Indiana High School Forensic Association

The Indiana High School Forensic Association (IHSFA) is an organization whose purpose is to improve junior high school and high school speech education in Indiana through the use of curricular and co-curricular speech activities. The association conducts a state tournament series in all events which it sponsors. Membership is open to any public, private, or parochial school in the state of Indiana. In addition, home school consortiums may join the association provided they meet criteria set forth in Article IV of the association's constitution.
Organization
The association is governed by an Executive Council, led by the Executive Secretary and an Assistant Executive Secretary, currently Jeff Stutzman (Concord High School) and Mary Fridh (LaPorte High School), respectively. The rest of the Executive Council is composed of two sectional representatives from each of seven sections, an advisor, a representative of middle schools, and three representatives of administrators.
Official Sanctioned Events
The IHSFA sponsors statewide competition in Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, Congress, Broadcasting, Declamation, Discussion, International Extemporaneous Speaking, United States Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Duo Interpretation (Memorized), Duo Interpretation (Scripted), Poetry Reading, Prose Reading, Original Oratory, and Original Performance.
Debate Tournament
The IHSFA coordinates the state debate tournament, at which the state champions are determined in Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Congress. Each member school may send four two-member teams in Policy Debate and Public Forum Debate, and four individual entries in Lincoln-Douglas Debate and Congress.
Solo (Individual) Tournaments
In addition to the state debate tournament, the IHSFA sponsors seven sectional tournaments that serve as qualifiers for the state tournament. Schools may send four entries in each of 14 events, but not more than 36 total entries at the sectional level. One contestant may compete in up to two events, with certain exceptions: Extemp speakers may only double in Original Oratory or Impromptu Speaking; Impromptu Speaking contestants may only double in Extemporaneous events; Broadcasting and Discussion contestants may not enter any other event.
At the sectional level, schools are placed into one of seven sections, determined with emphasis on providing a balance of active participants and geographic proximity. The top seven students in each event qualify for the state tournament, where all 49 contestants are seeded by their sectional placement (each preliminary round has a sectional champion, sectional runner-up, etc.); no seed shall face an equal seed or anyone from their sectional in the preliminary rounds. Each contestant is guaranteed three preliminary rounds with two judges in each round The top 18 contestants then compete in two semi-final rounds, judged by three judges, and the top six contestants after semi-finals compete in the final round, judged by seven judges (one from each sectional).
Sweepstakes awards are given to eight schools in each of three classes, A for the smallest schools (determined by enrollment), and AAA for the largest schools. A contestant who places first in an event earns eight sweepstakes points for their school; 2nd = 7 points, etc. A school may earn an additional three points if their sectional entry equals or surpasses the previous year's average sectional entry. The 2009 sweepstakes champions are The Culver Academies (class A), Plymouth High School (class AA), and Warren Central High School (AAA). The overall champion wins the travelling "Ralph Lawson" trophy, currently housed in Plymouth High School.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu