Every social media site seemingly has its own personality. Wanna get to know other people? Creep around on Facebook. Need to share your random thoughts? Tweet it out on Twitter. Prefer to express yourself in pictures and GIFs? See you around Tumblr. 

While I've had a Pinterest account for over a year, I couldn't shake my initial impression of the site. Pinterest seemed perfect for people who wanted to swap recipes, crafts, and wedding ideas. There was cute stuff on there. But when you're already committing time to other social media outlets (and probably more time than you should), a site needs to be more than just cute to earn time and attention.

If you're not familiar with Pinterest - the premise is simple and the site is easy to navigate. Essentially, Pinterest is a bookmarking site. A "pin" is an image that is accompanied by a description and/or a link to an external web page. "Boards" allow you to collect and organize your pins. Users can browse pins that are posted in a variety of categories ranging from food, drink, crafts, and fashion to science, technology, history, and literature. If someone has posted a pin that you like, you can re-pin it onto one of your boards. If you're browsing the internet and come across a webpage you want to save, Pinterest makes it easy to simply paste the link and post it to one of your boards. Most boards are public - but you can have up to three "secret boards" that only you can view. The Yummy Life has a great tutorial on using Pinterest, and there are videos to walk you through the process as well (such as this one).

Click here to visit SpeechGeek Market on Pinterest.

After trying to find a way to pull together all of the random links, articles, and videos for forensics I had bookmarked on various computers, e-mailed to myself, or screen-grabbed on my phone - it dawned on me. "Why not just put them all on Pinterest?" The site became the perfect organizational tool and a way to share ideas while collecting a few hidden gems. Plus, the Pinterest app is widely available for free on Apple and Android  devices. Need more convincing? Here are ten ways you can utilize Pinterest to prepare for forensics (listed in no particular order):

1. Save articles  and topic ideas for public speaking events. The first two on our list make use of secret boards. Sure, you may be able to bookmark an article on your desktop into a folder or e-mail the link with a description to yourself. The benefit of creating a secret board for topics are two-fold. First, you can keep all your topics together in one central location. Second, you can use the description box to leave yourself notes such as how the article can be turned into a speech topic or what person might be interested in reading it. By using a secret board, you don't have to worry about anyone stumbling across your great ideas.

2. Create a reading list of potential interp pieces. Again, another great use of the secret board. Sometimes you'll stumble across a short story online, but you don't have time to look up the author, search to see if and where its published, only to need to bookmark the site (if it isn't on Amazon). Plus, if your school is responsible for making the purchases, you're often encouraged to lump everything together. The description box, again, can be used to make notes about potential performers/events. By creating a secret board for interp literature pins, you're able to collect a list of options to return to when you're ready to order materials.

3. Browse  quotations to use as exercises  for limited preparation speakers. When you log in to Pinterest, you can click the red icon in the upper left hand corner of the screen. You'll be provided with a list of categories from which to choose. Clicking "Quotes" will allow you to browse and re-pin from hundreds of quotations. Whether you're working on impromptu, extemp, or debate - using quotations to practice analysis, interpretation, and argumentation is always a useful exercise.

4. Bookmark infographics  and interesting information for  attention getting devices  or examples. You don't always have to have an immediate use for a pin. I love collecting bits of trivia, stories, and examples. You can browse the technology, geek, science, nature, and history categories to collect things that are "neat-to-know." They can be added to a limited prep speaker's repertoire of knowledge or used as attention getting devices or examples in a public speech.

5. Hold onto inspirational sayings for team pump-up talks.  Sometimes you need to say more than, "Speak pretty everybody!" You'll find plenty of inspirational and motivational quotations on Pinterest to save for those days when warm-ups aren't doing the trick.

6. Manage a playlist of videos for performance tips and ideas.  Have you ever watched a video and thought, "That character is hilarious! They would be great in an H.I." or "I'd love to incorporate some of this movement into a Duo!" Videos can be great inspiration for performances. Use clips of celebrity impersonators to discuss vocal distinction. Cartoons are a great way to introduce basic, broad characters to new performers. Is there a cinematic clip that can inspire a dramatic performer? It's easier to hop over to a board of videos to reference than it is to try to search for the video you want (or worse, try to describe what you watched a few weeks ago).

