If you have dabbled in any way in speech, you might consider yourself "too advanced" for the Basic Camp. We'd like to beg to differ. To begin with, “Basic” does not mean “beginning.” Some students have natural talents, but need training to be consistently effective in a room in multiple events. Good competitors learn in levels – they start with basic knowledge with little or some success. Then they go back to the basics, re-work and deepen the basics, sharpening and honing those skills. But it takes time and effort and humility to see that they always need to go back to the beginning foundation and build it deeper and stronger. The Washington speech community is suffering and pales in comparision to other NCFCA and STOA states. States like Colorado and California do well not because judges dislike Washington competitors or their pieces, but because those two states work their tailfeathers off and constantly challenge themselves to improve. If Washington wants to rival the top states, her competitors must up their game. And that begins by mastering the essentials, the basics of speech.
“Intensives” – these are for those with a high level of competition success: students who have broken consistently at high-competition tournaments. Staff will be focusing on building skills – helping them taking their pieces to a higher level – analysis of text/ character/audience, strategizing in piece/topic selection, etc…. If students are only experienced in one event (e.g. only done interps), then doing the Platform intensive will not make sense for them. We recommend that they attend the Basic Camp to get grounded in all categories of speech.
If you have any questions about which camp you ought to attend, please contact us or check out the FAQ page.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
A taste of the interp intensive!
Itching to know what will be offered a our brand-new 2-day intensive on interpretations taught by Acacia Danielson and Ashton Winslow? Wondering how you can sophisticate your interpretations? Check out a sample of of our session on text analysis: getting to know your piece on a deep level in order to create a complex and impactful interp:
First, read well:
žReading and Christianity:
›God
communicates through His Word
›Christians
believe conversion comes through His Word
›Literacy
always follows Christianity
žReading and Socioeconomics
›Printing
press and the education of the common man
›Rise
of the middle class and democracy
›Free
press, education are antidotes to tyranny
Second, mark your script for meaning:
žInterpret the Text
›Make
decisions about emphasis and meaning
›Direct
the audience’s ears
›Highlight
the most important words and ideas
žAnnotate your Choices
›Visual
cues for performance details
›Deepens
your understanding/interaction with the text
Why debaters need to do interps
If you're like any debater I know, you're probably groaning at the suggestion that you, too, ought to compete in speech events, especially interpretations. All those silly, undignified faces and gooshy feelings. Blech. Well, I understand where you're coming from. I, too, cringe when passing by a DI room and all you hear is screams and sobs. However, contrary to popular belief, interps don't have to be like that. No, really. I won't make you scream. Promise.
So why in the world should debaters try interps? I mean, debaters are aleady learning great skills like analysis and argumentation, why do they need to tell stories? The short answer is, interps will make your debating better. "But how?" you ask. Well, sit down, and I will tell you. :)
Are you sitting comfortably? Good.
1.) Every argument is a story. A simple fact of life is that people were made to love stories. My history-major roommate told me that history itself is a narrative, there is no other way to describe it. When we move to communicate with other people, stories are our most natural vocabulary. When you are building your case, incorporating and refuting counter-arguments, you are narrating your logical progression, watching your plan (the hero of the tale) build its "virtues" (the advantages) and, hopefully, win the favor of the audience. As we all know, politics is rife with drama. Interps help you not only understand drama better, but allow you to make better and better arguments and conclusions about how the events are being told, how others are interpreting the evidence and news reports the media spits out. Sooooo, learn to understand and tell stories truthfully and well, and you will find your rhetoric becoming more nuanced and intelligent.
2.) Interps make you interesting and understandable. Unfortunately, poor debaters have the reputation of being a bit bland sometimes, and you have to admit it's true. (Sorry. :S ) One of the reasons that new judges (and experienced ones) often shrink from judging debate is because arguments often fly over their heads faster than a cat out of water and look just as scary. Additionally, most of us don't spend our spare time investigating the ins and outs of U.S. policy so jumping straight into 1.5 hours of concentrated conversation on the subject is a bit like falling into a bucket of ice water right after you've gotten out of bed. Unpleasant. Rather, we need help from you debaters to understand what you are trying to say so that we can vote for the RIGHT team and not write silly ballots. When people are confused by content, they rely on appearances. There's a reason why incorrect sob-stories from a girl team beat a correct but uninteresting boy team. Look appealing, and you'll win most of the time (unless Mr. Clark is judging you...). Learning to portray 3 billion different characters in interps widens the range of your facial expressions and vocal tones, allowing you to inform your audience how they ought to feel, think, and vote about each of your arguments. Again, construct a story for them. Also, interps are performed without the use of props, costumes, or scenery. There's a loooot you have to communicate with just your body, voice, and script. Debate is the same way. You can't give the whole history of the situation in your 1AC. You have to summarize it and highlight the important bits. Interps train you to be expressive and pay attention to the needs of your audience, guiding them in the logical direction you want them to go. If you want to win, you have to do more than be right, you have to be understood.
