David Garcia of West Chicago has qualified to compete in the American Forensic Association (AFA) Nationals

2014 Feb 17

David Garcia, a student at Ripon College from West Chicago, IL, has qualified to compete at the American Forensic Association (AFA) Nationals in Extemporaneous Speaking. Nationals are held in Phoenix, Arizona, April 4-7, 2014.

Extemporaneous Speaking, or extemp, is a speech with little preparation. Extemp is a mainstay at most speech competitions. At the beginning of any round of extemp, competitors are usually given three questions relating to current events, and asked to prepare a speech on the current event of their choosing. The competitors have a preparation period, usually referred to as "prep time," during which they use periodicals they brought to the tournament to prepare the speech. This "prep time" is usually thirty minutes, and at the end of this time, competitors must present their speech without the aid of notes. Extemp speeches range from four to seven minutes in length.

To qualify for Nationals, one must be at least a part-time student at a two or four-year college and must final in three legs (or separate tournaments) in a category at the AFA competitions with eight or less points.

Garcia is the child of Mr. and Mrs. Abel Garcia of West Chicago, IL.