7. Illustrate a variety of style options for tournament appropriate  attire. Research indicates that anywhere from 70 - 90% of communication is non-verbal. That means that to some degree, a competitor's appearance is communication a lot about that person before they begin their event. Most forensics tournaments encourage looking tidy and professional, but this doesn't mean competitors must spend a great deal of money to "look the part." A tournament attire board can illustrate a broad range of what is considered tournament appropriate attire. Pins on pairing shirts and ties, versatile and comfortable shoes, suits, hem lengths, and accessories can inform a student on what to look for or provide guidance in creating a professional appearance with the clothes they already own.

8. Hair, make-up, and grooming tutorials  can be useful. As previously mentioned, forensics isn't a beauty pageant but our appearances send non-verbal communication. A competitor's hairstyle or make-up doesn't have to be elaborate to be polished and professional. Still, discussing personal appearances remains a sensitive subject. A Pinterest board of "tournament ready" looks for hair, make-up, and facial hair can be an effective supplement to general discussions of what a coach or team considers competition appropriate appearances. Individuals can browse the pins for inspiration, ideas, and tutorials to achieve a look that is within their comfort zone without feeling singled out or embarrassed.

9. Collect remedies for tournament troubles. Speakers lose their voices, pop buttons, rip panty hose and face all sorts of other tribulations at tournaments. If you're lucky, you have back-up supplies in your bag. If not, it always helps to have tips saved from the DIY and health & fitness boards to help you out.

10. Add flair to tournament hosting  with recipes and decorating tips. Let's not forget the hallmark of Pinterest: recipes and decorating. Coaches have their hands full when it comes to running a tournament. Tournament hosting, however, can be an awesome exercise in team work and hospitality. Pinterest is great at providing ideas that utilize items you already own. Browse party planning and decorating boards for tournament theme ideas. Students can be assigned tasks from making signs to centerpieces, or even simple recipes to put in the lounge. There are plenty of opportunities for students to help host an awesome tournament while coaches are busy with entries, schematics, and running tab.

There's no limit to the number of ways you can utilize Pinterest in your forensics preparation. You can keep some boards secret but you can also share pins with other competitors and coaches. Make sure to follow our boards on Pinterest for inspiration, ideas, items from the store, links to articles about forensics, and anything else we think would be of interest to fellow speech geeks!

It's easy to get tunnel-vision in forensics. You've got a tournament on the horizon. You need to research, write, memorize, and practice. You have work sessions with your coach. You show your events to alumni who competed a year or two ago. At tournaments, your head is in the game. Outside of tournaments, you're dissecting speech and debate with the people who know it best.

It's easy to focus on the people who understand forensics the most. Your coaches, teammates, and alumni understand the minutia about the activity that may get lost on other people. Topicality? Inherency? Character pops versus character melds? It sounds like gibberish to many, but the people who speak this language help you improve. They're in the center of the activity, the center of the human pyramid. Without them, it seems, you wouldn't be able to excel in the activity.

It's easy to forget that there are a lot of people who don't necessarily "speak speech" but are crucial to its existence. They're on the outside of the pyramid, but they actively support the whole thing.

Columnist Mike Pound of Joplin, Missouri, reflected on being a parent judge at his daughter's debate tournament. Calling it a "risky venture," Pound's column offers a third party viewpoint of forensics that we aren't often provided. The article is rife with references to his own perceptions of intellectual inadequacy when judging the "smart" kids. His daughter reminds him to tell debaters that he is a parent judge so they will "dumb down" their arguments. He judges some interp events and largely enjoys the experience. There is an undercurrent of exclusivity in the article. Pound paints himself as an outsider willing to sacrifice a Saturday to help his daughter's team.

