California High School Speech Association
Encyclopedia
The California High School Speech Association, or CHSSA, is a speech and debate organization offered to all schools in the state of California. It is the governing body for local and state speech and debate competitions in California, with higher-level competition under the auspices of the National Forensic League
and the National Catholic Forensic League
. The league held its first championship tournament in 1958, and continues to hold championship tournaments every April.
):
National Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
and the National Catholic Forensic League
National Catholic Forensic League
The National Catholic Forensic League is a speech and debate league that was formed in 1951. It is organized into regions which correspond to Roman Catholic dioceses. Member schools include both public and parochial high schools. The CFL recruits member schools in both the United States and Canada...
. The league held its first championship tournament in 1958, and continues to hold championship tournaments every April.
Events
The California High School Speech Association offers the following events (bold denotes events that are recognized by the National Forensic LeagueNational Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
):
Debate
- Policy DebatePolicy debatePolicy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
(TM) - Lincoln-Douglas DebateLincoln-Douglas debateLincoln–Douglas debate is sometimes also called values debate because it traditionally places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values, and philosophy...
(LD) - Public Forum DebatePublic forum debatePublic forum debate, also known as crossfire debate, PFD , is a style of debate practiced in National Forensic League, Texas Forensics Association, and National Catholic Forensic League competitions....
(PF) - Congressional Debate (CONG)
- Parliamentary DebateParliamentary DebateParliamentary Debate is an academic debate event. Many university level institutions in English speaking nations sponsor parliamentary debate teams, but the format is currently spreading to the high school level as well...
(PRL)
Original Events
- Original OratoryOriginal OratoryOriginal Oratory is a competitive event in the National Forensic League, National Catholic Forensic League, and other high school forensic competitions in which competitors deliver an original speech on a subject of their choosing, though the speech must be factual....
(OO) - Original AdvocacyOriginal AdvocacyOriginal Advocacy is a type of speech event practiced in California High School Speech Association event, in which the speaker writes a persuasive speech and delivers it in competition. It is often referred to as 'OA', and is the Californian High School version of persuasive speeches...
(OA) - Original Prose & Poetry (OPP)
- Expository (EXP)
Interpretation Events
- Duo InterpretationDuo InterpretationDuo Interpretation, or often simply called Duo Interp, or just Duo, is an official speech event of the National Forensic League, the National Catholic Forensics League, National Christian Forensics and Communications Association, American Forensics Association, and the National Forensics Association...
(DUO) - Dramatic InterpretationDramatic InterpretationDramatic Interpretation is an event in National Forensic League high school forensics competitions...
(DI) - Humorous InterpretationHumorous InterpretationHumorous Interpretation is an event in competitive high school forensics leagues such as the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association and the National Forensic League...
(HI) - Thematic InterpretationThematic interpretationThematic Interpretation is the practice of verbal and non verbal communication, using illustrated and non illustrated techniques, used by interpretive naturalists, Natural and cultural interpretive specialists, tour guides and others to present complex and sometimes dry subject matter in an...
(TI) - Oratorical InterpretationOratorical InterpretationOratorical Interpretation is an event in American competitive high school forensics. Similar to Original Oratory, Oratorical differs in that the speeches performed must be published material, not original material. The speeches given are speeches originally delivered in a public forum...
(OI)
Spontaneous Events
- International Extemporaneous (IX)
- National Extemporaneous (NX)
- ImpromptuImpromptuAn impromptu is a free-form musical composition with the character of an ex tempore improvisation as if prompted by the spirit of the moment, usually for a solo instrument, such as piano...
(IMP)
CHSSA Leagues
CHSSA divides the state of California into four areas and eleven leagues of competition, based on region. Any school can become a member of CHSSA, and its ability to compete in league tournaments is determined by school location.Area 1
- Golden Gate Speech Association (GGSA) - includes the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, San Francisco, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma and Trinity.
- Coast Forensic LeagueCoast Forensic LeagueThe Coast Forensic League is the division of the California High School Speech Association from South San Francisco to Gilroy. It is one of the most competitive leagues in the country, with two out of the nation's top ten speech and debate teams from 2009-2011....
(CFL) - includes the counties of Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz.
Area 2
- Capitol Valley Forensics League (CVFL) - includes the counties of Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama, Yolo, and Yuba
- Southern Valley Forensics League (SVFL) - includes the counties of Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulane
- Yosemite Forensics League (YFL) - includes the counties of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Solano, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne
Area 3
- Tri-County Forensics League (TCFL) - includes the counties of Los Angeles (partial), San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura
- Southern California Debate League (SCDL) - includes the county of Los Angeles (east)
- Western Bay Forensics League (WBFL) - includes the county of Los Angeles (west)
Area 4
- Orange County Speech League (OCSL) – includes the county of Orange
- Citrus Belt Speech Region (CBSR) – includes the counties of Kern (partial), Riverside, and San Bernardino
- San Diego Imperial Valley Speech League (SDIVSL) – includes the counties of San Diego and Imperial