Original Advocacy

Original Advocacy (OA) is a type of high school speech event practiced in which the speaker writes a persuasive speech and delivers it in competition. The speaker has up to ten minutes (and no less than eight minutes) to present a problem, its significance, and a legislative solution to fix the stated problem. The problem cannot be a general one, such as apathy, but a more specific one that can be legislated and solved, such as medical malpractice or rape. The speaker should also include some discussion of how the proposed solution will actually solve the problem. Of course, the legislature included should be plausible and sensible. The speeches are serious in nature and generally have very specific topics ranging from domestic issues to international problems. Commonly, the speeches are inspiring and informative. In order for the speech to be a good one, it should have statistics, numbers, and proof to enforce the claims made by the speaker. Judges can evaluate this speech on any criteria, but usually the style of speaking and the content of the speaker’s words are indicators of a successful speech.