Baker,+Melanie

Everyone competing is working very hard. I listen for clarity in the presentation and in the content and give my best to be clear and coherent in return.

Good diction and presentation are important; without them it is impossible to understand what the speaker is saying.

The points being made need to be organized and clearly explained, the sources documented. When rebutting this is trickier than a sponsor speech, for instance. In any case, the person listening needs to be able to follow the argument and connect the points being made. That said, my comments are based as much as I can on the clarity of the presentation, whatever the view.