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Yijia Liang competed for Upper Arlington High School in Ohio. He was the 2015 NCFL National Champion in Extemp, won the 2014 Wake Forest Early Bird Invitational, participated in the 2015 MBA Round Robin, and placed at several national tournaments.
Yijia agreed to sit down for an interview with Extemp Central to discuss his career and provide advice to younger extempers.
Thanks for agreeing to this interview with us Yijia.
Thank you for having me.
To start, how did you get involved in forensic competition and what drew you to extemporaneous speaking?
I was interested in debating as a freshman and attended the first Speech and Debate meeting of the year. I initially wanted to do PF (Public Forum Debate), but our team’s PF slots were all full. My coach said Extemp was the arguably the hardest event, so I reluctantly joined. After a couple of tournaments, I was hooked and never looked back.
What was the moment when you realized that you had a special talent in extemp? Was it immediate or was it long-term?
It was definitely not immediate. I didn’t place in any local tournaments my freshman year and only barely qualified to states. My sophomore year I was able to place at more tournaments, but didn’t qualify to nationals and my states run ended in quarters. These two years were quite nondescript; I didn’t even know a national circuit existed nor did I put forth much effort in filing or practicing. Before my junior year, I went to Gustavus’ Summer Speech Institute where I met and was inspired by people like Mr. Harry Strong and Lily Nellans. I would say that week in Minnesota changed my perception of extemp from just another extracurricular to an activity that would not only prepare me for my future, but make me a better person. I don’t think there was a moment when I realized I had “talent” per say, as I constantly doubted whether I could really keep up with my peers. I just gave it my all, and tournament after tournament, began to build up my self-confidence. It was a long process, one that took the final two years of high school.
What was your first extemp speech on? What would you say was the biggest challenge for you in your quest to become a good extemporaneous speaker?
My first speech was on Mexican drug cartels. I remember using an AGD about spider webs, and how cartels were just as entangling. The speech lasted less than four minutes and I forgot to cite any sources. As for my biggest challenge, I think it was finding a good balance between a focus on delivery and content. I really lacked content coming into my senior year, so I spent my summer camps at UTNIF and GAC focused on that. Midway through my senior year, I realized one reason I wasn’t performing as well as I had expected was because I sacrificed my focus on delivery for content. My speeches became confusing, jargon heavy, and muddled with too many details. That was the biggest challenge – finding the balance between solid analysis that was explained clearly and efficiently.
Was there anyone that you modeled your extemporaneous style after? Were there any other significant influences on your career that helped you achieve success?
There was no one specific that I tried to copy or emulate, but I did watch a lot of rounds to see what made others successful. I would watch rounds at tournaments or the NSDA’s final round videos of IX and DX to see what worked and what didn’t, and tried to develop my own style based on that. I think the biggest influence on my career has been the community and individuals willing to help. For example, Coach Harry Strong took me under his wing and that really helped me adjust to the national circuit and not feel isolated (I mostly traveled alone). My peers were also a big influence. They always pushed me to strive higher and work harder, and I learned a lot from watching them speak and prep. Also, those who wrote me ballots were also big influences, especially at the MBA Round Robin. I enjoyed hearing feedback from coaches right after I spoke because I could still remember my speech and point to specific areas I needed to work on. Finally, my parents were amazing, always supporting me in every endeavor.
The win at Wake Forest early in the season put you on the map. What do you think helped you win the tournament? Any tips for competitors that will be headed to Winston-Salem in a few weeks to start the 2015-2016 season?
Since it was the first tournament of the year, I was really excited and pumped to begin speaking competitively again. Each speech felt fresh and new so I think that helped my energy and clarity. As for tips, the tournament is 5 prelims that broke to quarters last year, so don’t worry too much if you mess up one round. Also, the tournament can feel long since it is spread over three days, so get good rest and take it one round at a time. Finally, make sure you check scheduling changes! Last year I was late to my first round and had only 20 minutes prep since they moved Round 1 up and I had no idea.
