6th Annual Panthers Invitational

November 11th and 12th

Dear Debate Coaches,

You are cordially invited to Snohomish High School’s season-opening Debate and Speech tournament to be held on November 11^th and 12^th. We are pleased to announce that prices remain the same, we think we have a better schedule, and the trophies will be just as big! Enclosed you will find the list of events, rules for the tournament and judging, awards, the schedule, registration information, and directions to the Snohomish Campus. There are a number of specific points which you need to be aware of, so please read the following:

· The suggestion was made at the fall coaches meeting that directors lower judging ratios at all tournament to encourage entry. I am going to try that, but not without a great deal of misgiving. Coaches, you have to show up with judges, and last year it was a problem. If you show up with too few to cover the minimum obligation numbers I’ve provided, I will have to pull your competitors, and I don’t want to do that. If you have extras, please bring them! Tournaments run late because of judging shortages. First-year outs may judge all events and your open-level competitors may judge novice only. Judging quotas are 1 for 6 IE entries (not competitors---entries), 1 dedicated congress scorer per team entering congress, 1 per 4 LD entries, 1 per 4 PF teams, and 1 per 2 CX teams.

· We have also collapsed patterns in speech to finish earlier (see schedule). We will run larger panels as well, so that double entry should not be a problem. Triple entering is at your own risk. I will do everything I can to avoid collapsing divisions, but in early-season tournaments that happens, especially in interps. Top novices are recognized in collapsed division events.

· We are in our final year of construction at our school, about 90% of the work is done. What you are going to find is an incredibly beautiful and state-of-the-art campus. Snohomish High school is located at 1316 5^th Street in Snohomish. There is parking on both 5^th and 7^th Streets.

· This is a district one bid tournament, meaning that the top open-level district one competitors who trophy in 3A state speech events and 3A/4A LD, PF, and CX are automatically qualified for state in those events.

· Food will be available throughout the tournament and our parent committee does an excellent job on top quality food. No need to go elsewhere---it’s good stuff and it’s very reasonable. Judges and coaches receive excellent food in our judge lounge anytime.

· If you didn’t see them last year, we offer WHOMPIN’ BIG TROPHIES for first place finishers in open division. All trophies are very nice, and we give them to each member of Duo, CX, and PF teams.

· In addition to the other major events we will offer EdComm, impromptu, and congressional debate, and we encourage you to enter your newer competitors in those events, which are easily learned. For coaches unfamiliar with the events, the guidelines for the events can be found on the WIAA site.

· All speech and debate events follow state guidelines. Judges must offer time signals in extemp and impromptu, upon request in debate, and all judges should have timers.

· Lincoln-Douglas will use the November/December topic, Resolved: Individuals have a moral obligation to assist people in need. Public Forum will use the November topic, Resolved: Direct popular vote should replace electoral vote in presidential elections.

· Congress will be in mixed houses of novice and open competitors. We will track top novices for awards as well.. Make sure to note any competitors who are novices (first year of any debate). Congress competitors may use any of the bills or resolutions in the WIAA fall packet, but please note that if the school who wrote that piece of legislation is present, they have first priority of authorship. The method of determining congress winners will be scorer rank, unless we are short congress scorers, in which case we will use preferential ballot. Congress teams need to provide one congress scorer.

· Computer use is allowed in LD, CX, Congress, and Extemp, but students may not access the internet while in round or prep and will forfeit the round if they do so. That said, I cannot guarantee every room will have available outlets, and students may not pull out plugs in wall to plug their own equipment in. The responsibility rests with students to have fully charged batteries.

Best Regards,

Bill Nicolay

Speech and Debate Advisor, Snohomish HS

Work (360) 563-4190 Home (425) 774-4253 Fax (360) 563- 4183

E-mail: bill.nicolay@sno.wednet.edu

Debate Events

For all debate, novices are considered 1^st year debaters who have not trophied in novice division more than twice at tournaments with 15 or more schools. Juniors are 2^nd and 3^rd year debaters who have not trophied more than twice in junior division at tournaments with 15 or more schools. Open competitors are all others. Debaters may move up early, so a first year debater could be in junior or open.