It's easy to lament lay judges - the parents, teachers, and volunteers who never competed or coached but are willing to help. We spend our weekdays working on nuanced performances and arguments that we hope experienced judges will appreciate. Then, we get disappointed or angry when they go unnoticed by volunteers. (We're just as guilty at poking fun of ballots that provide little criticism or justification for ranks.) We forget, sometimes, that the forensics community is more than just coaches, competitors, and alumni. Tournaments cannot run without judges. Teams cannot exist without administrative support. Supplies cannot get purchased without budgets. The knowledge you bring to competition is built upon the knowledge of your coach(es), but also the teachers you've had in other subjects throughout the years.

Speakers need supporters. We need volunteers who are willing to sell concessions, judge rounds, raise funds, sign forms, and organize team functions. Sometimes these supporters can't give us the critical feedback we would like on our ballots. But it is worth remembering that without their help, there may not even be a tournament to attend. 

The phrase, "Thank you for judging," shouldn't just be a formality - but a sincere expression of gratitude. Take some time this month to thank your supporters. If you haven't, maybe your team could sign thank you notes to put in the mail. 

The smallest act of appreciation can go a long way in getting other people interested in forensics. 

From Ugly Betty to his new sitcom, Partners, it's hard to imagine actor Michael Urie having enough time to direct and film the documentary, Thank You For Judging. During the 2007-08 tournament season, the former NFL D.I. National Champion took a film crew to his alma mater - Plano Senior High School in Plano, Texas - to follow the team on their path to the state tournament. After traveling through the documentary film circuit, the film is now available to download for $4.99, with additional packages offering bonus features including supplemental videos, buttons, hoodies, and even a Skype session with co-director Michael Urie.

Of the team members featured in the film, one senior would go on that same year to become the national champion in Oratory at NFL. Hoàng Ngoc Nguyên, Jr. (You can call him Mario, though, "it's easier to pronounce.") charmed audiences with his speech, "I'm a Tom Girl," which you can purchase for download alongside the documentary. We caught up with the speaker to find out more about competing with film crews, important life lessons he learned from speech, and what life had in store for him after the cameras stopped rolling.

How did you get involved in forensics?

I technically competed in my first speech and debate tournament in the third grade. There was only one tournament a year, it had poetry, prose, and an extemp-like category, and was held by district. I was so nervous in the final round that I asked to start over, yet, (somehow) I won. I was so young I didn’t even know it was actually speech and debate I was doing. Later, I started doing theatre in the sixth grade, but was always disappointed with the roles that I was given because of my physical appearance (e.g. beggar #2, someone’s child). It was when a language arts teacher told me that I should join the speech team that I finally did. I intended on doing debate, but then I found individual events and there was no turning back.

What events did you do in high school?

In high school I did Humorous and Dramatic Interp, Original Oratory, Duo, and Impromptu. Oratory and HI were undoubtedly my favorites. I particularly loved OO because it gave me the opportunity to articulate the issues that personally affected me. And as a 17 year old, the chance to have people listen to you can really empower you to believe in yourself. For example, my OO my senior year was basically a catharsis for me finally coming to terms with my sexuality. The topic focused on the double standard in gender bending, and how women were more easily allowed to take on traditionally masculine traits than men who are given less flexibility in doing so.

How did you choose that topic?

I wasn’t a particularly masculine guy growing up, particularly because of my size (5’4”) and I had wanted to address this in my OO. My coach and I had been searching for ideas, and after tons of looking for something that personally affected me, my coach had gone home and chatted with her husband about it, and the beginnings of this idea started. Over a series of meetings following we developed it until it became what it became.

What do you remember about performing in finals of Oratory at the 2008 NFL National Tournament?

For the national performance, I was devastatingly sick. I had caught a desert cold (Las Vegas) and would have been unable to perform the day before, which is when finals for OO were supposed to be scheduled, but for the first time (for some strange reason) they were scheduled the following day. So when I went out on stage, I spit out my cough drop, blew my nose, and was on two different medications. But, I made sure I did the one thing my coach told me, I took it all in. Before I started I remember looking at the entire crowd, all waiting for me to speak, and I thought, “I’m just happy my message gets to reach this many people.”

What is the documentary about?

