An interview with one of our Managing Directors, Kajal Parmar, on her successes, future predictions, and advice. Even before the start of her tenure as a managing director, Kajal Parmar was a vital and dedicated voice here at the Extemper’s Bible. Her presence has always been accompanied by fresh perspectives, complex insights, and an upbeat […]
Shriya Surana
When impacting, extempers are encouraged to impact generously, backed up by evidence on the scale of destruction, death tolls, and more. However, it is important to ensure that your delivery does not feel as though you are taking advantage of or disrespecting those impacted, treating them as nothing more than a statistic. As advocates on […]
An Interview with one of our Managing Directors, Eric Qian, on his successes, future predictions, and advice. A passionate voice on our content team and now co-director of our operations and team here at the Extemper’s Bible (keep a lookout for part 2 with Kajal), Eric’s presence has always been accompanied by humor, an upbeat […]
An Interview with our Director of Content, Zoe Becker, exploring her extemp career, hot takes, and advice to other debaters out there. Before we put our Content Director, Zoe Becker on the hot seat, a quick shoutout to her for her consistent support, dedication, and bright presence! Okay, now onto what we’ve all been waiting […]
Drawing on her experience building a student-run extemp program, Shriya Surana offers a practical roadmap for teams without formal coaching. Breaking into the extemp circuit as a student-run team can feel daunting. Many established programs benefit from professional coaching, institutional funding, and years of accumulated prep. Meanwhile, student-led teams often juggle inconsistent attendance, limited resources, […]
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Prepping on Paper
Whether or not your local tournaments require it, most major invitationals and national-level tournaments mandate on-paper extemp prep. That means your research tech stays on the table, and your prep comes with you only in the form of what you can write down. Paper prep refers to using a physical medium, be it a legal […]
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The History of Extemp
This summer marked the 100th anniversary of the National Speech and Debate Association. Over the last few decades, the NSDA and extemp have undergone major shifts that shaped the event into what we recognize today. In the spirit of Confucius’s advice to “study the past if you would define the future,” revisiting the legacy of […]
One of the biggest challenges in extemp is balancing preparation with performance. For beginners and even seasoned speakers, last-minute cramming can lead to either blanking out mid-speech or overloading your brain with facts you barely understand. Reducing your prep time doesn’t mean doing less, instead, it means doing smarter, targeted practice that helps you actually […]
Are pre-tournament jitters getting you down? You’re not alone! In this article, Shriya Surana breaks down strategies to elevate your confidence and performance.
From our latest podcast episode, Kate Liu journeys through the writing process and motivations of NIETOC question writer Andrew Moffitt—a must-read for new and old extempers.
Between the twin capital cities of Sucre and La Paz, contemporary Bolivia faces foiled takeovers and rough power transitions. In this article, Shriya Surana breaks down the status quo and anticipates a renewed judicial response ahead of the contentious 2025 national election.
Three months into Nicolás Maduro’s new term, the crisis in Venezuela has intensified. In this article, Shriya Surana breaks down key information and analyzes the efficacy of modern attempts to solve the regional crisis.