Month: September 2013 Page 2 of 3

R&D: 2013 Australian Elections

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On September 17, 2013

In R&D

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on the 2013 Australian elections.

 

 

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2013 Wake Forest National Early Bird: Saffran Takes First National Circuit Title of the Season; Wartel Second

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On September 17, 2013

In National Circuit Results

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wakeLast weekend saw the kickoff of the 2013-2014 national circuit extemporaneous speaking season in Winston Salem, North Carolina at the Wake Forest National Early Bird Tournament.

Miles Safffran of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) defeated forty-six other extempers from twenty-five schools to claim this year’s title, securing a three rank victory over Josh Wartel of Lake Braddock Secondary School (VA), a finalist at last year’s NFL National Tournament in United States Extemporaneous Speaking. Saffran was last year’s Barkley Forum champion and placed fourth at the Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) Extemp Round Robin.  He becomes the first Florida extemper to win Wake Forest since Varun Akula of Lake Highland Preparatory School, who won in 2003.  Trinity Preparatory School also placed two finalists, more than any other school. Defending champion Lily Nellans of Des Moines Roosevelt High School (IA) was in the field, but missed the semi-final break.

Since there were more than forty extempers in the field, all extempers who reached elimination rounds have earned a qualifying leg to the 2014 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University. However, the 2014 TOC procedures are still being finalized, so that is subject to change.  Eight of the extempers that reached eliminated rounds earned a TOC leg.  The other six elimination round participants were previously qualified.  To check out the current TOC qualifying leaderboard, click here.

The next TOC qualifying tournament is this weekend, when the Yale University Invitational will be held on the Yale campus in New Haven, Connecticut.

Here are the results from this year’s Wake Forest National Early Bird Tournament (Those earning a TOC qualifying leg are indicated in italics):

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of September 16th-22nd, 2013

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On September 16, 2013

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Will Syria live up to the terms of the U.S.-Russian agreement concerning its chemical weapons?
2. What should the new Australian government do to reduce its record number of asylum seekers?
3. How can the Chinese-Japanese dispute over Senkaku be settled in a peaceful manner?
4. Should India impose mandatory death sentences on those convicted of rape?
5. Africa’s baby boom: a humanitarian disaster in the making or the source of future economic growth?
6. How can the Filipino government destroy the Moro National Liberation Front?
7. Should China be alarmed at the election of right-wing governments in East and Southeas Asia over the last year?
8. Will the newly elected Norwegian government make significant changes to the country’s welfare state?
9. Who stands to lose the most in Syria?
10. How can Mexico tame its high obesity rate?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of September 16th-22nd, 2013

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On September 16, 2013

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Will healthcare spats between labor unions and the Obama administration weaken organized labor’s support for the Democratic Party?
2. What impact will Jeffrey Zients have on President Obama’s economic policy?
3. Will Congress approve an immigration reform bill by the end of the year?
4. Was Christine Quinn’s defeat in the New York City Democratic primary due to her close ties with Michael Bloomberg?
5. Should the Washington Redskins change their name?
6. Will President Obama’s embrace of Vladimir Putin’s suggestion for Syria’s chemical weapons result in less long-term influence for the U.S. in the Middle East?
7. Does the GOP need a strong dose of libertarianism?
8. Is Larry Summers withdrawal from consideration as Federal Reserve chair a loss for President Obama?
9. Do the results of the Colorado recall elections demonstrate that gun control is a becoming the new third rail of American politics?
10. Would the imposition of carbon limits on new power plants lead to a sizeable increase in energy bills?

R&D: The French Economy

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On September 13, 2013

In R&D

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Today’s R&D covers the state of the French economy.

 

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R&D: New York City Primary Elections

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On September 12, 2013

In R&D

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Today’s R&D covers Tuesday’s primary elections in New York City and some of the issues that surrounded them.

 

 

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Strategy: Effective Reading Strategies

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On September 11, 2013

In Strategy

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by Logan Scisco

Several weeks ago in a pre-season piece and in another strategy piece on tips for success, I stressed that reading is an important element in becoming a better extemporaneous speaker.  The more that you know about the world, the more confident you will be about speaking about various topics ranging from Medicare to Syria to Mali.  However, while reading is an important skill that extempers need to acquire, reading effectively is really what an aspiring extempers need to do so this strategy piece will provide some tips on how to do this.

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Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of September 9th-15th, 2013

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On September 11, 2013

In Quiz

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

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Iraq Violence (2013)

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On September 10, 2013

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

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Extempers are probably filing a great deal of articles at the moment about the ongoing conflict in Syria.  The United States is preparing for a possible intervention there, but it is important to go back to a conflict that also involved some of the current issues regarding Syria:  a country that is under the rule of a tyrant, questions of weapons of mass destruction use, and uncertainty about who will fill the power vacuum if that tyrant is eliminated.  The invasion of Iraq in March 2003 was supposed to inaugurate a process of nation building in the Middle East, whereby Iraq would be a beacon of democracy for other Middle Eastern nations.  Ten years later and two years after the withdrawal of American troops, Iraq is witnessing an increase in sectarian violence, at its highest levels since 2008 and there are fears that if Iraq descends into anarchy and violence that the sacrifices of American and coalition personnel made in the 2003 invasion and occupation were for naught.  The U.S. media has largely ignored Iraq over the past year, focusing most of its attention on Syria and other uprisings in the Arab world.  However, this neglect is unwarranted, as Iraq could have significant implications for American foreign policy in the region.

This brief will summarize some facts about the rising tide of sectarian violence in Iraq, the causes of that violence, and potential solutions for ending it and putting Iraq on the path towards domestic tranquility and economic prosperity.

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: Iraq Violence (2013)

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On September 10, 2013

In R&D

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on the rising violence in Iraq.

 

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of September 9th-15th, 2013

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On September 9, 2013

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Will President Obama attack Syria if Congress votes down his proposal to do so?
2. Is Bill de Blasio too liberal to win the New York City mayoral election?
3. In the long run, will leaks about NSA surveillance significantly damage American foreign policy?
4. How will Chicago’s decision to halt the privatization of Midway Airport impact the city’s fiscal future?
5. If the GOP retains the House after the 2014 midterms, will John Boehner be re-elected as Speaker?
6. Is a recent FHA rule change to reduce the time a foreclosed homeowner can obtain a new FHA mortgage misguided?
7. Should the Internet Tax Freedom Act of 1998 become permanent?
8. Five years after the 2008 financial crisis, has the U.S. economy recovered?
9. Should the United States do more to protect Christian minorities in the Middle East?
10. How can the U.S. steer more people from welfare to the job market?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of September 9th-15th, 2013

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On September 9, 2013

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Will Kenya’s decision to leave the ICC cause other African nations to follow suit?
2. How can the Iraqi government reduce growing levels of sectarian violence?
3. Who is to blame for the Labor Party’s defeat in the recent Australian parliamentary elections?
4. Should the UN eliminate Security Council veto powers?
5. How would a U.S.-led strike on Syria affect Israeli security?
6. Is Great Britain still a world power?
7. What steps does the Spanish government need to take to bolster its economy?
8. Are Iranian threats to the United States over Syria counterproductive?
9. Was the recent G20 summit a failure?
10. Can India afford to make food a legal right?

R&D: G20 Summit

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On September 6, 2013

In R&D

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Today’s R&D covers the ongoing G20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.

 

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R&D: Congressional Vote on Syria

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On September 5, 2013

In R&D

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Today’s R&D covers the impending Congressional vote on whether to authorize President Obama to launch limited military action against the Syrian government.

 

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Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of September 2nd-8th, 2013

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On September 4, 2013

In Quiz

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

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