Category: Speech

T’was the Night Before Our First Tournament…

Posted on by Heather Neumann

My dear friend, Prasanta Anamulu, wrote a version of this for Regionals one year. I think we can all relate…

Twas the Night Before Our First Tournament

Twas the night before our first tournament
And all through the house
Not a creature was sleeping–
With laptops open and clicking of mouse

Evidence was investigated
Suit-coats pressed with care
Printers, humming with briefs
churning out everywhere!

We’re packing our meals
We’re all out of paper and ink
Our washers are still running
And parents are on the brink
(of… excitement. Yes. That’s it.)

Debate boxes are crammed
Speech books are packed
Menus are planned, and our
minivans are stacked
(full of luggage and coolers. And debate boxes.)

“Am I topical, inherent,
significant, solvent?
I’ll find the logical fallacy
in that argument!”

Finally all competitors
Are tucked snugly in their beds
With visions of killer speeches
dancing in their heads.

Each of these students is precious
(And some can talk really fast!)
We’re humble and thankful
and have an absolute blast!

We love these tournaments
They are stressful, but fun
Three days go by quickly
All too soon, it’ll be over and done.

“Thank you for judging. Thank you for timing.”
Their ready for the journey
with speeches, and debate boxes…

On to the first tourney!

Good luck to those competing! We are lifting you and your families up!

~Lasting Impact!

 

NEW! More Videos Added!

Posted on by Heather Neumann

Lasting Impact! is super excited to announce we now have MORE videos added to our Video Gallery!

AJ Neumann

1. What kind of videos do you have on your site?

We try to put videos on our site that students, parents, and coaches will learn from. We also provide comments so you can specifically see what it is we feel you can glean from the video. Presently, we have over 20 videos on our site… More coming soon!

2. Why do you only allow members access?

Some of our friends, who have granted us access/permission to their videos, would prefer not to put them on YouTube. However, they have blessed us by allowing us to put them on our secure site. Having access to the Video Gallery is one of the benefits of being a member of Lasting Impact. We have already spent the time and energy providing you with some amazing videos that you don’t have to search the web for.

3. Why do you charge for membership to your videos?

Unfortunately, everything comes with a cost. After we are are given a video,  it has to go through a process in order to get it on the website. This process takes time and money. We clean up each and every video, so it is a higher quality (we won’t put a blurry video on our site). We also edit our videos (the editing software costs money) some have to be flipped, some needs to have the time shaved off the beginning or end. This saves you, the viewer valuable time. Also, it takes a vast amount of storage to put videos on our site. Storage also costs money.

4. How do I get my video on your site?

We are always looking for more videos.  For more info: Contact: admin@lastingimpact.info

Duo Interpretation- Tips from AJ Neumann

Posted on by Heather Neumann

In honor of our new release- The Ultimate Duo Handbook... An Essential Guide to Duo Interpretation. Here is an excerpt of the book...

AJ Neumann participated in Speech and Debate for five years. Each of those years he participated in Duo Interpretation. It was one of favorite Speech categories. Four out of the five years, he had FOUR different duo partners. He qualified to the National Championship in Duo Interpretation four years in a row, with three of those four partners.

AJ describes his Duo partnerships, how they came to be, and what valuable lessons he learned through each one of them...

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Perspective on your Persuasive

Posted on by Heather Neumann

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Being persuasive is an art. When writing persuasively, it is important to explain your thoughts clearly and make sure you have your thoughts supported by facts. I believe that the Persuasive Speech category is one of the most difficult to master. Here are my reasons why, and what you can do to master this speech...

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Creating Unforgettable Characters

Posted on by Heather Neumann

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If you are competing in any Interpretive Speech, creating believable characters is fundamental. Characterization is the vessel for demonstrating your interpretive skills. Our Character Worksheet can help you analyze each individual character. As you create your characters, there are a few specific aspects you should develop. Remember, although there may be a whole book written on your character, you have a time limit. Also, your creativity in the development of characters is ultimately up to you! Have fun! Get to know these people… You're going to spending a lot of time with them! Remember the goal is to make your characters memorable so your judges can tell them apart, as well remember them. Here are some things to consider...

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Biographical Narrative – A Chance to Inspire

Posted on by Kristi Eskelund

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Does anyone remember Paul Harvey and “…the rest of the story?”  For years Paul Harvey’s broadcast gave us a look at the inspiring accomplishments of ordinary people – who sometimes but not always turned out to be famous when we heard “the rest of the story.”  This was biographical narrative at its best!  Paul Harvey examined people.  He looked at their challenges and motivations, but mostly he showed us how they chose deliberately to rise above the many various obstacles they faced to be  doers of good deeds and to become men and women of real character, creativity, or accomplishment.

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Digging Deeper in Rules

Posted on by Heather Neumann

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How well do you know the rules? When you see a speed limit sign that states 25 mph- does that mean you need to start driving 25 mph before or after you reach the sign? I think speech rules are often read, but I wonder how many students are  actually understanding them. Today I am going to break down a couple of my favorite NCFCA Interp Rules... (Of course this is only my interpretation)...

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Don’t Forget your Funny Bone!

Posted on by Kristi Eskelund

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Just how important is humor?  Well, I bet you can’t get through a single day without at least encountering a small dose of it.  YouTubers are making a living on it.  Meme developers monopolize its powers.  People of both sides of the political spectrum have furiously tried to relieve the growing stress of this year’s election by using humor as an emotional outlet.  Health advocates tout the importance of laughter, and…you know it, I know it….everyone knows it….we are drawn to funny people.

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The Art of Visualization

Posted on by Heather Neumann

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There have been many benefits since my family got on the wild ride of Speech and Debate. One of those benefits I would like to call The Art of Visualization. I think most of our family has the ability to some degree. “What is it?” you might ask… The Art of Visualization is being able to watch or read something and be able to picture it as a Speech. I ask the students that I coach if they can visualize themselves in a speech. Can they visualize a story, movie, book, etc. as a speech? Let me help you visualize what I’m talking about…

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