National Forensic Association
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The National Forensic Association is a national intercollegiate organization designed to promote excellence in individual events and debate. The NFA sponsors the NFA Nationals as well many other regional tournaments throughout the year. The 2008 NFA national tournament was hosted by Tennessee State University. Founded in 1971, the NFA Nationals is the oldest national collegiate tournament dedicated to a full range of literature interpretation, public address, limited preparation, and debate events.
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[edit] Dramatic Interpretation
Starting with the 2007-2008 season, NFA Nationals will host Dramatic Interpretation as a trial event for a two-year period, with points accumulated in DI counting for both team and individual sweepstakes. The rationale for the adding DI to NFA is to provide more students an opportunity to attend the tournament, and also so that there are as many interpretation events (currently three) as there are public address events (currently four). Additionally, the inclusion of DI includes another genre of literature in the scope of individual performance, complementing the current "individual" interpretation events of Prose Interpretation and Poetry Interpretation.
[edit] Lincoln Douglas Debate
NFA is unique in its NFA-LD Policy format. High school debate is primarily divided into individual debaters engaged in values-oriented competition or teams of debaters in rapid-paced evidence-based policy analysis. Instead of choosing one of these formats, NFA offers evidence-based policy analysis in one-on-one competition.
[edit] LD Policy Format
At the beginning of each year a topic area and corresponding resolution is voted upon and subject to the entire season's debate. Each round competitors find themselves assigned to affirm or negate the resolution. Rather than affirm general ideas or values, affirmative competitors propose a particular policy to adopt as a representation of the resolution. Negative comeptitors will generally attempt to either demonstrate a lack of need for that policy or argue that its disadvantages outweigh their benefits.
The first affirmative and negative speeches are constructive speeches, intended to put forth the arguments which will comprise the issues in dispute. A cross examination period of three minutes follows each of these speeches in order to clarify arguments and gain information relevant to each competitor's position. Each competitor is then given a six minute rebuttal in which their responses and development of the arguments are finalized. At the end of the round, the affirmative is given one final three minute speech to review why their plan ought to be passed in support of the resolution. An assigned judge will then cast a ballot to affirm or negate the resolution.[1]
[edit] Past National Champions
1971- Ohio University
1972- Ball State University
1973- Eastern Michigan University
1974- Ohio University
1975- Ohio University
1976- Eastern Michigan University
1977- Eastern Michigan University
1978- Eastern Michigan University
1979- Eastern Michigan University
1980- Eastern Michigan University
1981- Eastern Michigan University
1982- Bradley University
1983- Bradley University
1984- Bradley University
1985- Bradley University
1986- Eastern Michigan University
1987- Eastern Michigan University
1988- Bradley University
1989- Bradley University
1990- Bradley University
1991- Bradley University
1992- Bradley University
1993- Bradley University
1994- Bradley University
1995- Illinois State University
1996- Bradley University
1997- Bradley University
1998- Bradley University
1999- Illinois State University
2000- Illinois State University
2001- Bradley University
2002- Bradley University
2003- Western Kentucky University
2004- Western Kentucky University
2005- Bradley University
2006- Western Kentucky University
2007- Western Kentucky University
2008- Western Kentucky University
