2005 Harvard Oratory

[nick]

So who will be there? Is it going to be the hardest competition of the year? Well, I'll be there.

Nick Courtney - "The Lake Woebegone Effect"

[toughguy422]

let's get this forum going. ill be at harvard of course. cant wait, hopefully there will be no hurricane or ice storm and we all can finally get a good marker of how good we are... or arent.

James McGraw performing, as always, "Tough Guy's Tough Guise."

[OOJessOO]

You know I'm going to be there... I wouldn't miss it! I need a legit tournament after these past few I've been attending.

Jess Feldman - "Uncensored"

[Josh Has Alergies]

I'll be at harvard... with my voice!

Josh Blum "The Truth Is Out There" the first oratory about the existance of aliens

[IamTHATnerd]

lets get this thread going again. Who was at Harvard? Comments on Finals? People who should/should not have broken??? Lets hear it!!!

[RebelSpeechMan]

Yeah. I would love to hear what everyone thought of the final oratory round at Harvard. Does anyone know exactly how many contestants were entered in the event?

[toughguy422]

let me preface this by saying i did not see the final round, but, with the exception of one person, i have competed against each of these people during the course of the year.

Lisa Weiner- i think we knew she would win. although most of us dont agree with her speech, she makes a good point and has the most phenomenal delivery i have ever seen.

Dustin Dought- he also has a great delivery, but his strong point really is his speech. not only does he inform the audience but also persuades them in an entertaining way. its also one of the most original of the oratories.

Lauren Davidson- i have never seen her but all my floridian friends say she is great.

AJ Fox- his speech is relatively strong, and his delivery is solid, although it can sound fake occasionally, but his humor is wonderful and his timing even better. he can really light up a room.

Ann Hunter-Pirtle- i was a little surprised to hear she broke at first. however her speech is a necessary, fresh look at curiosity, and her delivery is smooth and professional.

Emily Vaughan- her speech is a fresh thought provoking look at...thought. her speech is enjoyable to listen to, and her delivery is very sincere and heartfelt.

i would just like to say that each person deserved to be in the final round. a lot of times people argue that the competitors werent that good or the judges made a horrible decision. not only is that unfair to competitors that break, but untrue as well. thats the nature of forensics.

CONGRATS TO ALL!

~James

[OOJessOO]

Remember, these are opinions. Each person's view is subject to variation. Here's a look at what I thought of the final round:

Lisa Weiner - while this speech has been subject to criricism in the past, I have to admit that I like it more and more each time I see it. Her delivery skills are second to none and the comical timing is great. Agree with it or not, it does the job.

Dustin Dought - honestly one of the best I've ever seen. The subject was approached in an intelligent manner without isolating any members of the audience. The anecdotes were relatable and the delivery itself was awesome. It was clear that a lot of thought went into the actual content, which was a refreshing change from what we're used to seeing. A nice job all around.

Lauren Davidson - it was so nice to see her finally get the kind of recognition that she deserves! I see her a lot on the regional cicuit and I have always loved this speech. The jokes remain funny and fresh to me even though I already know what is coming and the actual points are driven home by the pure emotion behind the words. Congrats to a fellow South Floridian for doing the FFL proud!

AJ Fox - great speaking voice and a nice use of humor to back up the points. There were a lot of examples and I sometimes almost felt as if there were a few too many, however each was effective in its own way. A few presentation flaws in the gestures and such but overall it was a solid performance.

Ann Hunter-Pirtle - this speech takes a fresh look at a somewhat overdone topic. She had a few minor presentaton flaws, but then again, who doesn't? I felt as if the speech itself dragged a bit at times but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Cute examples and transitions helped add to the overall impact.

Emily Vaughn - once again, it was nice to see this speech get some much deserved recognition. I loved this speech from the moment I first heard it and thought that it was an excellent look at a topic to which we probably wouldn't otherwise give much thought. I've competed against this one as well a few times with varied results. She tends to have some rounds that are flawless and others that are not as polished. While this wasn't one of her best, the performance was still noteworthy. Another good showing from a member of the FFL!

While I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed about not breaking past octos, and the fact that the round was judged by mommy judges, I still had an absolute blast at Harvard and believe that the final round was the perfect mixture of good orators from all different regions. You win some, you lose some, and you go on to compete another day. Such is forensics.