Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons^™

Forensics In Times Of Crisis. Reframing Citizenship And Social Change As "Winning", Justin Gus Foote

Speaker & Gavel

This article extends the challenge I offered at the National Communication Associate (NCA) Annual Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah in November 2018. During the conference I posed the following challenge: The Speech and Debate community should shift our idea of “winning” from solely competition success, and trophy accumulation, towards a renewed sense of citizenship—primarily, by engaging social change, as an outcome, throughout the competition season. This challenge arose from a perceived malaise about gun control discourse. I argue competitive speech and debate provides a robust venue to engage current discussion on gun control and the community to embrace our …

The Economics Of Information And The Meaning Of Speech, Charles W. Collier

Catholic University Law Review

In common usage the communication of information is not sharply distinguished from the use of language or speech to make factual or propositional statements. So it should come as no surprise that one of the main legal justifications for protecting speech--that it underwrites a “marketplace of ideas” and thereby contributes to the search for truth--has strong parallels in the economic theory of information. “Indeed,” as Kenneth Arrow writes, “the market system as a whole has frequently been considered as an organization for the allocation of resources; the typical argument for its superiority to authoritative central allocation has been the greater …

Public Speaking In A Pandemic: A Situational, Compensatory, And Resilient Undertaking, Joshua F. Hoops

Basic Communication Course Annual

The introductory public speaking class includes topics such as audience analysis, credibility, organization, visual aids, and delivery. While the pedagogy I employ in this class tends to be very interactive and require a lot of group work, 2020 will forever be known as the year of the COVID-19 global pandemic, which produced social distancing, stay-at-home-orders, and mask wearing. This study examines the impacts of pandemic precautions on public speaking practice, specifically situational communication apprehension. In addition to recording my own observations throughout my face-to-face public speaking class, I also periodically interviewed students about their experience taking the course during a …

“Whose Team Is It Anyway?”: Exploring The Impact Of Coaching Changes On Forensics Team Culture, Brenton Lynn Mitchell

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Previous research in the field has documented the many aspects of coaching difficulties faced by forensic teams (Chouinard & Kuyper, 2010; Louis, 2011; Outzen, 2016; White, 2005 & 2010). While research in this area is necessary to understand the struggles associated with a coaching change and the impact it has on team culture, little research has been done to analyze how the students are affected by the shift in coaches and the changing culture of the team. This thesis examines how collegiate forensics competitors navigate these difficult transitions in an activity that heavily influences the creation of close relationships between …

An Empirical Analysis Of Individual Events In Collegiate Forensics, Jordan Duffin Wong

Honors Theses

Anecdotally, it is a widely accepted notion in the United States’ collegiate competitive speech and debate community that a competitor’s strong record of competitive performance in the activity at the high school level is a powerful predictor of similar success in the activity at the collegiate level. However, no evidence has been brought to bear supporting this claim. This paper uses the universe of American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament results from 2013 to 2018 and links collegiate competitors to their respective high school performance data. I demonstrate evidence that high school experience does, in fact, appear to play …

An Empirical Analysis Of Individual Events In Collegiate Forensics, Jordan Wong

UCARE Research Products

Anecdotally, it is a widely accepted notion in the United States’ collegiate competitive speech and debate community that a competitor’s strong record of competitive performance in the activity at the high school level is a powerful predictor of similar success in the activity at the collegiate level. However, no evidence has been brought to bear supporting this claim. This paper uses the universe of American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament results from 2013 to 2018 and links collegiate competitors to their respective high school performance data. I demonstrate evidence that high school experience does, in fact, appear to play …

Flashback To 1985: The State Of Speech And Debate: A National Perspective, Richard G. Fawcett

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Since I left Minnesota to join the staff at the National Federation of State High School Associations as their speech and music coordinator in July 1978, a number of forces have impacted America’s high schools, high school activities programs, and more specifically, high school speech and debate activities. I should like to focus on some of these forces tracing their eventual impact on speech and debate programs.

