SpeechGeek Postings

It’s a busy week here at SpeechGeek and DebateChamps HQ.

We’re looking forward to the weekend of travel and the busy week that follows at the 2010 Lincoln Financial Group National Forensic League National Tournament in Kansas City.  We’re particularly excited that we’ll be making our second appearance at the NFL Vendor Expo during registration on Sunday.  Be sure to stop by our booth to check out over 30 novel speech and debate buttons available for purchase.  Each button is $1 or you can pick up 3 for $2.  We have some great buttons that will make their debut at the tournament. Never fear, though, as they will make their way to the SpeechGeek Store in the coming weeks.

That’s not all, though.

SpeechGeek is excited to partner with the National Forensic League to provide exclusive content for NFLNationals.org.  For the first time, NFL will offer its own blog of the national tournament.  You’ll see things behind the scenes, meet outstanding competitors, get in the minds of the judges, and have access to postings the moment they drop.  In addition, we’ll offer additional content right here at SpeechGeek Postings.  You can also follow our Tweet Stream of folks using the #NFLNats hashtag on Twitter.

Be sure to follow SpeechGeek on Facebook and Twitter to receive the latest updates throughout the tournament!

Before you leave (or stay!), be sure to check out our Supplemental Debate brief and 4n6 iPhone app.  Both will help you be prepared and informed for NFL Nationals!

As part of NFL’s first-ever national service project, teams from across the nation will work together on June 13 to prepare meals to be shipped to Haiti. NFL will work with Numana, Inc., an international hunger relief organization with the mission of empowering people to save the starving. Our goal is to provide one million packaged meals – but we need your help.

The service project happens On Sunday, June 13 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the KCI Expo Center (next to tournament registration and the vending expo). To ensure that adequate resources and staffing are available throughout the day, the NFL is asking schools to sign up for a specific time prior to the event. Please visit http://www.nflnationals.org/national-service-project to commit to a time for service.  Every team is needed!

via The National Forensic League

Months of research, practice, and competition come down to these all-important break rounds.  As the field of competitors narrows from hundreds to just twenty-four, we take one step closer to naming the 2010 National Forensic Association Champions.  Be sure to follow SpeechGeek postings for live updates as the tournament unfolds.

Keep reading to see the competitors who advanced to the quarterfinals in Poetry Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, and Persuasive Speaking.

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Everything comes down to the ballot table. A kind shotout goes to the people who keep the tournament running on time and making sure my ballots are completed correctly.

One of the old adages about our activity stands as such: “You can’t go pro in forensics.”

More and more these days, there are former forensicators who are challenging that simple convention.  While traditional acting always remains an option, activities like slam poetry and other forms of performance are giving those who move into the real world a creative outlet to explore and share.

We begin our spotlight with a pair of Illinois State University alumni and former college forensics champions.

From their website:

Brought to you from the minds of poets and producers Robbie Q Telfer and Shanny Jean Maney, The Encyclopedia Show is a live variety extravaganza that commissions local and touring artists and experts from many disciplines to use their individual talents to present a different verbal encyclopedia entry each month. The Encyclopedia Show endeavors to build an age-integrated community cultivating accidental knowledge and irreverent lovingkindness. Though the show is accredited by the Institute of Human Knowledge and Hygiene, it is our ongoing mission to chafe against logic and proof, find meaning in obfuscation, and wrest truth from fact once and for all.

To learn more about the Encyclopedia Show, visit their website.

The fun doesn’t stop in the upper Midwest.  The Encyclopedia Show Austin premiered recently thanks to the work of University of Texas-Austin alumni and other speech-folk.

Better yet, spend a day wisely and check out full installments of the series courtesy of Chicago Public Radio.

While you’re at it, click past the jump to check out a video from the first show: Bears.  You can also peep the ATX production of The Moon.

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What would happen if The Onion–arguably America’s finest news source–fell in love and had a baby with the speech and debate community?  The question has a fairly simple answer: The Forensics Posting Weekly.  Combining observation with a sharp wit, the folks over at TFPW are lampooning the highs (and lows) of our community.

Their latest article “iPad vs. iNterp Book — Bring It, Fool.” says it all:

At the upcoming Alta Conference, one big question looms in the minds of many: will Apple’s new iPad replace the interp book next year? While most forensics reporters are asking coaches, students, and judges, here at The Forensics Posting Weekly, we went straight to the source and asked the iPad itself, why should the forensics community embrace the iPad?

In a British robot voice, the iPad explained, “Well, my dear gumshoe, the iPad is the answer for all of your forensics needs. Imagine, if you will, throwing away your VA stand, throwing away your interp book, your extemp and debate boxes… your labtop, even! All of this is now inside your new computer type thingy that is smaller than an interp book!”

In response, the iNterp Book must’ve been dumbfounded because it remained silent throughout a barrage of questioning.

The iPad then chimed in, “Oh, I don’t think the interp book has added the speaking app just yet. Hmm… and you wonder which of us is a better choice! Ha, well, sir, need I say mo…. bzzurck.” The iPad was immediately unplugged because this reporter was getting a bit annoyed with it’s tone as well as it’s whacky British computer voice.

Clicky, clicky for the full story and to check out the rest of the site.

In 2009, the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation provided a generous grant to the National Forensic League to promote Public Forum Debate across the country. In addition to sponsoring the Rupe Foundation Qualifying Series of Public Forum Topics in February, March, and April, the Rupe Foundation grant also created this research portal to provide the highest quality educational research resources and exclusive interviews to the debate community and the public at large. SpeechGeek and DebateChamps is proud to provide exclusive research and analysis for the project.

Visit the RupeScholars.org Website to Learn More

If you’ve linked up to our site via and RSS feed or stumbled here via a Google search, it comes as no surprise that things have been dormant at SpeechGeek postings for the some time.

The blog was initially created when we had an HTML website and wanted a quick and easy way to share site updates and news.  Since launching our new website last fall and offering our products through the Yahoo Store System, we haven’t really figured out what to do with SpeechGeek Postings.

We’ve been busy, mind you.  We partnered with Logan Scisco last fall to expand coverage at our sister site Extemp Central.  We’re now running DebateChamps.  Busy, busy, busy.

However, we’re looking for SpeechGeek Postings to make a comeback at this year’s Kentucky High School Speech League, Inc. state tournament in March.  Our goal to provide live coverage of the event.  Additionally, we’re eyeing offering live coverage of the 2010 National Forensic Association college national tournament.

Hope you stick around for the fun.