North Allegheny
2025 — Wexford, PA/US
Programmed Oral Interp
Abbreviation
POI
Format
Speech
Entry Fee
$6.00
Entry
1 competitors per entry
Event Description:
Programmed Oral Interpretation (POI)
Programmed Oral Interpretation (POI) is a program of oral interpretation of thematically-linked selections chosen from two or three genres: prose (fiction or non-fiction), poetry, drama (plays).
- At least two pieces of literature that represent at least two separate genres must be used.
- Unlike the other interpretation events, Program Oral Interpretation may use multiple sources for the program. The title or author of all selections must be verbally identified in either the introduction and/or transitional phrases. The title may identify the primary source (e.g., book, anthology, journal, magazine, newspaper, approved website, etc.) or the specific title within the primary source (e.g., a poem, a play, a short story, a journal/magazine article, a newspaper article, etc.). If more than one author is attributed to the source, at a minimum, the primary author should be verbally cited. A Works Cited of all sources must be available to tournament officials upon request.
- Competitors are encouraged to devote approximately equal times to each of the genres used in the program. This distinction pertains to these two or three genres as a whole, not types of literature within a genre (such as fiction/nonfiction).
- Prose expresses thought through language recorded in sentences and paragraphs: fiction (short stories, novels) and non-fiction (articles, essays, journals, biographies).
- Poetry is writing which expresses ideas, experience, or emotion through the creative arrangement of words according to their sound, their rhythm, their meaning. Poetry may rely on verse and stanza form.
- POI is not memorized - should be read from a manuscript (binder).
- Use of manuscript (binder) as a prop is encouraged. No other costumes or props are permitted.
- The time limit is 10 minutes with a 30-second “grace period.”
NA's Tournament uses National Speech and Debate Guidelines for POI
https://www.speechanddebate.org/