UM High School Forensics Tournament
September 14-15, 2007
Schedule | Event Rules | Individual Events | Judges | Awards | Rules | Entry Limits | Hotels Each year The University of Mississippi Forensics Team at the Lott Leadership Institute invites high school forensics teams to participate in The University of Mississippi High School Forensics Tournament. The 2006 tournament will be held September 8 and 9.
The University of Mississippi High School Forensics Tournament offers Individual Events competition in Prose (Novice and Varsity), Poetry (Novice and Varsity), Extemporaneous Speaking (Novice and Varsity), Original Oratory, Impromptu Speaking, Humorous Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, and Duo Interpretation. The tournament also features competition in Novice and Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate, as well as Public Forum Debate (no division) and Student Congress.
The top three overall schools receive sweepstakes awards. The champion school is awarded the Glendon F. Menna Traveling Sweepstakes Award, won in 2005 by The Montgomery Academy, coached by Mr. Jay Rye. The top three overall competitors receive individual sweepstakes awards. The champion competitor is awarded the Rose Bui Lott Leadership Forensics Scholarship, won in 2005 by David Kumbroch of Collierville (TN) High School, coached by Mr. Mickey Hutson.
The University of Mississippi High School Forensics Tournament is an organized and well-run competition, with trained judges and helpful ambassadors to aid the Novice students in finding their way through the competitive maze on a college campus.
We hope this web site provides all the information you need to place your entries and make hotel arrangements, but if you have any questions, please feel free to contact the team’s Director of Forensics, JoAnn Edwards, during the day at 662-915-3799 and in the evenings at 662-281-8696.
Click here to download a PDF of the tournament information and registration form.
Click here to submit your entry online.
Tournament Schedule
Event Rules
Note: You cannot enter L-D and Novice Events.Novice and Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate and Public Forum Debate
Topic: Check the NFL website August 15th for topic. Prep time for LD: 3 minutes.
Prep time for Public Forum: 2 minutes per team. We will offer 4 rounds, semis (if more than twelve entries) and finals.
Individual Events
Flight A:
*Extemporaneous Speaking- Subjects will come from national and international areas
- 30 minute prep time
- Should bring own materials
- Maximum speaking time of 7 minutes (no minimum)
- May take one index card into round with no more than 50 words on it
- Novice means the student must be in their first semester of competition.
Oratory
- Must be original work of student
- 10 minutes maximum
- Must be memorized
- No more than 150 words of the oration may be direct quotation from any other speech or writing
Dramatic Interpretation
- Must be memorized
- 10 minutes maximum
- Cuttings may be from any published materials and may be either monologues or dialogues
- Must be serious in tone
- An introduction is required and is considered part of the time limit
*Prose Interpretation
- Must hold and use a manuscript
- 10 minutes maximum
- Selections may come from short stories, novels, essays
- An introduction is required and is considered part of the time limit
- Novice means the student must be in their first semester of competition.
Flight B:
Impromptu- Topics will be quotations
- Seven minutes maximum to prepare and deliver a speech
- One index card is permitted.
Humorous Interpretation
- Must be memorized
- 10 minutes maximum
- Cuttings may be from any published materials and may be either monologues or dialogue
- Must be humorous in tone
- An introduction is required and is considered part of the time limit.
Duo Interpretation
- 10 minutes maximum
- Must hold and use a manuscript
- Except during intro and transitions, eye contact is aimed only in the audience’s direction
- Physically, the characters should react to each other’s verbal and non-verbal expressions, but they may not touch each other
- Scene must be from a published play, a fictional or non-fictional work, or a poem
*Poetry Interpretation
- Must hold and use manuscript
- 10 minutes maximum
- Cuttings should be poetry – one poem or a collection that centers around a theme
- An introduction is required and is considered part of the time limit.
- Novice means the student must be in their first semester of competition.
*Indicates events also offered in Novice.
Judges
Each school must provide a judge for each two LD debaters or Public Forum Team. Schools that cannot provide adequate judges must pay an additional $15.00 for each LD debater or $20 per Public Forum Team.
Each school must provide one judge for every 10 individual events slots. Each uncovered slot will cost $8.
Note: Coaches should plan to judge. Each school should provide at least one judge.
Note: Judges hired the day of the tournament are subject to availability and will have a double fee.
Note: Schools with a judge that does not report for a round must pay a $15 per late round fee if the judge cannot be located in a legitimate area (lounge, judging a round, etc.) — MHSAA rule. No other person can cover for that judge. Make sure that your judges understand the commitment they make for the tournament day.
Awards
Trophies awarded to finalists in all events and to the schools and individuals earning the best record at the tournament.
Rules
Students may not use a selection they have used prior to the 2006-2007 school year. No student may be a member of more than one duo. No student may enter the same selection in more than one event. Any student violating one of these rules will be disqualified in all events affected.
Entry Limits
Varsity Students entered in LD/Public Forum cannot enter more than 1 IE per flight. Varsity IE students may not enter more than 2 events per flight. Students competing in the Novice Divisions MAY NOT enter LD.
Hotels
A block of rooms has been reserved at The Inn at Ole Miss (formerly the Alumni Hotel). These rooms must be reserved by August 25, 2006. Rooming lists will be needed by this date. Rates: Single $72, Double $82, Triple $89, Quad $96. Call 1-888-486-7666.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hampton Inn. These rooms must be reserved by August 25, 2006. The rate is $99 + tax flat rate.
Additional Hotels:Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites: 662-236-2500
Comfort Inn: 662-234-6000
Days Inn: 662-234-9500
Downtown Inn: 662-234-3031
Ole Miss Motel: 662-234-2424