3.) Old, dead guys say so. No, really. Let me prove it to you with some quotes.
ARISTOTLE: "Let the virtue of style be defined as clear." See??? You need to make your arguments clear to your audience through expression and understanding of story-telling.
ARISTOTLE:"But since the whole business of rhetoric is with opinion, one should pay attention to delivery, not because it is right but because it is necessary, since true justice seeks nothing more in a speech than neither to offend nor to entertain; for to contend by means of the facts themselves is just...but, nevertheless, delivery has great power." Yes, Aristotle does wish that the facts alone could convince, but he admits that they don't. Interps enhance the "great power" of delivery.
QUINTILLIAN: "The actor will also be required to teach how a narrative should be delivered; with what authority persuasion should be forced; with what force anger might show itself; and what tone of voice is adated to excite pity." Quinny also recommends acting to the enhancement of delivery in terms of delivering a narrative. Remember, people like stories.
4.) Interps mayk u smarrrrtrrrr (and more compassionate). Western civilization (your society, country, and culture) was built on classic literature (Ivanhoe, Shakespeare, Paradise Lost). Maybe it would be good to read and work with some of it to, I don't know, understand the world better so you know how to present meaningful and appropriate arguments and responses? Maybe? Nahhhhhh.... In any case, learning to appeal to the judge's intellect is as useless as signing lessons for Rebecca Black if you don't learn how to speak to the judge's heart as well. As you craft an interp, you are forced to examine it for a message and then study and portray how the individual characters work to build that message in the story. If you are going to play those characters well, you must first understand and respect their motivations. As soon as you begin to judge and disrespect your characters (and, consequently, if you judge people), then your characters become flat and annoying. Seeking a deep knowledge of what makes each character unique trains your mind and heart to love and respect the people in your own life. Once you understand a person, it is difficult to hate them and easier to serve them. Are we not called to be servants, after all? An attitude of respect ad service are the marks of a quality debater. If a judge smells arrogance or selfishness on one side of the aisle, they immediately develop distaste for the team. Methinks that would not bode well for one's success.
5.) Interps give you depth. I know you've heard that all before, but perhaps learning to move beyond your comfort zone will work some maturity and grace into you, making your character more lovely and making you a more credible speaker. After all, all this talk about delivery, stories, and expressions are not just so you look flashy. My desire is that your skill is a reflection of your walk with God."From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to him whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." (Luke 12:48b). You have been given an opportunity to improve yourself. Don't lt laziness or fear stand in the way of excellence. Excellence takes work. Are you willing to work for your reward?
Well, I could go on, but I don't want to overwhelm you. Ultimately, learning to do interps exercises different analytical and emotional muscles than debate does and expands your communication "toolbox." If you can believe it, I used to be shy. No, really. I hated being in front of everybody. Interps diminish fear. They embolden you to speak what you have been called to speak with all the rhetorial juiciness you can muster. Plus, it's super fun. And, gents, the ladies love a man who can swashbuckles with imaginary opponents. True fact. :)
So why in the world should debaters try interps? I mean, debaters are aleady learning great skills like analysis and argumentation, why do they need to tell stories? The short answer is, interps will make your debating better. "But how?" you ask. Well, sit down, and I will tell you. :)
Are you sitting comfortably? Good.
1.) Every argument is a story. A simple fact of life is that people were made to love stories. My history-major roommate told me that history itself is a narrative, there is no other way to describe it. When we move to communicate with other people, stories are our most natural vocabulary. When you are building your case, incorporating and refuting counter-arguments, you are narrating your logical progression, watching your plan (the hero of the tale) build its "virtues" (the advantages) and, hopefully, win the favor of the audience. As we all know, politics is rife with drama. Interps help you not only understand drama better, but allow you to make better and better arguments and conclusions about how the events are being told, how others are interpreting the evidence and news reports the media spits out. Sooooo, learn to understand and tell stories truthfully and well, and you will find your rhetoric becoming more nuanced and intelligent.
