What is original Oratory?

Joe and Pam Wycoff, two coaches who have had tons of success in Original Oratory, define Original Oratory as:

"An analytical sharing of a truth that has both insight and significance."

So, what does this mean. Let's break it down:
  1. "Sharing of a truth"... when trying to find a topic, you need to ask yourself "What belief, value, attitude, or idea have you learned in your life which you believe all people should learn and have too?"
  2. "Analytical"... when you choose a truth, you have to write a well-researched and organized presentation with evidence, logic, emotional appeals, and sometimes humor to convey that message in a way that people can reach the same conclusion as you.
  3. "Has insight"... you need to have personal stories and anecdotes that only you can provide to the topic you selected. Why is this important? Well, these stories help you build credibility with your audience and also help to make your audience feel as though your perspective is unique to you.
  4. "Has significance"... your topic has to be something that your audience should care about. Your topic needs to affect people and the way that we interact with each other. This answers the question, "So what?" This question should be answered MULTIPLE times throughout your speech as you analytically share your truth.

​

Watch a performance from a 2019 JCHS ALUM:

NSDA Webinar Recordings:

Below you will find a series of Webinars from the National Speech & Debate Association. Think of a webinar as a lesson that a coach would teach. The people who lead these webinars are either coaches or former national qualifiers. They are very useful. Get the help you need quickly...use your resources!

Event-Specific Resources:

Where can I locate a Topic:

Finding a topic for original oratory is not rocket science. However, it is also not something that should receive little thought over. Remember that with Oratory, you are creating a persuasive message, meaning that at the end of the day, you are advocating for something...whether that be a behavioral change, mindset change, policy change, perspective change, etc. The best oratory topics are ones that have personally affected you or someone close to you. Oratory speeches must have heart.

I have found in my experience a wealth of resources that can help jumpstart your topic search. These resources and websites are found below: