The Letters Department of Chipola College cordially invites you to participate in the Annual Throssell Literature/Language Festival to be held  each February. The Throssell Literature/Language Festival is an interscholastic competition consisting of eight contests. The contests are writing, speech, oral interpretation, grammar/mechanics/usage, literature, reading, humanities, and Spanish language.

Participants in the festival must be currently enrolled juniors or seniors from one of the high schools in the Chipola District (Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, and Washington counties). Recognition will be given to first, second, and third places and to honorable mentions in each contest.

General Requirements

1. Contestants must compete virtually from their high schools.
2. Contestants must be juniors or seniors currently enrolled in a high school in Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty or Washington counties. Dual enrollment students may be contestants.
3. Contestants may enter one contest per time period, for a maximum of two contests. See Festival Schedule to determine which contests will meet at the same time.
4. Each high school may enter a maximum of two students per contest, except for the President’s Reading Contest which can have four. That is, a single school may have a maximum of eighteen contestants participating in the festival.
5. Time limits for each contest will be rigidly observed.
6. Time will be used as a tie breaker.
7. All contests will be administered and judged by Chipola College faculty and personnel on the day of the contest only. The decisions of the judges will be final and binding.
8. No study aids allowed.
9. The purpose of the competition is not to dictate curriculum; rather, it is to encourage widespread learning and inquiry. Therefore, specific references to prepare for the competition will not be suggested, and copies of the various contest materials will not be provided after the contest to individuals or to schools.

Contest requirements

Writing Contest
The contest will consist of an impromptu, expository essay written in one 90-minute period and based on a choice made from topics provided at the contest. Each essay will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. Substantial content
2. A clear thesis
3. An organizational plan
4. Well-developed supporting paragraphs
5. Specific, relevant details
6. Logical transitions
7. Effective word choice
8. Standard English usage

Speech Contest
The contest will consist of a prepared two to two and one-half minute speech on a topic selected from previously announced topics. See enclosed letter for topics. Students may bring notes. Speeches will be evaluated on the following criteria:

1. Content
2. Organization
3. Voice
4. Language
5. Platform behavior/Appearance

Literature Contest
The contest will consist of a multiple-choice, 55-item exam covering American and English literature. Time allotted for the exam is 60 minutes.

Oral Interpretation Contest
The contest will consist of a two-to-three minute oral interpretation of a previously published literary work of the contestant’s own choosing. Students must present alone. The contestant should email a copy of his/her reading for use by the judges. Oral interpretations will be evaluated on the following:

1. Vocal projection, expressiveness and variety
2. Interpretation of the material
3. Eye contact
4. Body language (gesture, movements, etc.)

Grammar/Usage Contest
The contest will consist of a multiple-choice, 50-item exam covering all aspects of grammar, mechanics and usage. Time allotted for the exam is 60 minutes.

Humanities Contest
The contest will consist of a multiple-choice, 50-item exam covering art, art history, architecture, music, and world literature. Time allotted for the exam is 60 minutes.

Spanish Language Contest
The contest will consist of a multiple-choice, 50-item exam on Spanish grammar and language for students with two years of high school Spanish. Time allotted for the exam is 60 minutes.

 
The President’s Reading Contest
Chipola President Dr. Sarah Clemmons sponsors the President’s Reading Contest. The theme of the 50-item, short-answer exam is Writing Lessons from the Masters. The theme of the 50-item, short-answer exam is One Hundred Years in Print. The contest will be based on the following four works: One of Ours by Willa Cather, The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie, Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Time allotted for the exam is 90 minutes. The winner will receive a $50 cash prize and a Presidential Medallion.