Welcome to the Pomona HS Speech and Debate website. Here you can find information pertaining to speech and debate at Pomona as well as resources that will help you become a successful competitor.
If you have any questions, please use the contact page for assistance.
Our program at Pomona HS runs during lunch on Mondays in room 208. Regular competitions are held on the weekends throughout various schools in Colorado and special Congress tournaments are typically held on Tuesdays after-school.
The Pomona program encompasses a wide selection of categories in which students are encouraged to compete. Listed below are summaries of the various categories that students can participate in and we encourage students to find their niche by competing in as many programs as possible.
Program Descriptions
| CX Debate – Debaters work in pairs (teams) to address the school year’s topic, either from the affirmative side (to propose a plan to solve a problem with the topic), or the negative side (to prove how the affirmative’s plan is flawed). Argumentation includes a constructive case, cross-examination, and refutation. Skills learned include research, policy analysis, case building, refutation, questioning, organization and communication. |
| LD Debate – Lincoln Douglas Debate centers on a proposition of value, which concerns itself with what ought to be instead of what is. A value is an ideal held by individuals, societies, governments, etc. One debater upholds each side of the resolution from a value perspective. To that end, no plan (or counterplan) should be offered. A plan is defined by the NFL as a formalized, comprehensive proposal for implementation. The debate should focus on logical reasoning to support a general principle instead of particular plans and counterplans. Debaters may offer generalized, practical examples or solutions to illustrate how the general principle could guide decisions. Topics change every two months. |
| Public Forum Debate – Public Forum Debate is audience friendly debate. Two pairs (teams) debate monthly controversial topics ripped from newspaper headlines. Rounds begin with a coin toss between the competing teams to determine side and order (Pro-Con or Con-Pro). Public Forum tests skills in argumentation, cross-examination, and refutation. |
| Original Oratory – Orators are expected to research and speak intelligently, with a degree of originality, in an interesting manner, and with some profit to the audience, about a topic of significance. Although many orations deal with a current problem and propose a solution this is not the only acceptable form of oratory. Your oration may simply alert the audience to a threatening danger, strengthen its devotion to an accepted cause, or eulogize a person. An orator is given free choice of subject and judged solely on the effectiveness of development and presentation. |
| Extemp (combined, mixed topics) – A contestant draws three questions, selects one, then has 30 minutes to prepare a speech in response. The contestant utilizes files of published materials (books, magazines, newspapers, online sources) s/he has compiled as a resource for answering the question. At the completion of the 30 minute preparation period, the student speaks on the topic for up to 7 minutes. The NFL divides extemp. into two separate events: United States (dealing with domestic issues), and International (issues beyond US borders). |
| Drama – This is an individual category in which the selections are dramatic in nature. Selections shall be cuttings from published-printed novels, short stories, plays, poetry, or any other printed-published materials. Presentations must be memorized, without props or costumes. The time limit is 10 minutes which includes an introduction. |
| Humor – This is an individual category in which the selections are humorous in nature. All other rules are the same as Dramatic Interpretation. |
| Poetry – Poetry is writing which expresses ideas, experience, or emotion through the creative arrangement of words according to their sound, their rhythm, their meaning. Poetry may rely on verse and stanza form. Only published, printed works may be used. No plays or other dramatic materials may be used. A student may not use the same source used in Duo, Dramatic or Humorous at any NFL tournament. |
| Duo – This is a two-person category in which the selection may be either humorous or dramatic in nature. All other rules are the same as Dramatic Interpretation. |
Thanks for visiting and be sure to check out the National Forensic League for more information pertaining to Speech and Debate in general. Also, a link that includes video performance of the above entrance events is included here.
