Texas Forensic Association
Encyclopedia
The Texas Forensic Association (TFA) is an organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
to provide competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
in speech, debate, and drama for qualified high school Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
students.
The association provides forensics competitions nearly every weekend
Workweek
The workweek and weekend are those complementary parts of the week devoted to labour and rest respectively. The legal working week , or workweek , is the part of the seven-day week devoted to labor. In most Western countries it is Monday to Friday. The weekend comprises the two traditionally...
in Texas for the duration of the forensics season, which lasts from the beginning of the school year (early August) until the end of February. The season culminates to the TFA State Tournament in early March, which takes place at a different Texas high school each year and lasts approximately three days.
The association is among the largest state speech and debate tournaments in the United States. Each year TFA has well over 1,000 qualifications.
The association offers the following events for qualification to the State Tournament: Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking
Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking
International Extemporaneous Speaking is a style of competitive speaking sponsored by the National Forensic League. It is identical in structure to U.S...
(FX), Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking
Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking
Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking (also called United States Extemporaneous Speaking or National Extemporaneous Speaking, and variously contracted to Domestic Extemp, National Extemp, U.S...
(DX), Original Oratory
Original Oratory
Original 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), Humorous Interpretation
Humorous Interpretation
Humorous 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), Dramatic Interpretation
Dramatic Interpretation
Dramatic Interpretation is an event in National Forensic League high school forensics competitions...
(DI), Duet Acting
Duet Acting
Duet Acting is an event in competitive high school forensics...
(DA), Duo Interpretation
Duo Interpretation
Duo 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), Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Lincoln-Douglas debate
Lincoln–Douglas debate is sometimes also called values debate because it traditionally places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values, and philosophy...
(LD), Policy Debate
Policy debate
Policy 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...
{Cross Examination: CX}, Student Congress
Student Congress
Congressional Debate is a form of high school debate in the United States and Pakistan. The National Forensic League , National Catholic Forensic League , many national debate tournaments, State Forensic Associations, and the IEEE Pakistan Student Congress all offer Congressional Debate as an event...
(Stu-Co), and Public Forum Debate
Public forum debate
Public 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....
("PFD"). TFA tournaments use the same resolutions as the National Forensic League
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...
(NFL) for Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, and C-X (Policy) Debate.
State
- TFA held its 2008 State Tournament on March 6th, 7th, and 8th at Coppell High SchoolCoppell High SchoolCoppell High School is a 5A high school located in Coppell, Texas . It is part of the Coppell Independent School District located in extreme northwest Dallas County...
, Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. - The 2009 TFA State Tournament was held March 5-7 at Cypress Ranch High SchoolCypress Ranch High SchoolCypress Ranch High School is a secondary school located in Cypress, which is an unincorporated place in Harris County, Texas, near Houston. The school colors for Cypress Ranch are navy blue and gold. The school mascot is Mustangs.-History:...
, in Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. - The 2010 TFA State Tournament was held March 10-13, 2010 at Hanks High School in El Paso, TexasEl Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. - The 2011 TFA State Tournament was held March 10-12, 2011 at Flower Mound High SchoolFlower Mound High SchoolFlower Mound High School is part of Lewisville Independent School District and located in Flower Mound, Texas. The school rests on of land that were purchased in 1993. FMHS was the second high school built in Flower Mound, after Edward S. Marcus High School...
in Flower Mound, TexasFlower Mound, TexasFlower Mound is a town in Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas, and a suburb of Fort Worth and Dallas. Its population was 50,702 at the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 census, and 64,669 at the 2010 Census. The town derives its name from the prominent mound located in the southern...
, a suburb of Dallas. - The 2012 TFA State Tournament will be held on March 1-3, 2012 at Amarillo High SchoolAmarillo High SchoolAmarillo High School is a school located in the city of Amarillo, Texas, United States, in the Amarillo Independent School District.- History :...
in Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, TexasAmarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
.