KENNEDY

Dear Coaches and Competitors,

We are excited to welcome you to the 2022 Kennedy Middle School Speech Tournament, as we enter our fifth year of hosting this annual middle school tournament!

Especially in the midst of a global pandemic marked by turmoil, we sincerely believe that it is more important than ever to cultivate the voices of the next generation through this great activity. In light of the many obstacles the COVID-19 pandemic has caused, we’re thankful and excited for the chance to host this online tournament, which allows us to invite talented middle school speakers from all over the nation.

The 2022 Kennedy Middle School Speech Tournament will be held on April 3, 2022, and will be hosted online to alleviate health concerns. Our tournament will be hosted by the Kennedy Middle School Speech Team; it will be organized, judged and run by experienced members, captains and coaches from the award-winning Monta Vista Speech Team (ranked 4th in CA; top 3 titles at Berkeley, Stanford and James Logan Invitationals).

Please read below for important details pertaining to the tournament — if you have any questions or concerns regarding any information provided, please contact Nadia and Victor.

We look forward to hosting you, and for a lively weekend of passionate speaking. Best of luck to your team; we can’t wait to see you in April!

Tournament Format

Entirely Virtual. Regarding health concerns pertaining to COVID-19, the 2022 Kennedy Middle School Speech Tournament will be held online.
Three preliminary rounds. The tournament will host three preliminary rounds, breaking to finals or semifinals as entries warrant.
Synchronous (Live). The tournament will run with a fully synchronous format. Competitors will participate in synchronous preliminary and elimination rounds.
Online Platform. Rounds will be hosted on NSDA Campus, which is a video conferencing and watching platform integrated with Tabroom.
All students should have the Zoom app downloaded, and preferably use Google Chrome to access the NSDA campus platform.
Tabroom. All students must have a Tabroom account.

Performing Virtually

Please make sure your sound, camera angle, and lighting are proper before tournament day. .
- You may not use virtual backgrounds
- The camera should remain stationary, recording the competitor's full body, or the mid-thigh and up
- Make sure you remain in the frame for the duration of your speech (including walking and hand gestures)
- Try to speak in front of a neutral backdrop with minimal distraction

Events and Rules

The Kennedy tournament will be offering 5 events: Dramatic Interpretation (DI), Humorous Interpretation (HI), Original Oratory (OO), Spontaneous Argumentation (SPAR), and Impromptu (IMP). Rules and guidelines for each event are provided below.
No student will be penalized for being undertime, but may be ranked down in a round if the length of the speech detracts from the quality of performance.
Students exceeding the grace period may not be ranked first in a round, and may face a penalty per the judge’s discretion if the length of speech detracts from the quality of performance.

Dramatic Interpretation (DI)
A piece of published work that is written by someone else (books, plays, movies are all accepted), with multiple different characters, and performed like a one-person play. Generally a more dramatic script that includes serious plots and tragic events.

Timing: A 10 minute speech; 30 second grace period
Rules/Regulations: Performers may only use their own bodies, and any use of props will result in a penalty within the round. Students may not consult the script during their speech and will be penalized at the judge’s discretion if caught doing so.

Humorous Interpretation (HI)
A piece of published work that is written by someone else (books, plays, movies are all accepted), with multiple different characters, and performed like a one-man play. Generally a more humorous script that includes jokes, silly gags, and fast-paced action.

Timing: A 10 minute speech; 30 second grace period
Rules/Regulations: Performers may only use their own bodies, and any use of props will result in a penalty within the round. Students may not consult the script during their speech and will be penalized at the judge’s discretion if caught doing so.

Original Oratory (OO)
A self-written, persuasive speech on a topic of the speaker’s choosing. Competitors craft an argument using the foundations of rhetoric, including utilization of evidence, logic, and emotional appeals. Topics range widely, but should be informative or persuasive in nature. The speech must be delivered from memory.

Timing: A 10 minute speech; 30 second grace period
Rules/Regulations: All direct quotations and primary sources must be cited verbally within the body of the speech (up to 150 quoted words). Use of another person’s words or ideas without crediting them is plagiarism and is strictly forbidden. No props, audio, or visual aids may be used. Profanity, obscene content, and vulgar language are strictly prohibited. The speech must be written entirely by the speaker, though quotes from verbally cited sources may be included. Students may request time signals from the judge, but are responsible for ensuring that their performance is within the aforementioned time guidelines.

Spontaneous Argumentation (SPAR)
A spontaneous debate on a given resolution with limited preparation, formatted as a Speech event (competitors will be ranked numerically, with 1 as the highest rank). Competitors are assigned to either the affirmative or negative side of the given resolution, then debate after one minute of preparation through two speeches per speaker, and a cross-examination between sides. Competitors will be judged on the basis of persuasion, logic, argumentation, and delivery.

