Posts by Heather Neumann

The scene opens with Don sad and forlorn while his friend Cosmo attempts to cheer him up. Soon enough Cosmo has broken into a song and dance number so spectacularly funny, you forgot why Don was even sad in the first place. This scene of course is from “Singing In the Rain”, one of my all-time favorite movies. The song’s name is “Make Them Laugh” and details how a comedic actors job is always to make the audience laugh, despite the storyline, despite the troubles and tribulations of the real world that the movie-goer is coming from. *I strongly encourage the reader to go and watch the scene linked in the footnote right now, before proceeding with this article as I believe it essential to understanding how to create a successful After Dinner Speech.

Continue reading “Analyzing After Dinner Speech (part 2) By: David Bloom” →

It’s finally time. Months of prep work, practice and particularly late nights for Speech and Debate have all built to this singular moment of your life. To quote that stanchion of modern poetry, “He’s nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready, To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgettin’, the words he wrote down.”

​Then suddenly, in a flash, it’s all over. The awards ceremony comes, the dubiously red roses are given to the administrators of the tournament, you clap once so many times you think your hands will fall off, you bask in the steaming hot light for 12 maybe 15 seconds, smile while your eyes are assaulted with the electromagnetic waves of ionized xenon gas, say your tearful goodbyes and then pour through ballots, praising the parents who called you “Enlightened” and dismissing the ones who presented any criticism at all. That’s it. Was it worth it? Was the time and money your parents paid, worth the mediocre feeling of self-satisfaction? No, it wasn’t. Because that feeling was not what they paid for, they paid for you to learn how to be brave, how to speak despite your fears and misgivings. They paid so you could understand that hard work does pay off. More than any of that though, I think they put forth all that effort, so you could understand who you are as a person. That, in my opinion, is the greatest strength of After Dinner Speaking. It provides a platform on which the speaker can build a personal brand and entertain others while doing so.

Continue reading “Thoughts on After Dinner Speech (part 1) By: David Bloom” →

Abby Wright was the 2015 NCFCA National Champion speaker in After Dinner Speaking. An After Dinner Speech is an original humorous platform speech that informs, inspires and/or attempts to persuade the audience on a noteworthy topic. After a two year hiatus, NCFCA has brought ADS back. What makes this category unique, how should one go about tackling it? We have a lot to say about this topic (and we have more articles to come)! Today, Abby explores her  thought process of tackling an ADS…

Continue reading “After Dinner Tips by: Abby Wright” →