The AGD is the most important part of an Extemp speech, but can also be the most difficult. Think about the last great extemp speech you saw, at TOC, NSDA, etc. Odds are, the first 15 seconds weren’t packed with any quantitative statistics or policy analysis. Instead, they were memorable because they made the judge or audience engage and want to hear more. When done well, this first impression is when the judge decides that they will lean in and listen to your speech intently.
Time
A good AGD will typically be 15-35 seconds. Afterwards, you should leave roughly 5-10 seconds for the link to your link/background/etc. When you drag out a long story, whether for pathos or comedic purposes, it’s going to leave the judge unengaged. Ultimately, it can also stretch out the intro and leave less time for your areas. That’s, of course, what you want to avoid. Next, let’s run down the two best options for AGDs.
1. Humor & Jokes
Why: Humor disarms the audience and can make you more likable. The jokes that typically work best are quick, relevant, and clean. A one-liner, pop culture reference, or short & sweet story can be effective and get judges engaged.
Example (Shortened): Recently, the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania published an analysis on the confidence of the American People in their economy since the return of the Trump Administration. It was the most shocking set of numbers they could release… besides Trump’s college grades…
An AGD like this is short and doesn’t take long to get to the point. Most importantly, it’s one that the judge can actually laugh at. This type of intro would be best for a question related to the Department of Education, DEI, etc.
Here’s some tips…
1. Overused Joke
Specific jokes are ones that judges have heard time and time again. If your judge has already heard a joke in several past rounds, not only is it not memorable, but they often dock you for “stealing” from extempers before you. Come up with your own jokes that you can deliver well.
2. Random joke
You can make the funniest joke in a round, but if it’s unrelated to your question, the judge is going to be caught off guard and think you used the AGD because you didn’t have other ideas. A worse joke connected to the topic is better than a funny one unrelated.
3. Face reactions
In order for the judge to like your jokes, you have to like it too. While and after delivering a joke, smile, and your judge will as well. Judges want to see that you’re enjoying yourself while delivering.
2. Pathos “Shock” Factor
Why: Characterizes the stakes for the audience and judges. This can be a heartfelt story or vivid anecdote.
Example: 3 years ago, 14-year-old Maya Hassan was forced to flee her home in Northwest Syria after her city came under siege due to armed rebel groups outraged with Bashar al-Assad’s policies as president. Maya recounts the sounds of raging warplanes and airstrikes above her old home, petrified by screams of the injured and the innocent blood in her community. Maya has since enrolled in psychological centers to face her trauma and receive her first school certificate. But this situation is one Syria has dealt with for far too long…
This is an example of an AGD that uses a person struggling through a war to connect with the judge. People connect with the stories of other people, making it one of the most effective forms of Pathos to utilize.
Here’s some tips…
1. Being genuine
Extempers often make the mistake of putting on a fake persona, voice, or tone when they are using Pathos. By doing so, you lose a ton of ethos with the judge and seem like you are faking to care about an issue. In these cases, humor is a much better option.
2. What to Focus On
Pathos is different from humor in that your delivery has to be much more polished to be effective. If you’re trying to allow the judge to follow the story of a singular person and their experience in a war/protest/etc, your delivery has to be smooth. When practicing pathos, always aim for no stumbles and a slower pace. Refer to our article on the 7 Voices of Extemp for more.
How to practice
- AGD Drills
Pick random extemp questions and give yourself a couple of minutes to craft an AGD. This simulates the environment of crafting a real speech, but isolates only the AGD to practice.
- Keep a Bank
Keep a running list of adaptable AGDs – short jokes, shocking statistics, and stories. Topic areas always repeat, so you can use AGDs multiple times.