Student Life

Clubs

Talking Heads (Speech Club)

Coaches: Ms. Chastain & Ms. Palmero

 

The TALKING HEADS is a club whose main purpose is to develop public speaking skills. Members learn how to speak in front of audiences, how to organize and present their ideas clearly and persuasively. They compete in tournaments hosted by the National Forensic League (NFL) in both Individual Events and Student Congress. They often come back with large (and shiny) trophies, N.F.L. points, and in some cases even money prizes. Most importantly, they gain new skills that will help them succeed throughout their high school years at Mercy, and in the future.

 

The NATIONAL FORENSIC LEAGUE is a national honor society for students active in speech and debate. This society awards achievement points every time a student presents a speech, and when a total of 25 points has been earned, a student is awarded membership, a student moves up to earn various degrees of honor in the society. At graduation, a special seal denoting the degree of membership is placed upon the student’s diploma. The only other organization permitted to add a seal to a diploma is the California Scholarship Federation. Colleges recognize achievement in N.F.L. as an important admissions qualifier, and many famous entertainers, senators and presidents have been counted in the ranks of N.F.L.

 

"The Talking Heads is open to all students and we encourage you to check us out. You will have fun and learn a lot at the same time. No experience necessary!"

 

As mentioned earlier, they compete in INDIVIDUAL EVENTS and in STUDENT CONGRESS (congressional debate). Individual Events are speeches, usually delivered by one person and range from 5 to 10 minutes in length. Listed below are the different types of Individual Events, in which you can participate as a member of the Talking Heads. All of the following speeches are presented in varsity division without notes (except for Thematic Interpretation). In junior varsity, all events except the Impromptu ones may use notes.

 

ORIGINAL EVENTS:

 

Expository: is a 10-minute speech, in which you are educating the audience about a chosen topic. In expository you are allowed to use props (such as posters, music, etc.) to enhance your demonstration.

 

Original Oratory: is a 10-minute speech, in which you are trying to persuade your audience to agree with you on a chosen issue. (No props allowed)

 

Original Advocacy: is a 10-minute speech in which you are to present your audience with a problem and provide a possible solution in the form of a bill or resolution.

 

Original Prose and Poetry: is a 10-minute speech using your own short stories, poetry, or drama to entertain your audience.

 

INTERPRETIVE EVENTS:

 

Humorous Interpretation: is a 10-minute excerpt from a published humorous piece. This can be taken from movies, plays, musicals, short stories, poems or books, an may involve 1 or more characters.

 

Dramatic Interpretation: is a 10-minute excerpt from a published dramatic piece, with the same sources as above.

 

Duo Interpretation: is a 10-minute excerpt from a published play. In duo interpretation, unlike in all other speech categories, you are performing with a partner. Sources as above.

 

Thematic Interpretation: is a combination of excerpts from different stories, famous speeches, poems and or plays all linked by a common theme, and by your original transition material. A copy of your script is held during competition.

 

IMPROMPTU EVENTS:

 

Impromptu: is a spontaneous speech lasting no longer than 5-minutes. You are given three possible topics and 2-minutes to prepare.

 

National Extemporaneous: is a 5-7-minute speech, where you are given 3 national current events topics and 30-minutes to prepare, write out and or memorize your speech.

 

International Extemporaneous: is a 5-7-minute speech, where you are given 3 international current events topics to choose from.

 

SERVICE CLUB SPEECHES:

 

Many local organizations sponsor speech contests for high school students. Two organizations which have offered such opportunities are Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), which sponsors an annual “Voice of Democracy” contest, which has local, state and national prizes. Mercy students have won the San Francisco District contest for the last 13 years straight, and have also won the state level and gone to nationals, resulting in lots of scholarship money for them.

 

Another scholarship for speaking opportunity is offered by the California Nevada Lions Clubs. Each year they choose a topic of current interest (Last year it was "Global Warming - Fact or Fiction") and offer a series of contests designed to choose the best speaker in California and Nevada. Prizes begin at $50 and go up to $20,000 this year. Several Mercy graduates have won $4,000 scholarships and in 2007, a Mercy junior, Marielle B., won an $11,000 scholarship.

 

Opportunities abound for fame and fortune: you only need to reach out and take advantage of them!

 

If any of these exciting speech categories caught your attention, and you would like to learn more about them stop by room 209 and Ms. Chastain will be more than happy to answer any of your questions.

 

We meet on club “A” days and every Tuesday after school in room 209 (also check out the club bulletin board outside of Barrett Hall for meeting dates).

 

Remember: Life's a Speech!