Happy practicing!
Category: Blog Post
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Kevin asks some of his favorite extempers what they’ve done to practice for TOCs. Definitely not a last minute Spring Break grind session…
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Hand gestures are an important, albeit underutilized tool in extemp. In this article, Ananth Veluvali discusses how you can work on creating effective hand gestures.
Happy practicing!
Welcome to the fourth update for the 2021-22 National Points Race! In this edition, we discuss changes made to the Points Race in regards to replacing the Stanford Invitational, and cover the results from Sunvitational, the Cavalier Invitational, the James Logan MLK Invitational, Barkley Forum, Harvard, Palm Classic, and the Cal Invitational. January and February […]
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
2022 MBA Invitees Posted!
The Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) Round Robin is a 16 person, invite-only tournament, widely recognized as the most prestigious round robin in the nation. The tournament will take place in Nashville, Tennessee from March 5th to March 6th. Check out the invite list below and congratulations to all of those invited!
In this article, Mukta Dharmapurikar discusses how extempers can best utilize Impromptu Speaking to strengthen their speeches, all with the help of some memes!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Weekly Quiz: January 3rd-January 9th
Happy New Year! In this article, founder Ananth Veluvali reflects on the success of the Extemper’s Bible in 2021, while also highlighting new leadership opportunities that have opened up. This is a MUST READ!
Happy holidays! We will not be publishing questions over the next two weeks because of the winter holidays. Thanks for reading and see you in 2022! USX How can America address its youth mental health crisis? Should Congressional members be banned from trading individual stocks? Was relying on sunset clauses a good way of cutting […]
Welcome to the third monthly update for the 2021-22 National Points Race! In this edition, we discuss changes made to the tiering of the GMU Patriot Games, and cover the results from GMU as well as Villiger, Glenbrooks, UT Longhorn, and Princeton. November and December are typically two of the busiest months when it comes […]
Happy practicing!
We’ve dropped another podcast episode! Read more to find out what it’s about and where you can listen to it!
Happy practicing!
The Extemper’s Briefing: Inflation
Over the past year, inflation in the United States has significantly increased. What is it, why does it matter, and what can governments do to address it? Those are just a few of the questions Ananth Veluvali explores in this briefing.
Weekly Quiz: November 27th-December 3rd
Our Podcast is Back!
After reflecting this summer, we’ve got some exciting updates about our podcast! Read more to find out.
Happy practicing!
In this article, Ananth Veluvali provides a strategy for practicing before big tournaments.
While October only had two tier four tournaments that were in the National Points Race, we saw two familiar faces from last month at the top of both tournaments. The New York City Invitational (Bronx) was held from October 15th through the 17th. In first place was Yale champion McKinley Paltzik of Phoenix Country Day […]
Happy practicing!
In this article, Ananth Veluvali explores how extempers can read the news efficiently and comprehensively.
Few things spice up a speech like a timely quote. In this article, we’ll go over some quotes that can be used in any extemporaneous speech and go over how to use them.
In this article, Ananth Veluvali breaks down how you, as a captain, can run practices for your extemp team. This will be Part 2 in a longer series about starting, managing, and leading your team.
Weekly Quiz:November 8th-November 15th
USX What do recent referendums on police reforms signal about the future of the Defund the Police movement? What lessons do the Democratic Party need to take away from the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial elections? Is paid family leave a winning issue for Democrats? Is admitting more immigrants the best response for America’s labor […]
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Weekly Questions: October 11th-17th
USX Will Congressional Democrats be able to pass price reductions on prescription medication? Have we seen the last wave of COVID cases in the U.S.? Would breaking up Facebook be a good policy decision? How long will America’s widespread supply shortages last? Is the “Defund the Police” movement dead for good? IX How can the […]
Welcome to the first monthly update for the 2021-22 National Points Race! In this edition, we cover the results from the UK Season Opener, the Yale Invitational, and the Duke Invitational. The new extemp season has started, and some familiar faces are already showing their growth from last year at the first tournaments of the […]
We apologize for the delay in posting questions. Happy practicing!
Interested in helping us? Keep reading for more!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
After a successful launch last year, the Extemper’s Bible will once again host a Nationals Points Race in order to determine the country’s most consistent competitor across a series of nationally-recognized events. Following the model of the Extemp Central National Points Race, we will be using different tiers to determine the comparative difficulty of tournaments […]
Happy practicing!
