Advisor/Coach – Dennis Philbert

The Central High School Speech team is a student organization dedicated to excellence in competitive speaking. The CHS Speech team has won numerous local and national awards. Team membership is available to all students of Central High School who meet our eligibility requirements.

Speech offers a flexible schedule and a wide variety of categories for everyone to explore. Categories include:

International Extemporaneous Speaking (IX)
Each student shall prepare a speech of not less than four nor more than seven minutes on one of three topics drawn at random. Students will receive thirty minutes of preparation time before being called on to speak. References to books and magazines, but not previously prepared notes, may be made during the preparation period. No notes may be used during the presentation.

Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking (DX)
Each student shall prepare a speech of not less than four nor more than seven minutes on one of three topics drawn at random. Students will receive thirty minutes of preparation time before being called on to speak. References to books and magazines, but not previously prepared notes, may be made during the preparation period. No notes may be used during the presentation.

Dramatic Interpretation (DI)
Each student shall take no less than five nor more than ten minutes to present, from memory, a dramatic reading which may be complete or excerpted from a longer reading. Original selections may not be used, and published selections of merit will be required. In order that this event be correctly understood as an exercise in interpretation and not solo acting, the use of properties is not permitted.

Humorous Interpretation (HI)
Each student shall take no less than five nor more than ten minutes, including audience reaction, to present from memory, a humorous reading which may be complete or excerpted from a longer reading. Original selections may not be used, and published selections of merit will be required. In order that this event be correctly understood as an exercise in interpretation and not solo acting, the use of properties is not permitted.

Duo Interpretation (DUO)
Each student team shall take no less than five nor more than ten minutes, including audience reaction, to present from memory, a dialogue from a published source. Original selections may not be used, and published selections of merit will be required. In order that this event be correctly understood as an exercise in interpretation and not duet acting, the use of properties is not permitted. Each partner may present one or multiple characters.

Original Oratory (OO)
Each student shall take no less than five nor more than ten minutes to deliver, from memory, a speech written entirely by himself/herself on a topic of his/her own choosing. The total number of quoted words may not exceed 150. A neat, typed copy of the original oration, with quoted material highlighted, must be brought to the contest by the contestant.

Declamation (DEC)
Each student shall take not less than five nor more than ten minutes to present from memory all or part of an oration prepared and delivered previously by some person other than himself/herself.

Poetry Reading (POE)
Each student shall take not less than five nor more than ten minutes to read poetry exactly as written by a published author. The book or manuscript must be referred to by the contestant during the course of the reading. Poetry may be a collection of poems by the same poet or a program of poems by different poets around a theme.

Prose Reading (PRO)
Each student shall take not less than five nor more than ten minutes to read prose exactly as written by a published author. The book or manuscript must be referred to by the contestant during the course of the reading.

Impromptu Speech (IMP)
Each student shall not take more than seven minutes, divided as the contestant chooses between preparation, to deliver a scene based on one of three topics drawn at random. The scene may be delivered as a monologue or as a dialogue between multiple characters.

Improvisational Acting (IPV)
Each student shall not take more than seven minutes, divided as the contestant chooses between preparation, to deliver a scene based on one of three topics drawn at random. The scene may be delivered as a monologue or as a dialogue between multiple characters.