2.) Interps make you interesting and understandable. Unfortunately, poor debaters have the reputation of being a bit bland sometimes, and you have to admit it's true. (Sorry. :S ) One of the reasons that new judges (and experienced ones) often shrink from judging debate is because arguments often fly over their heads faster than a cat out of water and look just as scary. Additionally, most of us don't spend our spare time investigating the ins and outs of U.S. policy so jumping straight into 1.5 hours of concentrated conversation on the subject is a bit like falling into a bucket of ice water right after you've gotten out of bed. Unpleasant. Rather, we need help from you debaters to understand what you are trying to say so that we can vote for the RIGHT team and not write silly ballots. When people are confused by content, they rely on appearances. There's a reason why incorrect sob-stories from a girl team beat a correct but uninteresting boy team. Look appealing, and you'll win most of the time (unless Mr. Clark is judging you...). Learning to portray 3 billion different characters in interps widens the range of your facial expressions and vocal tones, allowing you to inform your audience how they ought to feel, think, and vote about each of your arguments. Again, construct a story for them. Also, interps are performed without the use of props, costumes, or scenery. There's a loooot you have to communicate with just your body, voice, and script. Debate is the same way. You can't give the whole history of the situation in your 1AC. You have to summarize it and highlight the important bits. Interps train you to be expressive and pay attention to the needs of your audience, guiding them in the logical direction you want them to go. If you want to win, you have to do more than be right, you have to be understood.
3.) Old, dead guys say so. No, really. Let me prove it to you with some quotes.
ARISTOTLE: "Let the virtue of style be defined as clear." See??? You need to make your arguments clear to your audience through expression and understanding of story-telling.
ARISTOTLE:"But since the whole business of rhetoric is with opinion, one should pay attention to delivery, not because it is right but because it is necessary, since true justice seeks nothing more in a speech than neither to offend nor to entertain; for to contend by means of the facts themselves is just...but, nevertheless, delivery has great power." Yes, Aristotle does wish that the facts alone could convince, but he admits that they don't. Interps enhance the "great power" of delivery.
QUINTILLIAN: "The actor will also be required to teach how a narrative should be delivered; with what authority persuasion should be forced; with what force anger might show itself; and what tone of voice is adated to excite pity." Quinny also recommends acting to the enhancement of delivery in terms of delivering a narrative. Remember, people like stories.
4.) Interps mayk u smarrrrtrrrr (and more compassionate). Western civilization (your society, country, and culture) was built on classic literature (Ivanhoe, Shakespeare, Paradise Lost). Maybe it would be good to read and work with some of it to, I don't know, understand the world better so you know how to present meaningful and appropriate arguments and responses? Maybe? Nahhhhhh.... In any case, learning to appeal to the judge's intellect is as useless as signing lessons for Rebecca Black if you don't learn how to speak to the judge's heart as well. As you craft an interp, you are forced to examine it for a message and then study and portray how the individual characters work to build that message in the story. If you are going to play those characters well, you must first understand and respect their motivations. As soon as you begin to judge and disrespect your characters (and, consequently, if you judge people), then your characters become flat and annoying. Seeking a deep knowledge of what makes each character unique trains your mind and heart to love and respect the people in your own life. Once you understand a person, it is difficult to hate them and easier to serve them. Are we not called to be servants, after all? An attitude of respect ad service are the marks of a quality debater. If a judge smells arrogance or selfishness on one side of the aisle, they immediately develop distaste for the team. Methinks that would not bode well for one's success.
5.) Interps give you depth. I know you've heard that all before, but perhaps learning to move beyond your comfort zone will work some maturity and grace into you, making your character more lovely and making you a more credible speaker. After all, all this talk about delivery, stories, and expressions are not just so you look flashy. My desire is that your skill is a reflection of your walk with God."From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to him whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." (Luke 12:48b). You have been given an opportunity to improve yourself. Don't lt laziness or fear stand in the way of excellence. Excellence takes work. Are you willing to work for your reward?
Well, I could go on, but I don't want to overwhelm you. Ultimately, learning to do interps exercises different analytical and emotional muscles than debate does and expands your communication "toolbox." If you can believe it, I used to be shy. No, really. I hated being in front of everybody. Interps diminish fear. They embolden you to speak what you have been called to speak with all the rhetorial juiciness you can muster. Plus, it's super fun. And, gents, the ladies love a man who can swashbuckles with imaginary opponents. True fact. :)
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Welcome to the new site!
Thank you for taking a moment to poke around our new site. We hope that you will all the information you need about camp here, as well as a variety of resources to further your public speaking education. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns through contact information under the Contact Us! tab. If you are just passing through, be sure to leave a comment about what else you would like to see on the site. If you are here to register for summer camp, please head on over the the Registration page and then tell your friends!
Hope to see you at camp!
In Christ,
Acacia Danielson, Camp Director
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