Student Service To The High School Forensics Community: Insights Gained From Hosting The Annual Singletary Speech And Debate Tournament, Kelsey Bruce

Student Engagement Posters

Kelsey Bruce discusses student engagement at Linfield College with regard to hosting the annual Singletary Speech and Debate Tournament.

Living, Learning, And Leading At Linfield College, Kelsey Bruce

Student Engagement Posters

Kelsey Bruce discusses student engagement at Linfield College with regard to leadership through student/faculty collaborative research with Dr. Megan Bestwick, speech and debate, and the Linfield Residence Life team.

A Rhetorical Analysis Of President Bill Clinton's First Term Presidential Rhetoric, Ireland Hill

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Bill Clinton was the United States of America’s (U.S.) 42nd President, and his rhetoric set the tone of U.S. political climate for years following his presidency. Due to the power that a president possesses, a president’s presence and statements are frequently analyzed. It is clear, however, that there is a lack of research completed on presidential rhetoric. Upon this realization, I reflected on my previous areas of research; one of those areas was the first term presidential rhetoric of Clinton. As a result, I decided that a rhetorical analysis of some of the major rhetoric that contributed to Clinton’s first …

Four Facets Of Diminishment In Cicero's Pro Caelio: Dilemma, Irony, Understatement, And Comedy, Donald Matthew Pasko

Graduate Theses and Capstone Projects (excluding DNP)

No abstract provided.

What’S In A Name? Defending Forensics: A Response To Kimble’S “By Any Other Name”, Christopher P. Outzen, Daniel Cronn-Mills

Daniel Cronn-Mills, Ph.D.

Our essay is a response to Kimble’s “By Any Other Name: On the Merits of Moving Beyond Forensics.” We argue forensics has not lost the battle for its name, since the battle does not necessarily exist. We contend changing the name is unnecessary since forensics is the most accurate label one may apply to inter-scholastic speaking and debating. Furthermore, changing the name would have considerable negative repercussions. Instead, the forensic community needs to return to its roots as educators and activists to enhance public understanding of the term to include forensic speaking and debate. We conclude the name forensics is …

Stand Up, Speak Out: The Practice And Ethics Of Public Speaking, Anonymous

Open Access Textbooks

Stand up, Speak out: The Practice and Ethics of Public Speaking features two key themes. First it focuses on helping students become more seasoned and polished public speakers, and second is its emphasis on ethics in communication. It is this practical approach and integrated ethical coverage that sets Stand up, Speak out: The Practice and Ethics of Public Speaking apart from the other texts in this market.

Stand up, Speak out: The Practice and Ethics of Public Speaking is adapted from a work produced by a publisher who has requested that they and the original author not receive attribution. This …

Informative Speech Assignment: “Let’S Visit… ”, Karl O. Williams

Open Educational Resources

Let's Visit is an informative speech assignment given to students in a fundamentals of public speaking class to improve global competence.

Winning The Peace: The "Three Pillars" Of George Bush At Whitehall Palace, Terry Robertson

Speaker & Gavel

The November, 19, 2003 speech given by George W. Bush at Whitehall Palace in Great Britain was one of the most significant in the President’s political career. Mr. Bush attempts, in the speech, to reinforce his proponents as well as negate the arguments of his skeptics. This work illustrates, through Neo- Aristotelian rhetorical criticism how the President met the rhetorical situation, how he utilized language and rhetorical devices, and critiques the means of persuasion utilized by Mr. Bush.

Physical Challenges In Forensics: An Autoethnography Advocating For Accommodations On Behalf Of Speakers With Physical Challenges In Competitive Speech Environments, Elise Mccauley Row

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The realm of competitive forensics is filled with challenges including written and unwritten rules and norms, multiple categories with different guidelines for each, a distinct culture only people intimately connected with the activity can navigate without conscious effort, and a basic knowledge of the ever-changing world of communication. For competitors who struggle with physical disabilities, the challenges are beyond daunting. Using the method of autoethnography, this paper investigates how students with physical challenges can successfully participate through accommodation and how speech coaches can advocate for their physically-disabled speakers and request and implement the best accommodations.

