Dutchmen Speech Team
This is the splash page for Dutchmen Speech. Email me if you are interested and need help finding a piece. We will be having a meeting the first or second week of school to get started.
This year, there will be practice requirements. So be prepared to practice!
I am so glad you are all interested in Speech. If you do not know what Speech is, I will give you a few details today.
This is an extracurricular activity. You prepare to perform a speech in one of 8 categories, and you perform it at competitions starting in January. You compete against students from other schools. If you are good, you win trophies. If you are really good you might get to go to State Speech 2020 in April.
Rules: You will practice with me at least 2 times a week at the start of the season, and once after you are set. You may practice more if you like. Practice can be before or after school, as well as during the lunch hours if it works for me. Practice is individual. The more you practice the better you get.
This is an extracurricular activity. You prepare to perform a speech in one of 8 categories, and you perform it at competitions starting in January. You compete against students from other schools. If you are good, you win trophies. If you are really good you might get to go to State Speech 2020 in April.
Rules: You will practice with me at least 2 times a week at the start of the season, and once after you are set. You may practice more if you like. Practice can be before or after school, as well as during the lunch hours if it works for me. Practice is individual. The more you practice the better you get.
- On the speech meet days, you will have nice dress attire. Suits/ties or khakis and button-ups for boys, and dresses or suits for girls. Black pants or khakis are the only pants allowed. Skirts will be knee length or below. Collars will be conservative. NO cleavage!! High heels or dress shoes are required. Dark shoes are allowed if in nice shape.
- There is food at each meet, but you might want to bring snacks as well. Be prepared.
- The meets are on Saturdays, and they usually take all day. ****You are NOT required to be at every Saturday meet. You ARE required to be at the subsection contest, which is usually held on a Tuesday evening. Our subs are in Adrian.
- There needs to be an updated copy of your speech with me before every speech meet. Speech scripts are allowed, but they need to be backed with black paper, and in page protectors. (which I have) And I will help you do that.
- Speech is a way of life! But I understand that students are often in more than one thing. If you need to miss a speech meet for a good reason, that is fine, but I need to know well in advance. ***We pay for each individual student and we have to pay a judge, or judges depending on how many students are competing. So just let me know. I will get you a calendar as soon as I can, which will be in a few weeks.
- I will be committed to you, so please be committed to me. If you tell me you are going to practice at 7am, I will be here for you, but please don’t stand me up!
- The first meet is the first Saturday in February. It is in Worthington.
- Subject Matter: I want to tell you in advance that sometimes the subject matter in the speeches may make you uncomfortable. Remember that when you choose your speech. You might want to choose something that you are comfortable with, but you will need to be polite if another student is performing a speech that you do not agree with.
- The Categories to avoid if you are sensitive about subject: oratory, drama, poetry, and prose. Most of the other categories will have conservative material.
- We only get so many entries in each category, so senior high gets to choose first, then junior high.
The categories break down like this:
Informational Categories: Discussion, Extemp Speaking, Great speeches, informative speaking, original oratory
Discussion: sit at a round table with students who you are competing against. You will work together on a task that is drawn for you at the start of the tournament. You compile a binder of sources that have to do with the general theme of the year. Manners, politeness, and diplomacy are the things you are judged on.
Extemp Speaking: you draw a topic at the beginning of the 1st round. You have 30 minutes to write a persuasive speech on your topic drawn. There is a general theme and you compile bins of sources that will assist you. You get one notecard to write your main ideas on for your speech.
Great Speeches: you find a speech that is historic and explain the way the speech is historic. You explain the way the speaker made it “great” and which methods used and why. See me for more in depth information.
Original Oratory: You write a persuasive speech about a topic that is meaningful to you. Persuade your audience to agree with you.
Informational Speech: You write a research paper and sometimes use visual aides to share with your group. Not persuasive, though.
Interpretations Categories: Duo Interp (2 people), Extemp reading, humor, drama, poetry, prose, storytelling, Creative expression
Duo Interp: You and another contestant are a pair. You perform a speech written for two people (or more, but they can be difficult) these can be dramatic or humorous. You may not look at each other during the speech. **You Must be double-entered in two categories if you want to try this**
Extemp Reading: You receive a list of 15 excerpts at the start of the season. You will practice them and write introductions for all. At the start of the tournament, you draw which story you will read. You must be able to prepare (for 30 mins) and read the story well. This year’s book is A Sound of Thunder and other stories by Ray Bradbury. The School provides a copy to be returned.
Humor: Perform a speech that is humorous. Either “play” or from a book.
Drama: Perform a speech that is dramatic, written in “play” form.
Poetry: perform a long poem, or a series of related poems.
Prose: Perform an excerpt from a book. These can be from any book, usually on the serious side.
Storytelling: You receive a list of about 12 fairy tales. You will practice and perform “re-tellings” or summaries of the tale. There must be introductions and conclusions (morals) for each tale. You will use different voices and characters to make the retelling entertaining. You draw which story you will perform for each round at the tournament, and you will have 30 mins to prepare.
Creative Expression: You write it, so it can be anything you want it to be
Section 3A Speech Tentative Calendar 2021
FEBRUARY
6 Worthington
Tues., 9 TMB JH
13 Luverne
Thurs., 18 Luverne JH
20 Adrian
Tues., 23 RTR JH
27 Redwood
MARCH
1 Adrian JH
6 Minneota
20 Pipestone
27 SMSU
APRIL
(Apr. 4 is Easter)
Tues., 6 Sub-Section 10 in Adrian
Sat., 17 Sections @ SMSU
Sat., 24 State @ Eastview High School in Apple Valley