Forensics (Speech & Debate)
Up to $8,000 Scholarships Available!
Our History of Excellence
Since its founding in 2007, Concordia’s forensics team has become the premier full-service forensics team in the western United States. Our full-service forensics squad consistently places in the top 10 rankings nationwide in speech and debate events. Our talented coaching staff ensures you will receive one-on-one attention while thriving among your peers. While we love winning trophies, we are most concerned with teaching our students to become wise, honorable, and cultivated citizens after graduation.
4
First-place titles
Across NPDA, NCCFI, and PSCFA.
14
Top-three finishes
Debate and individual events.
2013–2023
Years competing
A decade on the national stage.
Forensics Scholarships
Forensics scholarships are available to students who join Concordia’s nationally competitive speech and debate team. Awards consider both merit and financial need.
Events Offered
- After Dinner Speaking
- Communication Analysis
- Drama Interpretation
- Dramatic Duo
- Extemporaneous Speaking
- Impromptu Speaking
- International Public Debate
- Informative Speaking
- Lincoln Douglas Debate
- Prose Interpretation
- National Parliamentary Debate
- Persuasive Speaking
- Poetry Interpretation
- Program Oral Interpretation
Our Individual Events Program
According to a growing body of research, public speaking and communication skills are essential for career success. Our individual events program teaches students to overcome their fears of public speaking, while honing competition and research skills that will last a lifetime. We have placed 1st over 156 times, advanced at national tournaments over 72 times, and advanced at tournaments over 1,716 times in the history of our program. For the past 3 years, our program has ranked in the top 10 individual events programs in the country.
Our Debate Program
The political landscape in the United States changes quickly. Our debate program empowers students to stay informed and up-to-date on the current political climate with critical thinking skills and award-winning research techniques. Concordia University Irvine Debate holds two national sweepstakes championships from the National Parliamentary Debate Association, and the National Round Robin 2018 Top Speaker title. Our program is the only team in the country to place students in the top 8 nationwide five years in a row.
Events Descriptions
The text below is taken from the website of the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET). These constitute the rules for competition at the National Tournament for Individual Events. They are included here so that there is clarity about how an event will be handled throughout the year.
Limited Preparation Events
Extemporaneous Speaking: Contestants will be given three topics in the general area of current event, choose one, and have 30 minutes to prepare a speech that is the original work of the student. Maximum time limit for the speech is 7 minutes. Limited notes are permitted. Student will speak in listed order. Postings of topics will be staggered.
Impromptu Speaking: An impromptu speech, substantive in nature, with topic selections varied by round and by section. Topics will be derived from quotations. Speakers will have a total of 7 minutes for both preparation and speaking. Timing commences with the acceptance of the topics sheet. Limited notes are permitted.
Platform Speaking Events
After Dinner Speaking: An original, humorous speech by the student, designed to exhibit sound speech composition, thematic, coherence, direct communicative public speaking skills, and good taste. The speech should not resemble a night club act, an impersonation, or comic dialogue. Audio-visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforced the message. Minimal notes are permitted. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.
Communication Analysis: An original speech by the student designed to offer an explanation and/or evaluation of a communication event such as a speech, speaker, movement, poem, poster, film, campaign, etc., through the use of rhetorical principles. Audio-visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforce the message. Manuscripts are permitted. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.
Informative Speaking: An original, factual speech by the student on a realist subject to fulfill the general aim to inform the audience. Audio-visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforce the message. Multiple sources should be used and cited in the development of the speech. Minimal notes are permitted. Maximum time is 10 minutes.
Persuasive Speaking: An original speech by the student designed to inspire, reinforce, or change the beliefs, attitudes, values or actions of the audience. Audio-visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforce the message. Multiple sources should be used and cited in the development of the speech. Minimal notes are permitted. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.
Interpretation Events
Drama Interpretation: A cutting that represents one or more characters from a play or plays of literary merit. The focus of this event is on the development of characterization. This material may be drawn from stage, screen, or radio. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.
Dramatic Duo: A cutting from one or more texts of literary merit, humorous or serious, involving the portrayal of two or more characters presented by two individuals. The material may be drawn from any genre of literature. This is not an acting event; thus, no costumes, props, lighting, etc, are to be used. Presentation is from the manuscript and the focus should be off-stage and not to each other. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.
Poetry Interpretation: A selection or selections of poetry of literary merit, which may be drawn from more than one source. A primary focus of this event should be on the development of language. Play cuttings and prose works are prohibited. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.
Program Oral Interpretation: A program of thematically-linked selections of literary merit, chosen from two or three recognized genres of competitive interpretation (prose/poetry/drama). A primary focus of this event should be on the development of the theme through the use of narrative/story, language, and/or characterization. A substantial portion of the total time must be devoted to each of the genres used in the program. Different genre means the material must appear in separate pieces of literature ( e.g., A poem included in a short story that appears only in that short story does not constitute a poetry genre.) Only one selection may be original. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.
Prose Interpretation: An original or selections of prose material of literary merit, which may be drawn from more than one source. Focus of this event is on the development of the narrative/story. Play cuttings and poetry are prohibited. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time is 10 minutes including introduction.
Guided by a firm belief that dialogue and civil discourse are vital to our Democracy, I’m incredibly grateful to be in a position to use the skills acquired through debate in order to shape the minds of future leaders.
David Saulet ’13
Where Are They Now?
Concordia University Irvine Forensics offers students a rigorous and competitive speech and debate program that teaches them top tier research and public speaking skills. These skills prepare them for law school, graduate school, professorships, and professional employment at prestigious universities and top-rated businesses across the country, as seen in the sampling of examples below.
Alumni Attending Law School
- Baylor University School of Law
- Duke University School of Law
- Notre Dame University School of Law
- The Antonin Scalia School of Law at George Mason University
- University of California Los Angeles School of Law
- University of San Francisco of Law
Alumni Attending Graduate School
- Arizona State University
- Baylor University College of Medicine
- CSU-Fullerton
- Louisville University
- New York University
- Pepperdine University School of Business
- University of California Irvine
- University of Chicago
- University of San Francisco
- University of Texas at Austin
- Wayne State University
Alumni at Work
- 10th Circuit United States Court of Appeals
- Attorney Advisor to the Special IG for Pandemic Recovery, U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Deputy Associate Counsel to the President, The White House
- Director of Debate, Lewis and Clark College
- Director of Debate, Grand Canyon University
- Director of Forensics, Schreiner University
- Executive Director, Club Parli
- Law Clerk, Pearce Lewis, LLP
- Logistics, Development & Policy Analysis, Daylight Transportation
- Petty Officer, United States Navy
- Policy Analyst, America First Policy Institute
- Policy Analyst, Cafe Con Leche Republicans
- President and Founder, The Helmsmen Institute
- Professor, Moorpark College
- Professor, Glendale Community College
- Research Policy Intern, Niskanen Center
- Senior Analyst, Cadmus Group
- Senior Legislative Assistant, U.S. House of Representatives
- Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice
- Quantitative Analyst, RAND Corporation
- Research Analyst, Santa Barbara Asset Management
- Research Assistant: Islamist Watch, Middle East Forum
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