Timings:
- 1 min: Preparation time for both sides
- 1 min: Affirmative constructive
- 1 min: Negative constructive
- 4 min: Cross-examination
- 1 min: Negative conclusion
- 1 min: Affirmative conclusion
Procedures: Competitors will be paired up to debate by speaker order (i.e. speaker 1 vs speaker 2, speaker 3 vs speaker 4, etc.), and swaps in match-ups to accommodate double-entries may be made per the judge’s discretion. The judge will facilitate a coin toss to assign the side each speaker will be arguing (affirmative or negative). The judge will then paste the resolution into chat, and each speaker will have 1 minute to prepare their arguments. After the 1 minute of preparation time has elapsed, the speakers will commence in their debate per the timings outlined above.
Cross-Examination: During cross-examination, only the two speakers are to speak (no interjections by the judge or other competitors). The allocation of speaking time between competitors is not defined, though judges will note competitors who try to dominate the time by preventing the other competitor from speaking. Competitors are expected to remain respectful in their debate, exchanging questions and responses that effectively further their arguments.
Rules/Regulations: Judges will provide time signals, and competitors are permitted to time themselves for their reference if they so choose (though judges keep the official time). Once the time for a given speech has elapsed, the judge will cut off the speaker. Competitors are permitted to take notes to flow their opponent’s arguments, and will not be penalized for referencing such notes while they speak.

Impromptu (IMP)
A spontaneous event in which competitors construct a speech given random topics, which can range from objects around the house to current events. Competitors will generally be offering analysis and commentary on social phenomena and tendencies, but have the creative liberty to present their given topic in a manner of their choosing.

Timing: Either 3 minutes of preparation for a 4 minute speech, OR 2 minutes of preparation for a 5 minute speech; 30 second grace period. Competitors should tell their judge of how they wish to allocate their seven minutes between time for preparation and speaking. The amount of time allocated toward preparation and speaking will not serve as an advantage or disadvantage competitively. Competitors should compete with the format they are most comfortable with.
- Note: Impromptu competitors have been given the choice above to accommodate the differences in how Impromptu is offered across states and middle schools.
Rules/Regulations: Notes may be taken during prep time, but cannot be used or consulted by the competitor while speaking. Competitors are not allowed to consult outside resources or materials (i.e. previously taken notes, Internet, etc.) during preparation or while speaking. No props can be used. Competitors are welcome to ask judges for time signals, but are ultimately responsible for ensuring that their speeches are within the timing guidelines above. Competitors are also welcome to time themselves for their reference, though the judge’s time is official. Competitors should have their video and microphone on during prep time and while speaking.

Judging Policy
Teams are not required to provide any judges or chaperones. Students will be receiving high quality feedback from experienced captains and varsity members of the MV Speech team.
Parent chaperones will be provided by Kennedy Middle School. Parent chaperones will be present in each room to monitor behavior; therefore, there is no need to provide additional parent chaperones.

Divisions
The Kennedy Middle School Speech Tournament will be a middle school only tournament, and there will be no distinction between novice/varsity competitors for each event. All middle school competitors (grades six through eight) are welcome to compete.
All competitors must be in middle school. Competitors must be in either sixth, seventh, or eighth grade. No high schoolers will be allowed to compete.

Observer Policy
While the Kennedy tournament is an excellent opportunity for competitors to showcase their own skills, it also provides the opportunity for parents to observe their child’s progress in public speaking and for students to spectate final rounds and learn from fellow speakers.

Parents and coaches will be allowed to spectate during all preliminary and final rounds. Parents will be given an option on their Tabroom account page to join their child’s round as an Observer.

Competitors will be allowed to spectate during final rounds. This option will be given on the Tournament tabroom page and competitors are highly encouraged to spectate.

Double-Entry
Double-entry is allowed with all events. Competitors are allowed to double-enter in any combination of the five events provided; Original Oratory, Humorous Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, Impromptu, or Spontaneous Argumentation.
No triple-entry allowed. In the interest of ensuring the tournament runs on schedule, competitors are not permitted to enter in three or more events. Competitors may enter in up to two events.
Competitors are responsible for getting to their rounds on time. If a competitor is double-entered, they should ask to go first for the event they plan to do first. Judges will be made aware of expected double-entries and will accommodate accordingly.

Liability Form/Waivers
We will soon be publishing a liability waiver via Tabroom that will have to be signed and returned to Nadia for all competitors.

Equity Statement/Online Etiquette Expectations
Competitors are expected to be on their best behavior, and failure to meet our expectations may result in follow-up with school administrations and subsequent disciplinary action. All competitors are expected to follow standard Speech tournament etiquette and online presence etiquette, including but not limited to: showing support to teammates and competitors, being respectful to judges and competitors, and being punctual to rounds.
We have zero-tolerance for harassment, bullying, and/or discrimination of any kind. We expect all competitors, coaches, judges, and staff to make a commitment to providing a safe environment for all students to compete. Competitors are to only use the chat feature for necessary communication and not as a means of socializing or distracting a speaker.

KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL SPEECH TOURNAMENT

3 April 2022

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