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Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.
Month: May 2014
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The citizens of South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, have had their daily lives disrupted by a civil war since December. The war, waged between two political factions that break along ethnic lines, has escalated in recent months and brought back memories of the Rwandan genocide of 1994. The war threatens the country’s oil-based economy, the stability of central Africa, and risks creating a humanitarian disaster. Since South Sudan won its independence through a civil war that lasted more than two decades, it is tragic that it has become the most recent global victim of civil unrest and the international community is struggling to contain the violence and provide assistance to people in need. Due to the fact that the situation in South Sudan is more likely to get worse over the coming months, extempers should be prepared to talk about South Sudan’s woes as they are likely to headline any African or international organizations round.
This topic brief will discuss the causes of the recent outbreak of violence in South Sudan, the course that the war has taken thus far, and highlight some pressing issues that extempers should be prepared to include in their speeches on the subject.
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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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on South Sudan’s Civil War (2014).
Conflict on supply routes preventing aid delivery to #SouthSudan refugees.– @WFP‘s Mike Sackett http://t.co/aaaLGvdSco via @SudanTribune_EN
— World Food Programme (@WFP) May 5, 2014
Warring South Sudan Parties Sign Deal to Freeze Military Actions http://t.co/MlwphrK3XJ
— WSJ World News (@WSJworld) May 5, 2014
Leaders’ personal problems driving South Sudan toward catastrophe http://t.co/FVf52ecAbo
— HuffPost Canada (@HuffPostCanada) May 1, 2014
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1. Should the U.S. extradite Fethullah Gullen?
2. Will Missouri Republicans succeed in their effort to impeach Jay Nixon?
3. Is John Kerry to blame for President Obama’s foreign policy difficulties?
4. Why is the labor force participation rate so low?
5. Is free speech under siege on American college campuses?
6. Will Rick Scott win re-election?
7. Would laws requiring “smart gun” technology violate the Second Amendment?
8. How can the U.S. close the “diversity gap” among teachers in public schools?
9. Should the ban on interstate tolls be lifted?
10. Will a recently botched execution in Oklahoma produce a successful legal challenge against the use of lethal injection?
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1. Has Evo Morales done enough to end discrimination against indigenous peoples?
2. Are Dilma Rousseff’s steps to bolster her re-election chances in October harming the Brazilian economy?
3. Will recent Iraqi elections finally bring some semblance of political stability?
4. How should Australia handle asylum seekers from Indonesia?
5. Can Narendra Modi fix India’s economic problems?
6. Will Joseph Kabila run for a thid term?
7. Are civilian courts best equipped to handle human rights violations by Mexican soldiers in the Mexican drug war?
8. Does Jacob Zuma deserve re-election?
9. Will the investigation into Gerry Adams reignite sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland?
10. Is climate change the defining international issue of the 21st century?
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Westview High School returned to the winner’s circle at this year’s Oregon School Activities Association State Speech Tournament when Suyash Sharma edged McKinley Rodriguez of Lincoln High School by judges’ preference to capture the state title. Sharma’s victory is the first by a Westview extemper since Nima Ahmadi, an NFL finalist in International Extemp, won in 2008. Edward Szczepanski of Wilson High School palced third.
Underclassmen extempers dominated the final round, as five of the six earned automatic qualifications to next year’s Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University. Those who automatically qualified are indicated in italics below.
Here are the results of the 2014 Oregon School Activities Association State Speech Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):
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North Dakota divides its state competitions into two classes and these classes traditionally hold their state championship competitions on different dates. The Class B North Dakota High School Activities Association State Speech Tournament took place last week at Mandan High School. Gavin Muscha of Richland High School successfully defended his tournament title and gives Richland its third extemporaneous speaking state title in at least the last four years. Brandt Vernon and Dakota Degenstein of Hazen High School finished second and third, respectively.
Two extempers earned an automatic qualification to next year’s Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University based on their non-senior status and reaching the final round of the tournament. These individuals are indicated in italics in the results listing. However, other students may have qualified since the graduation year status of all of the final round competitiors could not be verified. If you notice an underclassmen not italicized below, please let us know.
Here are the results of the 2014 North Dakota High School Activities Association Class B State Speech Tournament:
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Missouri, the “Show-Me” state, crowned two new state champions last week when it hosted its 2014 state tournament on the campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia. The state divides extemp into United States and International categories, a split that began last season. In International Extemp, Brandon Splitter of Carthage High School became the second extemper from his school to win a state extemp title in three years. Splitter defeated Raj Patel of Liberty North High School by two ranks. Benjamin Anderson of Nixa High School took third.
