National Catholic Forensic League

National Catholic Forensic League
National Catholic Forensic League
Type Non Profit Organization
Founded 1951
Key people Catherine Luhr, President
Greg Cunningham, First Vice President
Charles Sloat, Second Vice President
Michael Colletti, Executive Secretary - Treasurer
Roberta Hyland, Publicity Director / Recording Secretary
Website http://ncfl.org

The National Catholic Forensic League (CFL) is a speech and debate league that was formed in 1951. It is organized into regions which correspond to Roman Catholic dioceses. Member schools include both public and parochial high schools. The CFL recruits member schools in both the United States and Canada. As of January, 2011, there were 65 active dioceses with CFL leagues.

CFL sponsors the Grand National Speech and Debate Tournament held each year over Memorial Day weekend. CFL offers an array of events similar, but not identical, to those of the National Forensic League.

Contents

Events

  • Dramatic Performance - A ten-minute memorized performance of a dramatic or humorous selection of literature. The National Forensic League equivalent of this category are the two categories of Dramatic Interpretation and Humorous Interpretation.
  • Duo Interpretation of Literature - A ten-minute memorized performance of a dialogue, story, or script by two performers, who are required to maintain off-stage focus and to not look at or touch each other.
  • Oral Interpretation of Literature - A ten-minute reading event, alternating between Prose and Poetry each round.
  • Extemporaneous Speaking - A seven-minute analytical / persuasive speech on a question of current events, given with only 30 minutes' prior notice.
  • Oratorical Declamation - A ten-minute memorized performance of a historical speech, commencemnent address or former competition speech to be delivered as if it were the speaker's own address. Limited to freshmen and sophomores.
  • Original Oratory - A ten-minute memorized original speech delivered to inspire or persuade the audience.
  • Lincoln-Douglas Debate - Value debate on a topic chosen by the NCFL specifically for the Grand National Tournament. Four Minutes of preparation time is allotted to each debater per debate.
  • Policy Debate - Two-person, switch-side, cross-examination debate, with five minutes of preparation time per team, on the national topic.
  • Public Forum Debate - A team event that advocates or rejects a position posed by the resolution. The focus of the debate is a clash of ideas in a persuasive manner that can be understood by a "lay" judge.
  • Student Congress - Mock legislative sessions where students debate bills and resolutions submitted by schools from participating dioceses.

National Tournament Sites

  • 1952 Brooklyn, NY
  • 1953 Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1954 Cleveland, OH
  • 1955 Brooklyn, NY
  • 1956 Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1957 Philadelphia, PA
  • 1958 Chicago, IL
  • 1959 Washington, DC
  • 1960 New York, NY
  • 1961 Baltimore, MD
  • 1962 Miami, FL
  • 1963 Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1964 Denver, CO
  • 1965 Brooklyn, NY
  • 1966 Miami, FL
  • 1967 Camden, NJ
  • 1968 Chicago, IL
  • 1969 Washington, DC
  • 1970 Miami, Fla
  • 1971 New Orleans, LA
  • 1972 Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1973 Chicao, Il
  • 1974 Detroit, MI
  • 1975 Philadelphia, PA
  • 1976 Detroit, MI
  • 1977 Milwaukee, WI
  • 1978 Washington, DC
  • 1979 Milwaukee, WI
  • 1980 Boston/Worchester,MA
  • 1981 New York, NY
  • 1982 Detroit, MI
  • 1983 Chicago, IL
  • 1984 Cincinnati, OH
  • 1985 Miami,FL
  • 1986 Baltimore, MD
  • 1987 Buffalo, NY
  • 1988 New Orleans, LA
  • 1989 Philadelphia, PA
  • 1990 Chicago, IL
  • 1991 New York City, NY
  • 1992 Arlington, VA
  • 1993 Boca Raton, FL
  • 1994 Oshkosh, WI
  • 1995 Chicago, IL
  • 1996 Topeka, KS
  • 1997 Baltimore, MD
  • 1998 Detroit, MI
  • 1999 Chicago, IL
  • 2000 Rochester, NY
  • 2001 New York City, NY
  • 2002 Pittsburgh, PA
  • 2003 Arlington, VA
  • 2004 Boston, MA
  • 2005 Milwaukee, WI
  • 2006 Chicago, IL
  • 2007 Houston, TX
  • 2008 Appleton, WI
  • 2009 Albany
  • 2010 Omaha, NE
  • 2011 Washington, D.C.
  • 2012 Baltimore, MD

Past NCFL Champions in Lincoln-Douglas Debate

1988 -- Lisa Nass, Miami Beach HS, Miami Beach, FL

1989 -- David Kennedy, Regis HS, New York, NY

1990 -- Jeremi Suri, Stuyvesant HS, New York, NY

1991 -- Mark Wunderlich, Walter Johnson HS, Bethesda, MD

1992 -- Jerry Vildostegui, Miami Beach HS, Miami Beach, FL

1993 -- Christopher J. Regan, Bishop Kearney HS, Irondequoit, NY

1994 -- Elizabeth Rogers, Shenendehowa HS, Shenendehowa, NY

1995 -- Derek D. Smith, Winston Churchill HS, Potomac, MD

1996 -- Randall Martinez, Christopher Columbus High School, Miami, FL

1997 -- Mac Hawkins, Lagrange HS, Lake Charles, LA

1998 -- Chetan Hertzig, Lexington HS, Boston, MA

1999 -- Elizabeth O’Connor, Hunter College HS, New York, NY

2000 -- Kevin Farrell, Elk Grove HS, Chicago, IL

2001 -- Benjamin Rothstein, Milton Academy, Boston, MA

2002 -- Duncan Cooper, St. John’s Prep, Boston, MA

2003 -- Nina Thanawala, Ridge HS, Basking Ridge, NJ

2004 -- Tara Tedrow, Celebration HS, Orlando, FL

2005 -- Tara Tedrow, Celebration HS, Orlando, FL

2006 -- Caitlin Halpern, W.T. Woodson HS, Arlington, VA

2007 -- Ryan Zehner, Saint Joseph's Preparatory School, Philadelphia, PA

2008 -- Ellen Noble, Walt Whitman HS, Bethesda, MD

2009 -- Karlyn Gorski, Perkioman Valley, Philadelphia, PA

2010 -- Stephanie Franklin, Walt Whitman HS, Bethesda, MD

2011 -- Allison Douglis, Ridge HS, Ridge, NJ


See also

External links


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