Original Oratory

In-PersonIndividual

View Official PDF (Page 44)

Competitors present a memorized original oration within a seven (7) minute period. The oration must relate back to the theme but also be applicable to a general audience.

Format

In-Person

Submission Requirements

On-Site: Three (3) copies of the oratory piece must be submitted to judges on-site at the time of the competition.

Registration Guidelines

1. A limit of two (2) students from each team may register for this competition.
2. Each student competes individually — collaboration is not permitted.

Procedure

1. MIST ID and order of competition will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.

2. All competitors report to the competition room at the same time (designated in competition schedule).

3. The orator must provide 3 hardcopies of the script at competition orientation.

   • MIST will NOT photocopy any scripts.
   • Competitors must come prepared with their copies.
   • The competitor must compete with the script submitted at that time.

4. Orations must be in English.

5. The piece must clearly relate back to the theme but also be applicable to a general audience.

6. Orations must be labeled with MIST ID ONLY. The competitor name must not appear anywhere on the work.

7. The orator must be truthful. Any non-factual reference, especially personal ones, must be identified.

8. The oration may not contain more than 150 words of quoted material.

   • Extensive paraphrasing from other sources is prohibited.
   • Orators caught plagiarizing or extensively paraphrasing will be disqualified.
   • Quoted material in other languages must be translated (not counted toward 150 word limit).

9. No visual aids may be used in delivery.

10. An orator holding a manuscript or notes will be ranked last.

11. Time limit: 7 minutes maximum with 30-second grace period.

    • Violation results in being ranked last when visible time signals have been given.
    • Judges/moderators are required to give time signals per competitor’s request.

12. Electronic device usage is not permitted during the competition.

Interactive Scoring Ballot

Interactive Ballot

Enter scores to calculate the total automatically.

Criteria	Score
Section A: Technical (10 points)
Technical Participant is on time for the competition Speech finished within 7 minutes (or within 30-second grace period) No identifiers aside from MIST ID Participant looks credible and dressed for an interview
Section Subtotal	0 / 10
Section B: Content (35 points)
Introduction Did the speaker get the audience's attention? Was the topic clearly stated/addressed? Did the speaker preview and give focus to the key ideas?
Body Was adequate time devoted to each division within the 7-minute limit? Was there a logical progression of ideas?
Conclusion Did the speaker tie the speech together? Was the answer to the question clear? Was there a note of finality?
Section Subtotal	0 / 35
Section C: Presentation (45 points)
Analysis and Content Did the speaker's oration revolve around the theme? Was the content informative? Was there sufficient use of logic, facts, examples, and/or expert opinion? Was the information pertinent to the selected topic?
Delivery Was the delivery natural, lively, and spontaneous? Was enunciation clear? Was volume appropriate? Was there sufficient variety in rate, pause, and pitch? Did the speaker exhibit poise and confidence? Were gestures varied, movement motivated, and eye contact direct? Was the speech memorized?
Language Did the speaker exhibit command of conversational style? Was the language precise, grammatically correct, and vivid?
Section Subtotal	0 / 45
Section D: Overall Experience (10 points)
Overall Experience Rate 1-10: 1 = Very poor, 4-6 = Average, 10 = Exceptional
Section Subtotal	0 / 10
Total Score	0 / 100