In United States Extemp, Michael Menkhus of Oakville High School won a sizable victory, beating Matthew Estes of Seneca High School by four ranks. Alexis Jackson of Nixa High School placed third.
The non-senior extempers in each of the final rounds earned automatic qualifications to the 2015 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University. Six extempers met this criteria and they are indicated in italics below.
Here are the results of the 2014 Missouri High School Activities Association State Championship (Click here for tab sheet):
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The Mississippi High School Activities Association held its 2014 state tournament last week at Ridgeland High School. Elizabeth Liu of Madison Central High School won the cumulative tournament and her first state championship by five ranks over Albert Nabiullin of Sacred Heart Catholic School. John Pearce Robertson of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, a school that had won the last two state titles, finished third. Madison Central and St. Andrew’s Episcopal had two finalists at the tournament, which was more than any other school.
Five of the six finalists in the tournament were non-seniors, so those extempers have earned an automatic qualification to next year’s Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University. Those earning qualifications are indicated in italics below.
Here are the results of the 2014 Mississippi High School Activities Association State Speech Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):
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James Enochs High School hosted the 2014 California High School Speech Association (CHSSA) State Tournament on April 25 through April 27 at James Enochs High School in Modesto. The tournament was cumulative. In International Extemp, Rohan Deskmukh of Carlsbad High School won his school’s first extemp state championship since at least 2003 by defeating Asher Kalman by three ranks. Alex Ye of Gabrielino High School , who won International Extemp at this year’s James Logan High School MLK Invitational (a TOC qualifier), placed third. Defending champion Rohan Dhoopar of Bellarmine College Preparatory, who was a participant at this year’s Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin, was knocked out in the semi-finals.
In United States Extemp, Brian Yu of Monte Vista High School successfully defended his state championship, and won the tournament by four ranks over Ankur Mahesh of Bellarmine College Preparatory. Yu was this year’s California Invitational winner and he becomes the third California extemper since 2003 to win the United States Extemp category twice. Jonas Trevethan of Turlock High School finished third.
Six of the extempers in the final rounds of the tournament were non-seniors, and have earned automatic qualifications to next year’s Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University. They are indicated in italics in the results listing.
Here are the results of the 2014 California High School Speech Association State Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):
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Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete! Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.
This R&D breaks down the Afghan presidential election. The election is headed to a runoff after no candidate win over fifty percent of the vote. Abdullah Abdullah, a former Afghan foreign minister, won the first round with 44.9% of the vote. He will be opposed by Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, the country’s former finance minister, who won 31.5% of the first round vote. Although election officials are looking into complaints of fraud and Mr. Abdullah has declared himself the winner, experts do not believe that enough votes will be disqualified to give Mr. Abdullah the presidency. The second round election is set to begin on June 7th.
Rassoul and Sherzai expected to throw support to Abdullah in Afghan presidential election, per @nytimes http://t.co/kLdQ58z7Hz
— Josh Smith (@joshjonsmith) April 27, 2014
Afghan presidential election to go to June runoff http://t.co/CpD5RTBIjZ
— Blogs of War (@BlogsofWar) April 26, 2014
Map of #AfghanElection initial results. Who won majority, where? Ghani likly 2 lose Nimoz, Kandhar, Urzgan in runoff. pic.twitter.com/vxBxF6guxK
— Naseh (@Mann_Naseh) April 27, 2014
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Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete! Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.
This R&D provides resources on campaign finance reform. Advocates for campaign finance reform, which entails limiting the contributions of individuals and other lobbying groups, argue that it necessary to protect American democracy. Opponents of campaign finance reform argue that it is a violation of the First Amendment. Supreme Court rulings over the last decade have gradually eliminated much of existing campaign finance law.
Senate Will Vote on Campaign Finance Constitutional Amendment, Schumer Says http://t.co/MPloZcGm9y via @nielslesniewski
— Roll Call (@rollcall) April 30, 2014
After a Supreme Court victory, a new challenge to campaign finance limits: http://t.co/at3YkKYjjt
— Businessweek (@BW) April 16, 2014
More on SCOTUS campaign finance decision from UCI Law Prof. Rick Hasen @rickhasen. @latimes quoting him on it: http://t.co/u5BWrHw5Ab
— UCI School of Law (@UCILaw) April 3, 2014