round?  Some extempers panic in this situation because they are not used to it.  This strategy piece will give you some tips on how to master your nerves and conquer those rounds.

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Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of September 23rd-29th, 2013

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On September 25, 2013

In Quiz

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quiz-01Ready to test your knowledge of the week’s events?  Here is this week’s news quiz.  Good luck!

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Government Shutdown & Debt Ceiling Debate (2013)

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On September 24, 2013

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

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By October 1st Congress must pass legislation to fund the annual expenses of the federal government for the next fiscal year.  If it does not, a government shutdown will ensue where many government operations will cease, although programs that do not receive their funding directly from the Treasury, provide for national defense, or conduct essential services will continue.  Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) hoped to avoid a showdown with the White House in what would be the first fiscal showdown since 2011, but Tea Party Republicans have pressured he and other members of the House Republican leadership to pass a spending measure that would fund the government in the short-term and deny funding for Obamacare, which is set to begin on October 1st with the opening of signups on state insurance exchanges.  President Obama and Senate Democrats argue that the spending measure passed by the House is a non-starter and if a compromise is not reached by October 1st it would result in the first government shutdown since 1995-1996.  The battle over the shutdown also touches on the nation’s credit rating, since the debt ceiling will have to be raised to avoid a potentially damaging default.

This topic brief will explore the issues behind the latest fiscal battle between House Republicans and President Obama, public opinion on the subject, and some of the implications for this battle for both sides of the aisle.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

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R&D: Government Shutdown & Debt Ceiling Debate (2013)

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On September 24, 2013

In R&D

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on the looming government shutdown and debt ceiling fights.

 

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2013 Yale University Invitational: Saffran Nearly Goes Straight One’s to Claim His Second Consecutive National Circuit Title of the Year; Former Champion Harrison Finishes Second

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On September 23, 2013

In National Circuit Results

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yaleAt last weekend’s Yale Invitational in New Haven, Connecticut, Miles Saffran of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) won his second consecutive national circuit tournament of the season with a commanding victory over 2011 Yale champion Chase Harrison of Millburn High School (NJ) and Lily Nellans of Des Moines Roosevelt High School (IA). Saffran’s margin of victory was eleven ranks in the cumulative tournament and he nearly picket fenced the entire tournament, claiming only one rank below a one all weekend. Saffran went straight 1’s in the final, which featured five judges. Saffran is the first Florida extemper to win at Yale since at least 2001 and he becomes the first extemper in the last thirteen years to win Wake Forest and Yale.

105 extempers competed at Yale, meaning that all elimination round participants have earned an unofficial qualifying leg to the 2014 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University.  Nineteen extempers that were not previously qualified to the next TOC received qualifying legs and one extemper, Nathaniel Saffran of Trinity Preparatory School, becomes the first extemper to earn an unofficial at-large bid to the tournament after breaking at Wake Forest two weeks ago.  Extempers that earned a qualifying leg are in italics.

Here are the full results from the 2013 Yale Invitational Tournament:

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of September 23rd-29th, 2013

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On September 23, 2013

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. How can John Boehner gain more control over the Tea Party caucus?
2. Will Starbucks decision to discourage guns in its stores lead to similar efforts by other chains?
3. Should schools have access to students’ social media accounts?
4. Will Scott Walker’s collective bargaining law survive judicial muster in Wisconsin?
5. Obamacare: repeal, restart, or remain?
6. Will the EPA’s new rules on future power plants doom Democratic Senate candidates in 2014?
7. Do First Amendment rights to exercise of religion apply to corporations?
8. Should Common Core standards be eliminated?
9. Obama vs. House Republicans: Who wins if there is a government shutdown?
10. What steps does Chicago need to take to lower its crime rate?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of September 23rd-29th, 2013

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On September 23, 2013

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Was it in Brazil’s best interest to have Dilma Rousseff cancel her state visit to the United States?
2. Is the ICC biased against African states?
3. Has France vanquished jihadists in Mali?
4. Is Great Britain’s “special relationship” with the United States slipping?
5. Was Mexico ill-prepared for hurricanes Ingrid and Manuel?
6. Will Pope Francis’s liberal views on homosexuality create a schism in the Catholic Church?
7. Has the world resigned itself to a nuclear Iran?
8. Would devolution ease ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka?
9. Is Jamaica winning its battle against drugs and organized crime?
10. How should the Kenyan government respond to the recent Nairobi shopping mall shooting?

R&D: U.S.-Brazilian Relations

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On September 20, 2013

In R&D

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Today’s R&D covers U.S.-Brazilian relations.  Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff recently canceled her state visit to the United States after hearing that the National Security Agency spied on her aides and communications.

 

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R&D: Washington Navy Yard Shooting

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On September 19, 2013

In R&D

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Today’s R&D provides resources on Monday’s Washington Naval Yard shooting.

 

 

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Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of September 16th-22nd, 2013

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On September 18, 2013

In Quiz

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quiz-01Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!

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2013 Australian Elections

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On September 17, 2013

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

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On September 7th, Australian voters went to the polls and returned the Coalition, which is an alliance of the Australian Liberal Party and the Australian National Part, to power for the first time since 2007.  The Australian Labor Party suffered its worst electoral defeat in a century despite presiding over an economic boom that has enabled Australia to escape a severe global economic recession and the effect of financial crises in the United States and Europe.  The prime minister-elect, Tony Abbott of the Coalition, was at one time deemed too radical and unelectable, but managed to convince Australians that carbon taxes and refugee issues needed swift attention to preserve Australia’s place as one of the strongest economies in the world and one of the powers in Southeast Asian affairs.  Australia is often the “red headed stepchild” of extemporaneous speaking in the sense that it is often ignored by question writers since it does not neatly fit into geographic topic areas.  Nevertheless, due to the country’s strategic alliance with the United States and its economic ties to China, it is an important country to know when assessing Asia-Pacific affairs.

This topic brief will provide some background information on the recent parliamentary elections, discuss the results of the election, and then analyze how the new Coalition government will deal with the major issues that affect Australia, both foreign and domestic.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

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