Hooks and End-Hooks
Hooks
To open your speech, do not introduce yourself to the judge; they already know your name and speaker position. Instead, use a hook to capture the judge’s attention and get them thinking about your speech. Every speech starts with a hook; this is not optional. Memorize your hook and practice it so that you can make eye contact with the judge. A hook is typically one of the following but can also be something else.
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Brief Anecdote: Tell the judge an emotional story that illustrates a problem or solution
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Shocking Statistic: Provide a number that surprises the judge and shows a problem or solution
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Quotation: Use a quote from a famous and credible person to open your speech.
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Hypothetical Scenario: Ask the judge to imagine a scenario in order to show the problem at hand or how to solve it.
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Rhetorical Device: Start with a flourish by using metaphor, simile, anaphora, etc.
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Joke: If you can pull it off, humor can be very effective—as long as it’s relevant.
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Statement of Principles (not recommended): If necessary, write a powerful statement that summarizes your stance on the topic and why you take that stance.
What makes a good hook? A hook must:
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Be relevant to the topic
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Be consistent with your arguments
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Capture the judge’s attention
Sample Hooks
Shocking statistic: “Every thirty-five minutes, an American dies a preventable death due to a lack of health insurance. Since single payer healthcare is the only way to ensure that this needless death stops and every American is entitled to the fundamental right of healthcare, we propose the motion ‘the United States should institute a single payer healthcare system.’”
Quotation: “As Benjamin Franklin once said, “those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Because we agree that without liberty there is nothing worth protecting, we are so proud to oppose the motion ‘national security should be prioritized over individual liberty.’”
Rhetorical Device (chiasmus): “With new technologies enabling communication at unprecedented speeds, horizontal and democratic social movements have emerged: movements not with a leader but rather led by the people. As movements corrupt leaders and leaders corrupt movements, we propose the motion ‘leaderless social movements are preferable to social movements with leaders.’”
Hooks and End-Hooks
End-Hooks
When concluding your speech, don’t just restate all of your arguments; doing so only tells the judge that you have nothing left to say and are trying to fill up time. Rather, use an end-hook that ends your speech on a strong note. An ideal end-hook keeps the judge thinking about your speech even as the next person (on the other team) presents. If at all possible, use some of the same options that apply for hooks (anecdotes, statistics, quotations, hypotheticals, rhetorical devices, jokes, etc.). If not, you can use one of the below structures or some variants of them.
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“If you stand for [principle or issue], then you stand with [side].”
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“Because we are the side that [principle or issue], we urge you to vote for [side].”
As with hooks, end hooks must:
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Be relevant to the topic
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Be consistent with your arguments
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Capture the judge’s attention
Sample End-Hooks
“If you stand for giving second chances and guaranteeing the inalienable right to vote, and if you stand for ending this nation’s system of mass disenfranchisement, then you stand for allowing ex-felons to vote.”
“Because we are the side that prevents tyranny of the majority, ensures stability in government, and combats conservative backlash, we urge you to vote for the opposition team.”