Hey everyone and welcome to the University of Florida Speech and Debate Team. I am excited about this upcoming season and you should be too! Over the past two years, the University of Florida Speech and Debate team has experienced a real Renaissance, to say the least.
Individual Events, one of three competitive leagues that UF participates in, is excelling at phenomenal rates and is destined for success! Last year, the Individual Events squad consistently placed in the top 5 at all regional tournaments, and in the top 2 at all the national tournaments we attended. During the past two seasons, our nationals squad returned home with more breaks at the American Forensics Association National Individual Tournament (AFA-NIET) than ever before in history.
This year, we expect to exceed the standards of previous seasons. Make sure to thoroughly read Speaking Like a Gator, a manual on all you need to know about being a successful Individual Events competitor. It is posted on this website. You should also come to weekly IE practices. Please feel free to email me for assistance, questions, or comments. (rajuvyas@ufl.edu)
Remember, besides the healthy competitive vibe that surrounds the Forensics community, we are family. Debate is about the people we compete with, the friends we make on the way, and the family that will be with us forever.
Welcome to the family. Lets get started on our speeches and of course – Go Gators!
~Raju Vyas
University of Florida Speech and Debate Individual Events Captain 2004-2005.
The University of Florida competes in all eleven AFA events. For a brief description of each of these, check out Speaking Like a Gator by Elenore Klingler.
Legs
Legs are required to become eligible to attend the American Forensics Association's National Individual Events Tournament(AFA-NIET).
Legs are earned by finishing in the top 6 in an event at a tournament with at least 10 teams in attendance. (Note: no more than half the participants can earn legs, so if there are less than twelve competitors, a rank higher than 6 is necessary to earn a leg.) To qualify-at-large for the AFA-NIET, a competitor needs three legs that add up to no more than 8. For example, finishing first, second, and fourth in an event at three different tournaments would give you three legs with a cumulative total of 7; thus qualifying for AFA-NIET.
Are you ready to answer an Extemp question about ...
If not, just click the headline for more information.
IE Humor
If you'd rather have humor than try and answer Extemp questions, why not check out some Forensics Top Ten lists.
New Member Travel Rules
Much of learning what you are supposed to do can best be learned by watching other competitors in your rounds. Therefore, we have imposed different rules for new members wanting to travel to tournaments their first semester on the team. The following chart illustrates the minimum and maximum number of events that new members may compete in this semester.
| Tournament | Minimum # of Events | Maximum # of Events |
| First Tournament | 2 | 3 |
| University of Alabama | 3 | 3 |
| Remainder of First Semester | 3 | 4 |
| Second Semester | 3 | n/a |
All returning members are still required to compete in a minimum of three events with no limit to as to the number of events they compete in unless limited by specific tournament rules.
AFA Nationals Requirements
In order to attend AFA Nationals this year at team expense, a competitor must qualify in at least three events at large. The 2003 National Tournament is being hosted by The University of Mississippi. A student may also attend AFA Nationals if he/she has any events qualified (either at large or via districts), and is willing to pay for their travel and entry fees.
Practice Rules
Note: these rules only express the minimum practice required. As the old maxim says, practice makes perfect. We can't guarantee you'll be perfect if you practice more, but we'll certainly try to make you better.
| First Tournament of the Year | Remaining Tournaments | |
| New Collegiate Competitors | Must practice all events for a coach or returning member. | Must practice worst event for a coach. |
| Returning Collegiate Competitors | Must practice 1 event for a coach. | Must practice worst event for a coach. |
Links
Please be sure to check out the Individual Events Resources, available on our Links page.
|
[
Home
| News
| Results
| FAQ
| History
| Members
]
[ Individual Events | Parliamentary Debate | Policy Debate | Calendar | Links ] |