This article explains how a society’s demographic structure affects its economic and political systems and how that is relevant to extempers.
Are you caught up with the news? Find out with this weeks ten question quiz!
USX Is a carbon border adjustment tax a good policy idea? What steps can the Biden administration take to prevent mass housing insecurity after the Supreme Court’s ruling against the eviction moratorium? Who will win the Democrats’ internal struggle between progressives and moderates? Should the Biden administration have authorized booster shots? Should Jerome Powell be […]
Recruiting an Extemp Team
In this article, Ananth Veluvali breaks down how you, as a captain, can recruit people for your extemp team. This will be Part 1 in a longer series about starting, managing, and leading your team.
What’s Ahead for 2021-2022
After a well-enjoyed summer break, the Extemper’s Bible is back! Keep reading to find out more about exciting updates to the site and what you can expect from us.
Weekly Quiz: August 23th – August 29th
Normal, current affairs-focused questions will be back next week. We hope you enjoyed your summer! Movies 1. What lessons can be learned from movies’ simultaneous box office and streaming service launches in 2021? 2. Has Marvel Studios successfully refound themselves after Avengers: Endgame? 3. Will the Oscars truly able to shed their non-diverse reputation? 4. […]
We apologize for the slight delay! Music Has Lil Was X successfully reshaped the conversation around queerness in the hip-hop industry? Should Jack Antonoff’s rise to producer stardom be celebrated or looked down upon? Should more artists move away from record labels?Video Games How will the arrival of the Steam Deck affect the gaming industry? […]
Weekly Quiz: August 16th – August 22th
Are you caught up with the news? Find out with this weeks ten question quiz!
Is Caeleb Dressel the new Michael Phelps? What lessons can the world of gymnastics learn from Simone Biles’ event withdrawals at the Tokyo Olympics? How should U.S. Olympics drug policy be changed after the Tokyo Olympics, if at all? What sport, if any, should the Olympics add for the 2024 Games? Will USA Basketball – […]
The Extemper’s Bible is beginning a virtual book club for extempers.
Weekly Quiz: August 2nd – August 9th
Are you caught up with the news? Find out with our weekly quiz! 10 questions, once per week
Football What can NFL front offices learn from the resolution of Aaron Rodgers’ feud with the Packers? Which rookie quarterback will exceed expectations the most? Does vaccine skepticism among NFL players pose a serious problem to the league? Are the Buffalo Bills ready to make the “next step” in the 2021-22 season? Should the NFL […]
Read this article for some exciting updates from the Extemper’s Bible! Plus, a free presentation on introductions linked below!
Weekly Quiz: July 26th – August 2nd
Are you caught up with the news? Find out with our weekly quiz! 10 questions, once per week — it’s back!
Basketball Who are the favorites to win the 2021-2022 NBA Championship? Is it time for the Portland Trail Blazers to blow it up? What’s the best move for the Philadelphia 76ers this off-season? Would the NBA benefit from adding a mid-season tournament? Will more young prospects turn to the G-League instead of attending college?Baseball Are […]
We hope everyone is having a great summer! For the next five weeks, the Extemper’s Bible will be releasing modified versions of our usual weekly questions, with eight questions each week focusing on elements of modern culture. We’re writing the questions about your hobbies, interests, and guilty pleasures that you wish you’d gotten in tournament, […]
We’re Running a Free Seminar!
Read this article for some exciting updates from the Extemper’s Bible! Plus, a free economics presentation linked below!
Economics 101
Economics is one of the more difficult subjects that extemp covers. In this article, Ananth Veluvali breaks down interest rates and modern monetary theory.
The speech and debate season is coming up in less than two months, which means it’s time for recruitment! Hopefully, this ‘sales pitch’ for joining the speech and debate team helps! This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
While summer is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors and the sweet feeling of freedom that comes with having no homework, it’s also a great time to improve your extemp skills. In this article, Ananth Veluvali delves into some tips and tricks for becoming a better extemper over the summer.