Cross Examination Debate

1. We will offer three divisions: Novice, Junior, and Open unless numbers are low, in which case

Junior and Open will be collapsed.

2. Novice teams must use the novice case areas approved by the WSFA
3. Computers are allowed. Please have a paper case ready to hand to an opponent or use a viewing computer. Competitors who refuse to allow an opponent to view a case may forfeit the round at judge discretion. See state guidelines on computer use.
4. To prevent damage, under NO circumstances are existing plugs to be pulled from walls to accommodate your laptop use, nor are any computers allowed to be plugged into our school computers to be plugged into wall sockets by judges or competitors. If damage is done, we will definitely seek restitution. Sorry,

but there has just been too much damage done at tournaments this way.

Lincoln Douglas Debate

1. We will offer three divisions: Novice, Junior, and Open unless numbers are low, in which case

Junior and Open will be collapsed.

2. We will be using the November/December Lincoln Douglas Debate topic Resolved: Individuals have a moral obligation to assist people in need.

3. See CX #3 and #4 above on computer use.

Public Forum

1. We will offer two divisions: Novice, and Open unless numbers are low, in which case they will

be collapsed.

2. We will be using the November topic, Resolved: Direct popular vote should replace electoral vote in presidential elections.

3. See CX #3 and #4 above on computer use.

Individual Events

Two divisions will be offered in all I.E.'s: Novice and Open. Novices are 1^st year competitors or those with less than 6 rounds (not tournaments, rounds) of competition in the previous year. Open levels are all others. Novices may move to open early. Should low numbers warrant it, we will collapse open and novice and tag novices for an appropriate number of awards to be determined by tournament officials. Opens may judge novices, but only if they are not themselves competing. Speech events offered:

Extemporaneous Impromptu

Expository Interpretive Reading

Dramatic Oratory

Dual Humorous

Editorial Commentary

Please read the event rules synopsis below carefully. For full rules, consult the WIAA website. Please note also that at this time of the year in events like duo, dramatic, humorous, and oratory we may have open-level competitors who are not memorized and novices who are. These events are intended to be memorized, and most judges will reward novices who are memorized and will penalize open-level competitors who are not.

EDITORIAL COMMENTARY: A scripted speech which is intended to be an analysis of a news event rather that a running synopsis of news. Speakers will read the manuscript from a seated position. Speeches should be on a current news issue, rather than just a generalized opinion. The script should be timed to end between 1:45 and 2:00. Any speaker ending before 1:45 or after 2:00 shall be ranked at least one placement lower at judge discretion.

EXPOSITORY: A speech that is designed to be informative in nature. Visual aids and note cards are permitted, but are not required. Time: eight minutes (8) maximum, with thirty seconds (30) grace.

DRAMATIC INTERP: One or more cuttings from a published play, prose, poetry, TV, or radio script, which is serious in nature. Time: ten minutes maximum with no grace period.

DUAL INTERP: A cutting from a published play, prose, poetry, TV or radio script, which may be either humorous or serious in nature. The selection must be memorized but given without props or costumes. Time: ten minutes (10) maximum with no grace period.

ORATORY: An original speech designed to persuade—that is, to change or reinforce an existing belief, to eulogize, to cause agreement with speaker’s position, or to motivate to action. Time: ten minutes (10) maximum, with no grace period

EXTEMPORANEOUS: Thirty minutes before speaking time, each speaker will select a topic from a choice of four. Questions will be based on current events of the last three months. Speaker will be expected to organize and analyze material relevant to the subject area and answer the chosen question. One note card for novices only is permitted. Time: seven minutes (7) maximum, with thirty seconds (30) grace. Judges must give time signals.

IMPROMPTU: Student will enter the room and be given a choice of three topics. The student will choose a topic and have six minutes to prepare and speak on the chosen topic. Time may be used in any manner the speaker chooses (example-2 minutes prep and 4 speaking or 4 minutes prep and 2 minutes speaking). Time: six minutes (6) maximum, with thirty seconds (30) grace. Judges must give time signals.

