National_forensics_association

The National Forensic Association is a national intercollegiate organization designed to promote excellence in individual events and debate. Founded in 1971, it sponsors an annual national championship individual events and debate tournament, as well many other regional tournaments throughout the year. The 2007 NFA national tournament was hosted by Berry College.

Dramatic Interpretation

Starting with the 2007-2008 season, NFA Nationals will host Dramatic Interpretation as a trial event for a two-year period, with points accumulated in DI counting for both team and individual sweepstakes. The rationale for the adding DI to NFA is to provide more students an opportunity to attend the tournament, and so there are as many interpretation events (currently three) as there are public address events (currently four). Additionally, the inclusion of DI was heralded as a way to include another genre of literature in the scope of individual performance, complementing the current "individual" interpretation events of Prose Interpretation and Poetry Interpretation.

DI\'s addition to the tournament means that only one event that is hosted by NFA\'s sister organization, the American Forensic Association remains off the NFA list of individual events, Programmed Oral Interpretation. Ironically, the American Forensic Association\'s NIET also excludes an NFA event - Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

Lincoln Douglas Debate

NFA is unique in its NFA-LD Policy format. High school debate is primarily divided into individual debaters engaged in values-oriented competition or teams of debaters in rapid-paced evidence-based policy analysis. Instead of choosing one of these formats, NFA offers evidence-based policy analysis in one-on-one competition.

LD Policy Format

At the beginning of each year a topic area and corresponding resolution is voted upon and subject to the entire season\'s debate. Each round competitors find themselves assigned to affirm or negate the resolution. Rather than affirm general ideas or values, affirmative competitors propose a particular policy to adopt as a representation of the resolution. Negative comeptitors will generally attempt to either demonstrate a lack of need for that policy or argue that its disadvantages outweigh their benefits.

The first affirmative and negative speeches are constructive speeches, intended to put forth the arguments which will comprise the issues in dispute. A cross examination period of three minutes follows each of these speeches in order to clarify arguments and gain information relevant to each competitor\'s position. Each competitor is then given a six minute rebuttal in which their responses and development of the arguments are finalized. At the end of the round, the affirmative is given one final three minute speech to review why their plan ought to be passed in support of the resolution. An assigned judge will then cast a ballot to affirm or negate the resolution. cas.bethel.edu

Past National Champions

1971- Ohio University

1972- Ball State University

1973- Eastern Michigan University

1974- Ohio University

1975- Ohio University

1976- Eastern Michigan University

1977- Eastern Michigan University

1978- Eastern Michigan University

1979- Eastern Michigan University

1980- Eastern Michigan University

1981- Eastern Michigan University

1982- Bradley University

1983- Bradley University

1984- Bradley University

1985- Bradley University

1986- Eastern Michigan University

1987- Eastern Michigan University

1988- Bradley University

1989- Bradley University

1990- Bradley University

1991- Bradley University

1992- Bradley University

1993- Bradley University

1994- Bradley University

1995- Illinois State University

1996- Bradley University

1997- Illinois State University

1998- Bradley University

1999- Illinois State University

2000- Illinois State University

2001- Bradley University

2002- Bradley University

2003- Western Kentucky University

2004- Western Kentucky University

2005- Bradley University

2006- Western Kentucky University

2007- Western Kentucky University

2008- ???

External links

• Official website

References

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