The 2020-2021 season has come to a close, which means the Extemper’s Bible can crown its first-ever National Points Race champion! Congratulations to Mukta Dharmapurikar of Durham Academy, North Carolina, for winning the NPR with 8775 points! She began the year strong with a win at the UK Season Opener and had a consistent string […]
Welcome to the final monthly update on the standings and tournament results for the 2020-21 National Points Race! This edition features the results from the end-of-season “national” tournaments: the University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions, the Northwestern University Extemp Tournament of Champions, the National Catholic Forensics League Grand Nationals, and the National Speech and Debate Association […]
Happy practicing! This is our final set of questions for the 2020-2021 season.
Happy practicing! This will be the penultimate weekly questions release for the 2020-21 season.
Work closely with three-time national finalist Christopher Maximos at 6 PM CST tomorrow as he delves into what makes an effective introduction. Interested in signing up for our full camp and working one-on-one with Maximos? Check out extempinstitute.com! The link to the meeting can be found here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81140285031. The Meeting ID is 811 4028 5031 […]
Happy practicing!
Happy practicing!
Citing a book is one of the most impressive things you can do in an extemp speech. Beyond presenting an opportunity to cite distinguished scholars, books typically hold complex political, social, and economic theories that add sophistication to your speeches. Below is a list of a few books you may want to cite in your next speech.
Happy practicing!
Sometimes, you want to get your extemp information without having to pore over news articles and think tank reports. That’s where podcasts enter into play: you can stay up-to-date with the latest events and relax a bit! Keep reading to discover some enjoyable podcast sources. This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
Happy practicing!
Weekly Questions: May 3rd – May 9th
Happy practicing and remember to check out our camp at https://www.extempinstitute.com/!
The following is a reposted article from October of 2020. With big tournaments like the ETOC, NCFLs, and NSDA Nationals coming up, we hope it strikes a chord with you all.
After months of careful planning and coordination with nationally-renowned extempers and extemp coaches, we have finally got our camp up-and-running! Read more to find out some details.
Citing a book is one of the most impressive things you can do in an extemp speech. Beyond presenting an opportunity to cite distinguished scholars, books typically hold complex political, social, and economic theories that add sophistication to your speeches. Below is a list of a few books you may want to cite in your next speech.
Happy practicing!
In important rounds, you may have to cross-examine your opponents. In this article, we’ll delve into what cross-examination is and how to effectively do it. This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
With important tournaments like the TOC and Nationals coming up and tournaments likely online through December of 2021 (if not longer), we thought we’d revisit one of our favorite articles. Below is a list of different tips & tricks for navigating online tournaments that will help maximize your speaking appeal.
Happy practicing!
Charts & Graphs
In this article, we go over a few handy charts and graphs to help any extemper
We’ve decided to extend the deadline to register for our tournament until 7 PM CST today! You can sign up using this tabroom link: https://www.tabroom.com/index/tourn/index.mhtml?tourn_id=20022.
Effectively outlining your introductions and points can be a daunting task. Fortunately, with a little practice, you can nail your outlines every single time! This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
Happy practicing!
Looking for a list of drills to practice? Look no further!
Written by Dev Ahuja and Vikram Sundaram.
Adam Hamdan, runner-up in USX at Nats 2020, sits down for an interview about his extemp career and greatest tips.
Happy practicing!
Interview with Brian Zheng
In May of 2020, I interviewed Brian Zheng, the runner-up at the 2019 ETOC and the NCFL National Champion. The shortened version of that interview can be found below. The full version can be found on our podcast, the Extemper’s Bible!
Citing a book is one of the most impressive things you can do in an extemp speech. Beyond presenting an opportunity to cite distinguished scholars, books typically hold complex political, social, and economic theories that add sophistication to your speeches. Below is a list of a few books you may want to cite in your […]
With the extemp season winding down, we wanted to provide extempers with a high-quality tournament to help prepare for state tournaments, the TOC and ETOC, NCFLs, and NSDA Nationals. Our judges are nationally- acclaimed extempers, and the tournament is open to anyone in high school and middle school. The link to register is below — […]
Written by Shreya Joshi and James (Jimmy) Gao. Happy practicing!
The Case for Layered Analysis
Sometimes, it’s hard to come up with three distinct points to answer a question. In this article, Ananth Veluvali lays out a potential solution: utilizing layered analysis.
How to Deal with Burnout
Many extempers will experience burnout at some point in there careers. In this article, Anne Smith give some tips for avoiding and solving burnout.