You became the first national champion from Ohio since 2009 this year. What is the Ohio extemp circuit like and did you feel it prepared you for national competition later in the year?
The Ohio circuit is unique in that it splits IX and DX. I focused on IX mostly, so it was hard to adjust to Mixed Extemp tournaments in national competition and get used to speaking on Domestic topics. Aside from the split, I would say the Ohio circuit is extremely competitive. Many Ohio extempers don’t travel nationally because of the competition locally, and I think going up against future NSDA outrounders every weekend definitely helped me grow. For example, I never qualified to NSDA before my senior year due to the amazing talent and speakers that competed just in my district.
What steps did you take to prepare for NCFL Nationals? Was there a different way that you prepared for NCFL and NSDA Nationals?
Before NCFL I actually took a bit of a break. I was worn out from an 8 tournament swing spanning January and February and felt burnt out. I would still read the news and file periodically, but nothing hardcore. In the weeks leading up to the tournament, I would do fluency drills and practice speeches with shortened prep time in order to work on clarity. I would also consistently file the topic areas. When I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, I spent a couple days before the tournament just relaxing at the beach and even practicing impromptu topics while strolling through the sand. For NSDA, I started filing topic areas intensely as soon as NCFL ended. I fit in as many practice speeches as I could between graduation and NSDAs, but made sure not to burn out.
Explain for us your run through NCFL Nationals. Were there any rounds that stand out particularly well for you?
Throughout that tournament I felt really relaxed (albeit hot) and just gave the best speeches I could while adjusting for each round’s topic area. I really enjoyed my final round speech on the Yemen conflict. The past year, I had taken many Middle Eastern speeches in final rounds without much success. For some reason I couldn’t explain the nuances of Middle Eastern politics clearly and was unclear in my analysis. I was happy to be able to finally do so at NCFL Nationals.
Were you disappointed by your performance at NSDA Nationals after your NCFL success?
NSDA didn’t end the way I wanted it to, but I didn’t brood over it too much. It was my last high school tournament ever, so I wanted to enjoy it with my friends.
During your career, was there a specific tournament on your local or on the national circuit that you really enjoyed? Why?
I really enjoyed Wake Forest and Yale. At Wake Forest, the hospitality was great (free food!) and the weather was nice in North Carolina at the time. At Yale, it was fun exploring New Haven and getting New Haven pizza. Plus, the architecture is super cool. Those two tournaments are a great way to kick off the year.
If you could change one aspect of extemporaneous speaking, what would it be and why?
I would want more tournaments to implement cross-examination and make it 3 minutes long! I’ve found that I actually learned a lot in cross-ex, despite it being so short. Being able to defend your own argument while analyzing others is extremely important not only in extemp but in life, and cross-ex helps you hone those skills.
What advice would you give to younger extempers as they begin their careers? Any particular advice that you wish you received earlier in your career?
Read a lot! I wish I had started reading more as a freshman, because it would have prepared me with a good knowledge base that is indispensable. Try to find a daily that you enjoy (for me, it was The New York Times and The Washington Post), and set that as your homepage. That way, you have no choice but to at least read the headlines. Also, I think younger extempers should read from all viewpoints, from liberal to conservative. This will broaden your eyes and give you a more nuanced understanding of issues. For example, Coach Strong’s favorite is the drudgereport, a conservative news aggregator that’s also full of intro material.
What are your future academic and career plans?
I’m attending Princeton this fall, but I’m not quite sure what I want to study…perhaps economics and math…or something completely different. I plan on debating at Princeton in Parliamentary Debate, so that should be fun! As for career plans, I honestly have no idea, but I’ve always fancied working in government someday, maybe as a diplomat or policymaker.
Thanks for agreeing to speak with us Yijia and congratulations on winning last year’s NCFL national championship.
Thank you!