Declamation
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Declamation (also known as Oratorical Declamation or Oratorical Interpretation, commonly abbreviated to "dec") is a public speaking event of the National Catholic Forensic League. One can qualify for the annual NCFL Grand National Tournament in Declamation through their local qualifying tournament. The category is almost always open to freshmen and sophomores only; it is often used as a "starter" event to get underclassmen used to the speech and debate activity in general and to prepare them for other categories such as Dramatic Performance or Original Oratory.
Rules
In simplest terms, Declamation is the delivering of a speech that was written and delivered by another person. A competitor may choose any speech that was once delivered in public. NCFL rules call for specific introductory material and a ten-minute time limit. The NCFL is the largest league in the United States that offers Declamation as a category for competition; most local and state leagues adhere to NCFL rules or slight variations on them.From the official NCFL critique sheet (see link below):
- "The speaker should convey the message in a sincere, honest and realistic attempt to recreate the spirit of the original presentation. Although the style of delivery chosen by the speaker should be judged in light of the purpose of the speech, artificiality is to be discredited. The message should conveyed credibly and convincingly as if the words were the speaker’s own. This event is an interpretation, not an impersonation."
- ''"The introduction must name the work and author, provide necessary background
- information and establish the mood."
- ''"The speaker should be physically open to the audience and use body language that
- ''invites the audience into the world of the declaimer. The speaker should vary facial expression to
- ''accentuate the natural flow of thoughts and feelings. The speaker should make eye contact with the
- ''audience. The speaker’s stance should be erect and controlled, without distracting movements. Movement,
- ''if used, should be motivated by transitions in thought or mood. Gestures should be visible, effectively
- used for emphasis, and varied."
The Original Oratory Controversy
The use of former Original Oratory speeches in Declamation has become quite widespread in recent years. Some see this practice as unfair or undermining the category's original purpose, as these speeches were originally written for the purpose of winning in forensic competition, and not necessarily conveying an important message. At the beginning of 2003-2004 season, the NCFL enacted a ban on all former high school competitive oratories, effective as of the 2005 Grand National Tournament. However, at the beginning of the 2004-2005 season, the restriction was removed, and thus, the ban never truly came into effect. As of the present time, former Original Oratory speeches are allowed material in NCFL Declamation. State and local leagues may choose to ban or allow material as they wish, however.Recent National Champions
1995: Jim Frawley - Holy Ghost Prep - Bensalem, PA 1997: Lesley Pories - Madison - Arlington, VA 1998: Usman Akeju - Iona Preparatory School - New York 1999: Matthew Maalouf - Catholic Memorial H.S. - Boston 2000: Heidi Dixon - Plymouth H.S. - Indianapolis 2001: Michael Rugnetta - St. Joseph’s Prep - Philadelphia 2002: Ben Schwartz - Natick HS - Worcester 2003: Mauricus Lofton - Louisville 2004: Sarah Koch - Apple Valley HS - Winona 2005: Joe Bittlingmaier - Iona Preparatory School - New York 2006: Sal Zullo - Iona Preparatory School - New YorkSee also
External links
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