What is Forensics?
Forensics is a fancy and inclusive term for Speech & Debate, and is a fun and rewarding experience giving students the opportunity to win awards in a multitude of events. Students will not only have fun and compete, but Forensics also prepares students for college, career, and the future; as well as encouraging literacy skills, civility, advocacy, creativity, persuasion, collaboration, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. This packet is designed to inform you more about Forensics and the expectations if you and your student choose to go forward with the team.
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Through Forensics, students learn to see both sides of an issue, to persuade, to think creatively, and to confidently communicate to any audience. You can get a feel for Forensics and the varying levels of competition across the county by visiting the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) website at https://www.speechanddebate.org.
Now, Forensics isn’t some fly-by-night hobby. Just as
with a sports team, Forensics is competition-based and participation-based team, requiring significant work and commitment from all team members. Students will learn public speaking, interpretation, and debate.
Has anyone I know competed in Forensics before?
There are many famous people who were once Forensics competitors. Leaders in tech, business and government, as well as authors, entertainers, and educators.
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Below you will find a small list of individuals, but for a much larger list, visit:
https://www.speechanddebate.org/notable-alumni/
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Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor, former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer
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Entertainers Paul Rudd, Jordan Peele, Shelley Long, James Dean, Zac Efron, Chadwick Boseman, Brent Spiner, Kenan Thompson, BD Wong, Nancy Cartwright, Bruce Springsteen, Jared Padalecki, three-time national winner Josh Gad
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Talk Show Hosts Oprah Winfrey, Stephen Colbert
Marge Simpson and Artie Ziff were revealed to be Forensics competitors in high school in The Simpson's episode: "The Way We Was"