How Attorneys Judge Collegiate Mock Trials, Ruth R. Wagoner, R. Adam Molnar

Speaker & Gavel

In collegiate mock trial competition, practicing attorneys who don’t coach or know the participating schools judge the students' persuasive skill. Fifty-six attorneys were interviewed after they judged collegiate mock trials. They were asked which student behaviors they rewarded, which behaviors they punished, and overall which team presented more effectively. The attorneys' responses were grouped into thematic categories and arranged by priorities. Attorneys were consistent in what they said they valued in student performances. Interviewees' answers to the question about overall team performance were compared with the numeric ballots. If global assessment were included, it would change the outcome of a …

I Need Help Finding It: Understanding The Benefits Of Research Skill Acquisition In Competitive Forensics, Jessica L. Furgerson

Speaker & Gavel

Research skill acquisition is an invaluable but under explored benefit of forensics participation. Although coaches, students, and administrators acknowledge that participants gain research skills via forensics, little is known about what these skills are and how they specifically benefit students. This paper isolates three specific research dimensions students learn while participating in competitive speech and debate: locating, examining, and applying source mate-rial. Connections are then drawn between these dimensions and the attainment of high level learning resulting in the creation of educational outcomes related to research skill acquisition via forensics. Understanding the process and importance of research skill acquisition is …

What’S In A Name? Defending Forensics: A Response To Kimble’S “By Any Other Name”, Christopher P. Outzen, Daniel Cronn-Mills

Speaker & Gavel

Our essay is a response to Kimble’s “By Any Other Name: On the Merits of Moving Beyond Forensics.” We argue forensics has not lost the battle for its name, since the battle does not necessarily exist. We contend changing the name is unnecessary since forensics is the most accurate label one may apply to inter-scholastic speaking and debating. Furthermore, changing the name would have considerable negative repercussions. Instead, the forensic community needs to return to its roots as educators and activists to enhance public understanding of the term to include forensic speaking and debate. We conclude the name forensics is …

By Any Other Name: On The Merits Of Moving Beyond Forensics, James Kimble

Speaker & Gavel

This essay argues that the interscholastic speaking and debating activity that calls itself forensics has effectively lost the battle for its own name. As students of and experts in rhetoric and performance, members of the forensics community should be the first to recognize the importance of an undisputed name. Yet the community continues to call itself by a name that medical science has overtaken. The resulting confusion does the community no favors and weakens the activity within the academy. The essay concludes that it might be time for a new name that the activity can claim for its own.

A Rationale For Incorporating Dystopian Literature Into Introductory Speaking Courses, James P. Dimock, Chad Kuyper, Peggy Dimock

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Since Aristotle, teachers of public speaking have argued that an understanding of the audience’s beliefs, values, and assumptions about the world are the key to effective, persuasive speaking. All too often, however, public speaking courses either avoid audience analysis or focus on superficial details of the audience demographics. This paper makes the argument that by reading and discussing novels, students can develop an appreciation of their classmates as audience members and that dystopian fiction is especially well-suited to developing speech ideas that connect public speaking with the world outside the classroom. Teaching suggestions and lesson plans are included.

Sit, Stand, Speak: Examining The Perceptions Of The Basic Public Speaking Student On Normative Forensic Practices And Their Effect On Competitor Credibility In Oratory, Katie Marie Brunner

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This paper examines basic public speaking students' perceptions forensic competitor credibility based on normative factors present within the forensic community. Anecdotal and experiential evidence provided this researcher with reason to believe that the unwritten rules and normative expectations of forensics were so far-removed from what students were used to seeing in their classrooms and in the media, that they could have a negative impact on a competitor's ethos, from the basic public speaking students' perspective. This research was performed in an attempt to determine whether these anecdotal and experiential assumptions were accurate and also to gain insight into the how …

The Use Of Paralinguistics In Spontaneous Speech Of Children With Williams Syndrome And Typically Development Children, Kelly Ritter, Evan Panitzke, Emily Kruse

