Month: August 2014 Page 1 of 3

2014-2015 National Points Race: This Year’s Structure

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The 2014-2015 season features the return of the Extemp Central National Points Race.  The National Points Race is a season-long competition that seeks to identify the top extempers across a select group of prestigious national circuit events.  Extemp Central recognizes that in some years the top extemper in the nation may not win the National Points Race due to the inability of some competitors to travel extensively.  Still, three national champions are among the four previous National Points Race winners.

NSDA Champion Interview with Arel Rende (Part Two)

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Arel Rende competed for Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, OK for three years. He was a four-time Oklahoma Class 6A State Champion, winning three championships in DX and one in OO. He was a two-time NSDA National Champion in United States Extemporaneous Speaking (2013 and 2014), winning the final round at NSDA Nationals in each of those years. Last season, Arel won the St. Mark’s Heart of Texas Invitational, the University of Texas Longhorn Classic, and the Harvard National Invitational.  He was also a participant in the 2014 MBA Exhibition Round and the 2014 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) final round.  This fall, Arel will be studying finance at The University of Texas-Austin and competing on their speech them.

Arel agreed to do an interview with Extemp Central to reflect on his career and provide advice to young extempers.  Part one of this interview can be found here.

R&D: Weekly Roundup for the Week of August 25th-31st, 2014

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Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of August 25th-31st.

Check back next week for an interview with 2011 Yale champion and two-time NSDA national finalist Chase Harrison.  Extemp Central will also highlight the top extempers to watch in 2014-2015!

 

NSDA Champion Interview with Arel Rende (Part One)

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Arel Rende competed for Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, OK for three years. He was a four-time Oklahoma Class 6A State Champion, winning three championships in DX and one in OO. He was a two-time NSDA National Champion in United States Extemporaneous Speaking (2013 and 2014), winning the final round at NSDA Nationals in each of those years. Last season, Arel won the St. Mark’s Heart of Texas Invitational, the University of Texas Longhorn Classic, and the Harvard National Invitational.  He was also a participant in the 2014 MBA Exhibition Round and the 2014 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) final round.  This fall, Arel will be studying finance at The University of Texas-Austin and competing on their speech them.

Arel agreed to do an interview with Extemp Central to reflect on his career and provide advice to young extempers.

R&D: Zimbabwean Politics

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Today’s R&D covers Zimbabwean politics.  Since President Robert Mugabe is ninety years old, there is a great deal of uncertainty about what the country’s political future will look like.  The country has only had two presidents since it gained official independence in 1980 and Mugabe has ruled since 1987.  Recently, Mugabe’s wife, Grace, entered national politics after winning an endorsement to become the next head of Zanu-PF’s women’s league.

 

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of August 25th-31st, 2014

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

To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

R&D: The Ferguson Shooting

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Today’s R&D provides resources on the controversial police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri.  The shooting, which took place on August 9, took the life of eighteen-year-old black teenager Michael Brown.  The incident triggered protests and looting in the area and was met by a heavy police response.  The officer involved in the shooting is currently under investigation and the Department of Justice is looking into potential civil rights violations.

 

Pakistani Political Protests

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When Nawaz Sharif became the Prime Minister of Pakistan last year international observers thought the country was heading down the right path.  For the first time in Pakistani history power was peacefully passed from one democratically elected government to another.  Sharif’s government made tackling corruption and high unemployment a priority.  It also sought to rein in the power of the Pakistani Army, which still seeks to execute a veto of internal security measures and foreign policies.  Unfortunately, Sharif’s government now finds itself under siege from political protesters that are demanding its removal.  Led by two minor politicians, these forces allege that Sharif’s government illegitimately came to power in a fraudulent election and that it is too corrupt to lead.  Protesters are blocking government buildings in the capital city of Islamabad and the unrest might give the Pakistani military an excuse to topple the civilian government, something that the military has done three times previously in the country’s history.

This topic brief will break down the major players in the current Pakistani political crisis, discuss the course of the current protests, and then analyze the chances of a military coup and the future Pakistan faces if instability continues.

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

R&D: Pakistani Political Protests

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on Pakistani political protests.

 

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of August 25th-31st, 2014

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HOTtopics1. Will Pakistan’s military stage a coup?
2. What changes does Uber need to make to its service?
3. How will the Ebola outbreak affect the world economy?
4. Should the Bank of Canada raise interest rates?
5. Are austerity policies having a negative effect on the eurozone?
6. Can Mahamat Kamoun quell ethnic and religious violence in the Central African Republic?
7. How can Venezuela remedy food shortages?
8. The Syrian Civil War: Was Putin right?
9. How can African nations best meet their energy needs?
10. Is Grace Mugabe the next leader of Zimbabwe?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of August 25th-31st, 2014

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HOTtopics1. Should the Federal Reserve raise interest rates?
2. What does Ferguson reveal about the state of American race relations?
3. Sarah Palin: Does she still matter?
4. Should Alaska enact oil tax reform?
5. How should America’s schools handle new demographic changes?
6. Why do so many Americans suffer from food insecurity?
7. Should Chelsea Manning be offered gender treatment?
8. How can McDonald’s improve sales in the United States?
9. Should the U.S. government pay ransoms to terrorist groups?
10. How will the indictment of Rick Perry impact the Texas gubernatorial race?

R&D: Weekly Roundup for the Week of August 18th-24th, 2014

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Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of August 18th-24th.

Next Friday, Extemp Central will unveil the tournaments and structure of the 2014-2015 National Points Race.

 

R&D: Wisconsin’s Governor’s Race

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Today’s R&D covers the Wisconsin gubernatorial election.  Republican Governor Scott Walker is fending off a challenge former Trek Bicycle Corporation executive Mary Burke, who is the Democratic nominee.  Burke is the first female gubernatorial candidate to be nominated by a major party in state history. Walker is deemed as a potential 2016 presidential candidate, so winning re-election is crucial.  This is the third gubernatorial campaign for Walker, who survived a recall vote in 2012.  Major issues in the race include Common Core standards, Walker’s championing of a controversial 2011 bill that stripped collective bargaining rights from public employees, Wisconsin’s economy, and an investigation into whether Walker illegally coordinated his campaign activities with outside groups.  Polls show the race as dead even.

 

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of August 18th-24th, 2014

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

To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

R&D: Iran’s Nuclear Program

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Today’s R&D covers Iran’s nuclear program.  Iran has been under a cloud of suspicion since 2002 and the United States, France, Germany, Great Britain, China, and Russia – referred to as the P5+ 1 – have been negotiating with the Islamic Republic in an attempt to make its nuclear program more transparent.  Last month, the talks between Iran and the P5+1 nations were extended through November 24.  The United Nations is also seeking more proof from Iran that its nuclear program has a non-military purpose.

 

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