Central America, Explained
One of the most influential overlooked regions in US and international policy, Central America can seem hard to understand. That is why in this article we guide you through the main issues that the region is facing.
February marked a month of national circuit competition prior to months with the final tournaments in the national points race. The month started out with the Stanford Invitational on the sixth, with two tournaments the very next week. The twelfth marked the start of the Harvard National Forensics Tournament, traditionally the largest tournament in the […]
Happy practicing!
After months of careful deliberation and thoughtful editing, nationally-acclaimed extempers Sam Padmanabhan, Kevin Bi, and Alex Yang wrote a handbook for extempers of all skill that we’ve published in this article. Enjoy!
Written by Steve Asthana, James (Jimmy) Gao and Shreya Joshi.
In this article, Ananth Veluvali lays out a four-step practice routine that novice and varsity speakers alike can follow during Spring Break to become a better speaker.
In this article, Katelyn Cai and Peter Alisky run through everything you need to know about the introduction to an extemp speech.
Here are our weekly questions for March 1st – March 7th. Happy practicing!
Five Big Changes and Updates!
February has been an exciting month for the Extemper’s Bible. As you may have noticed, we made some big changes to our website. We’ve also been planning some awesome things under the hood. Read below to find out more!
Extemp questions commonly deal with international issues that are greatly influenced by the power of the countries involved. This article will explore the types of power countries can posses and their effects on the issues extemper’s are commonly asked about.
The statement of significance is an important, albeit underutilized tool in extemporaneous speaking. In a single 10 second statement, your judge will either feel connected or distanced from your topic. Thus, nailing this part of the speech is critical to being a successful speaker. In this article, learn some tips about how to utilize statements […]
Interview with René Otero
In April of 2020, I was fortunate enough to interview René Otero, the 2019 IX NSDA National Champion. The paraphrased version of that interview can be found below. The full version can be found on our podcast, the Extemper’s Bible! This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
In this article, we take a look at how good gestures, posture, eye contact, and facial expressions can really improve a performance in Extemp while discussing ways to improve them.
As Vladimir Putin once again arrests one of his main opponents and silences his followers, let’s take a look at the complex political situation in Russia and what’s really going on at the Kremlin.
Citing a book (or books!) is one of the most impressive things you can do in an extemp speech. Beyond presenting an opportunity to cite distinguished scholars, books typically hold complex political, social, and economic theories that add sophistication to your speeches. Below is a list of a few books (with their summaries) you may […]
Welcome to the fifth monthly updates on the standings and tournament results for the 2020-21 National Points Race! This edition features the results from the Montgomery Bell Academy Southern Bell Forum, the Sunvitational, the James Logan MLK Invitational, the Cavalier Invitational, the Cavalier Challenge, the Barkley Forum, and the Marshall Speech Spectacular.
The Ultimate Novice Guide to Extemp
The following is the ultimate guide for novices on how to succeed in extemporaneous speaking. Covered are the following sections: what is extemp, what goes into a speech, the art of substructure, confidence in this activity, free extemp resources, and concluding commentary. Since this is an ongoing project, we will be continually updating this resource. […]
As Israeli encroachments on the West Bank persevere despite international pressure, join us in exploring the complex narratives of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, impending Israeli elections, and foreign influence in the region.
Written by Steve Asthana and James (Jimmy) Gao.
In extemp, effective filing is of paramount importance. In this article, Anne Smith highlights five tips to become better at filing.
In this article, written by Anne Smith, we’ll take a deep dive into the history, controversy, geopolitical significance, costs, and benefits of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Enjoy!
In this article, Mukta Dharmapurikar lays out the benefits of diversifying your Speech and Debate experiences in order to better your own extemp and our community.
Few things spice up a speech like a timely quote. In this article, we’ll go over some quotes that can be used in any extemporaneous speech and go over how to use them.
Figuring out an effective practice schedule for extemp can be a challenging task. In this article, Katelyn Cai takes a deep dive into a few practice strategies that will make you a more effective extemper.
Welcome to the fourth of nine monthly updates on the standings and tournament results for the 2020-21 National Points Race! This edition features the results from UT, GMU, and Princeton.
Happy practicing!
