One of the best I ever faced...

Although there are many people I could profile, one of my favorite competitors I ever faced competed against me my first time at nationals in 2005. The tournament was in Philadelphia and as with all other national tournaments, it brought the best speakers in the country together for one week of fierce competition. It was at this tournament that I first met and faced Danny Carissimi from Carroll HS in Texas. His style and speech were brilliant. He was comfortable in front of thousands and brought logic and humor to forefront of a speech that emphasized the importance of history (entitled "A History All It's Own"). It was phenomenal and he placed second in the nation.

Well, I am still friends with Danny and asked him a few questions about his take on oratory. Here is our dialogue...

B- "Danny, what elements are crucial in the writing of an oratory piece?"
D- "Humor, logic and structure which suits the speaker."

B- "Who are some of the people you look up to as role models?"
D- "Bill Clinton's style and Mark Twain's writing"

B- "What is your biggest pet peeve among orators?"
D- "Interpers who turn oratory into an acting performance...its not acting"

So these are some tips from the very top; the pinnacle of speech performance and he definitely knows what he is talking about. In the next week or so, I plan to place a video of him online so you too can see his speech.