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This project investigated selected aspects of paralinguistics in spontaneous speech of speakers with Williams syndrome. Speakers with Williams syndrome “are noted for their well developed vocabulary, relatively complex and syntactically correct sentences, and their ability to spin a good tale. In contrast, their reasoning usually remains at a pre-operational or preschool level, and they typically have difficulty grasping cause-effect relations” (Semel & Rosner, 2003, p. 5). This research focused on an area of communication called paralinguistics which involved the use of nonspeech sounds for communication. Specifically, we looked at the frequency of laughing and sound effects produced during conversation. Ten …

The Rhetorical Canon Of Memory And The Assistive Use Of Mnemonics, Jonathan Bobby

Masters Theses

People often imagine at some point in their existence what it would be like to have a photographic memory. However, this mental aptitude is a misnomer, and extremely rare in humankind. What we possess from our Creator is a photographic mind. Our memory recall is based on the recognition of visual pictures that appear in our mind. The early communication theorists illustrated this recognition and described it in the fourth canon of rhetoric. Because of the advancements in information technology, memory no longer holds the significance it once did. Numerous academic texts refer to memory as the lost art of …

Variability Of Cranial Nerve Assignment To Speech And Swallow Muscles, Kristina Morrey

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The object of this study was to examine and document anatomical variability of cranial nerve assignment for muscles of the speech and swallow mechanism. Through means of textbook review, the study’s first purpose was to identify which cranial nerves were attributed to the innervation for muscles associated with the speech and swallow mechanism. The second purpose was to examine if cranial nerve assignment, field of study, or geographic region explained differences in cranial nerve assignment to muscles of the head and neck.

Obtaining Speech Assets For Judgement Analysis On Low-Pass Filtered Emotional Speech, John Snel, Charlie Cullen

Conference papers

Investigating the emotional content in speech from acoustic characteristics requires separating the semantic con- tent from the acoustic channel. For natural emotional speech, a widely used method to separate the two channels is the use of cue masking. Our objective is to investigate the use of cue masking in non-acted emotional speech by analyzing the extent to which filtering impacts the perception of emotional content of the modified speech material. However, obtaining a corpus of emotional speech can be quite difficult whereby verifying the emotional content is an issue thoroughly discussed. Currently, speech research is showing a tendency toward constructing …

L’Irruption De La Violence Dans Saint-Germain Ou La Négociation: L’Esthétique Néoclassique Belge En Question, David Vrydaghs

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

This paper analyses the novel Saint-Germain ou la négociation, which appears to hide a controversial discourse under a classic form. a special attention is given to the last chapter to show how this end modifies the novel’s reception. Finally, it is the whole neoclassic aesthetics that seems to be violate.

Conceptualizing And Measuring White House Staff Influence On Presidential Rhetoric, Justin Vaughn, José Villalobos

José D. Villalobos

Scholars have debated extensively the impact of presidential rhetoric on public opinion and congressional behavior, but have largely ignored the determinants of what the president actually says. This inattention is partly the result of the difficulty of acquiring systematic observations of presidential speech crafting. We devise a method of quantifying White House staff influence over the composition of rhetoric that captures the multistage negotiations between the president's speechwriters and his policy advisors and provides a framework for future studies on the determinants of presidential rhetoric. We employ our method to study influence over the writing of President George H. W. …

Sabbatical Leave Final Report, Ed Kelly

Sabbaticals

My sabbatical work was accomplished during the 1999-2000 academic year. The two general goals to be achieved were, first, to upgrade my computer skills and second, to improve the interactivity of our online speech course.

'About Talk': The Category Of Talk-Reflexive Words, Corey Anton

Peer Reviewed Articles

The present exploration examines the everyday capability to talk about talk by considering mainly the use of a particular word-type, what I shall be calling 'about talk' words. As an important note, the reader of this text should observe that almost all the sentences within this paper (except for quotations) embody 'about talk'. But, rather than continue to distract the reader by underlining every instance, I shall highlight (i.e., underline) only within the first two paragraphs of this essay all of these definite references to the verbal order. As for the other sentences, paragraphs, and pages, the reader is strongly …