2020 in Review and a Preview of 2021
Check out our year in review, which highlights our proudest accomplishments from this year! Then, keep reading this article, so you know all of the exciting updates we’re planning for 2021!
Happy early new year! Stay tuned for some exciting updates from the Extemper’s Bible in the new few days. In the meantime, happy practicing! We tried something new this time, adding one additional novice question for both USX and IX.
In this article, Will Ford divulges some tips on how to maximize your extemp ethos, even if you have a speech you don’t feel fully confident about.
Weekly Questions: December 21st – 27th
Happy Holidays everyone! We’ll still be posting articles over the holiday season, so keep your eyes peeled for future posts, and happy practicing!
With Joe Biden set to be the next president of the United States, questions over how he will conduct his foreign policy have emerged, especially given the current problems the global community faces. Written by Arjun Raman, the following article examines Biden’s potential foreign policy agenda and defines some key vocabulary along the way.
MBA Invite List Released!
The Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) Round Robin is a 16 person, invite-only tournament, widely recognized as the most prestigious in the nation. The tournament will take place virtually from January 2nd to January 4th. Extempers will compete in 10 rounds, with 4 rooms in total and 4 competitors to a room. Check out the invite […]
Written by Ananth Veluvali. Happy practicing!
Welcome to the third of nine monthly updates on the standings and tournament results for the 2020-21 National Points Race! This edition features the results from the Glenbrooks and Villiger, as well explaining our rationale for changing our valuation of the George Mason University Patriot Games for 2020.
The following article is part of a new series by the Extemper’s Bible where we’ll take a deep dive into relevant domestic and global subjects. For this post, we’ll examine political polarization in the US, including its causes, implications, and potential solutions. As a nation where political agreement is needed for unified action, the US […]
Filling Up Some Positions
Happy belated Thanksgiving! We’re looking to grow our website, but that will mean getting more help! If one or more of the following positions interests you or if you have any questions, please let us know by contacting ananth@extempers.org or outreach@extempers.org!
Citing a book (or books!) is one of the most impressive things you can do in an extemp speech. Beyond presenting an opportunity to cite distinguished scholars, books typically hold complex political, social, and economic theories that add sophistication to your speeches. Below is a list of a few books (with their summaries) you may […]
Introduction The attention-getting device, better known by its moniker the AGD, is one of the most important parts of an extemp speech. Despite this, most extempers recycle the same 2-3 AGDs for an entire tournament, often resulting in strenuous ties between their opener and the topic. Fortunately, it requires little effort to produce stronger attention […]
Written by Ananth Veluvali.
The following is a new series by the Extemper’s Bible where we’ll take a deep dive into relevant domestic and global subjects. For our very first article, we’ll examine the ongoing conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. As the second largest country in Africa, if this conflict goes unresolved, the violence in Ethiopia risks […]
This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to interview Gary Arndt, a nationally-acclaimed former extemp coach. While coaching several state champions and national finalists is certainly an accomplishment in itself, it’s Gary’s other exploits that make him a truly interesting interviewee. From traveling to over 130 countries to running his own successful podcast (Everything Everywhere), […]
Need some sources to file? Look no further!
How much have you kept up with this past week’s news? Take this short, 10-question quiz to find out! Answers, as well as corresponding news articles, are provided at the very bottom of this article. The questions may take a few seconds to load!
With most tournaments through February already online, it’s clear this extemp season will be different than the past. Accordingly, your speaking strategy might have to change. Below are a list of different tips & tricks for navigating online tournaments to maximize your speaking appeal.
Weekly Quiz: October 6th – October 11th
How much have you kept up with this past week’s news? Take this short, 10-question quiz to find out! Answers, as well as corresponding news articles, are provided at the very bottom of this article. The questions may take a few seconds to load!
Welcome to the first of nine monthly updates on the standings and tournament results for the 2020-21 National Points Race! This edition features the results from the UK Season Opener, the Duke Invitational, and the Yale Invitational.
How much have you kept up with this past week’s news? Take this short, 10-question quiz to find out! Answers are provided at the very bottom of this article.
Fighting Impostor Syndrome in Extemp
Walking into my first Varsity final round sophomore year, I had no idea what to expect. After a year and a half of watching finals with older, more “distinguished” speakers, I was still shocked to see myself in the midst of such talented individuals. Although I was extremely nervous, I was still committed to trying […]