The documentary, Thank You for Judging, includes a clip of me winning nationals, but it primarily focuses on the state tournament of that year. My team, and about two or three others were followed around all year and up until that tournament, and the film basically takes you through a state tournament and everything that goes into that. I think that the experience made everyone at the state tournament feel valued, like we were getting the attention we finally deserved. And we all competed harder because of that.

It’s been a long time since the documentary was shot, and a lot has happened since then.

What have you done in the time since you graduated high school?

After high school, I went on to compete in college forensics at Western Kentucky University. There, I was really transformed into who I am today. Thanks to the university’s guidance, I am currently living in México City on a Fulbright grant and deferred to one of the top 30 law schools in the nation.

How has participating in forensics contributed to where you are now?

I honestly am very blessed and owe a huge thanks to Forensics. Forensics taught me how to articulate the pain I had felt all my life. I was a gay, first-generation American, with an undocumented immigrant mother who was divorced from my Vietnamese war refugee father, with four other siblings living below the poverty line. Yet, I didn’t know how to put all of that into words because it was just my life. Forensics showed me how to deal with all of that, use it as motivation, and to believe in myself, and people like me. Most importantly, it gave me a voice and the power to believe I was capable of enacting change -that I was worth something. And that is the very core of who I am now, and why I am where I am. My big hope is that some kid out there reads about me and realizes that they have the strength to fight whatever it is they’re going through because they can relate to me.

What is the best advice you received before going into competition?

I think the best piece of advice I received before competing was from my high school coach. I was at a tournament my senior year and terrified because I walked into a round with a judge in full military coveralls. I thought for sure I was getting a six and figured I might as well not even try. But my high school coach told me that there was nothing I could do to control that, all I could do was deliver my message because I had no idea who needed to hear it. And that’s something I try to do in my everyday life. It just so happened I ended up getting a one in that round, and the judge wrote some amazing comments about my speech. And it’s that lesson that’s my advice to anyone struggling in Forensics, or in struggling to decide what to do after you graduate, or anything in life. Even if the odds are against you, commit and own who you are. Don’t let anyone define who you are, or who you should be.

Still want more Mario? Visit his website for more information!

Memorizing a new piece or speech is one of the least glamorous parts of forensics (next to waking up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday). People have different methods. Some folks record themselves reading it aloud and listen to it on repeat. Others try writing lines over and over until it sticks. Memorizing smaller sections then adding new ones on is another strategy. 

If you're lucky, memorizing lines comes quickly and easily to you. However, that doesn't mean some of us don't struggle with remembering tricky lines of poetry or certain statistics in an oratory. That's why this list of strategies to improve memory can be really helpful early in the season. From self affirmations, associations, and grouping to proper nutrition, mental exercises, and breathing techniques - there are plenty of ideas on how to make more room in your brain for your events.

Happy memorizing everyone!

Yesterday afternoon, news broke that actor Michael Clarke Duncan had passed away due to complications from a heart attack that occurred earlier in the summer. Affectionately known as a 'gentle giant,' at over six feet tall and 315 lbs, Duncan appeared in films such as Armageddon and his voice to Kung Fu Panda. His presence was hard to miss. 

His most recognized role, however, was his breakout performance alongside Tom Hanks in The Green Mile. An adaptation of the Stephen King novel about a death row prisoner with supernatural abilities, Duncan's portrayal of the sensitive Coffey earned him numerous awards and an Oscar nomination. Though the events of the film were set during the Great Depression, it struck a nerve with modern audiences. Viewers left not only talking about the performances, but the complicated message regarding the death penalty. 

Duncan's legacy is an important one for forensics. It is proof that powerful performances find a place in our hearts and minds. It is a reminder that performances are an opportunity to entertain, educate, and spark discussion. Even if we disagree on how we would "rank" a round or even interpret a text, pieces with a message force us to go from passive viewers to active participants in the discussion. Trophies are nice. But changing someone's mind about how they see the world is so much more impressive. 

So tell us: Have you witnessed a performance that changed your outlook on the world? (It can be an interp, speaking event, or even a debate round.) Have you ever discussed the message of a topic or piece when you went home? As a competitor, what subject matters are you interested in exploring?