HUMOROUS INTERP: One or more cuttings from a published play, prose, poetry, TV, or radio script, which is humorous in nature. The presentation is memorized. Time: ten minutes with no grace.

INTERPRETIVE READING: At least one cutting of prose and one cutting of poetry linked thematically. A balance between the two is to be rewarded! We will follow WSFA rules. Time: eight minutes maximum with thirty seconds grace.

Student Congress:

Congress will be in mixed houses of novice and open competitors. We will track top novices for awards as well. Make sure to note in your entry any competitors who are novices (first year of any speech or debate). Congress competitors may use any of the bills or resolutions in the WIAA packet, but please note that if the school who wrote that piece of legislation is present, they have first priority of authorship. The method of determining congress winners will be scorer ranks from all three scorers, unless we are short of judges, in which case we will use ballot. Students may use computers, but they are expected to be on task and to use them for congress and not for doing homework or playing games. Internet access is not available, and students should not expect to have an outlet available, so fresh batteries are a must.

Rules:

State rules apply to everything. Refer to W.I.A.A. handbook. Rules interpretations and decisions are at the direction of tab in consultation with the tournament director, so questions and interpretations should be referred to them, and you should not penalize a competitor unless you are absolutely certain of the rule.

Judging Quotas:

One judge for every four LDers and PF teams, and one per every two CX teams. Please specify event preference and level competency and we will do our best to make sure your judges get those events and levels. One judge for every six IE entries (not competitors---events entered). First- year-outs may judge. Open-level competitors may be used to judge novice only if they do not compete in any events. We use a push ballot system, so opens and first-year judges should concentrate on events they are competent to judge. Teams which do not supply enough judges to cover entries will have to drop entries. Judges sign in each day prior to rounds.

Double Entering:

Extempers will run a tight schedule but they can double enter and should be able to make both events if they pay attention to their round placements. The risk lies with them. Others are allowed and encouraged to double enter if they want to try several speech events. We are on a tight schedule, but we’ll instruct judges to wait a reasonable amount of time. Triple entries are not a good idea.

Location of Important Rooms:

Maps and schedules will be handed out, but the most important rooms are noted here:

Tournament Registration, maps, schedules: In the Library at the south end of campus (see signs)

Tab, Judges’ Lounge, Ballot pickup: Library

Ballot turn-in: just inside the library doors

Students’ area: commons, located on east side of campus

Extemp Prep: will meet in room E-234. Additional rooms will be provided as needed

Awards: We anticipate that our performing art center will be completed, but will announce this at the tournament.

Bathrooms are located on all floors of all buildings

Elevators will be on for those with special needs

NOTE: Tab is restricted to tab personnel only. Should a coach, judge or competitor need to talk to tab, they should ask permission and a tab representative will come out to talk to them. Coaches and judges, please do not wander through tab to view results, and students should never be in tab. The judge lounge is restricted to judges, coaches, and tournament staff. No students please, unless they are there briefly to speak to a coach.

Awards

Our trophies are top-notch, and we spend a lot each year on them. It is our intent to provide the maximum awards possible, but this varies depending on numbers entered, collapses, etc. , so we may make modifications with consultation of a number of tab staff. In all cases we will attempt to balance between healthy competition and a rational means of assuring maximum recognition. In general, given normal numbers, awards will be as follows:

Individual Events: WHOMPIN’ BIG TROPHIES for 1^st in all open events, Trophies for top 3 in all divisions and events, Medallions for finalists as warranted. Duo teams get trophies for each member.

Debate: WHOMPIN’ BIG TROPHIES for 1^st in all open events, 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and/or T-3s in all divisions, all events. All winning members get awards in CX and PF. We do not offer speaker awards simply because they seem to either mirror top finish awards or be heavily influenced by one judge’s low score, and we’d rather put the money into better placement trophies.

Student Congress: WHOMPIN’ BIG TROPHIES for 1^st speaker in each house, regardless of novice/open status, 2^nd and 3rd of each house get speaker award trophies, top PO in each house receives PO award

SCHEDULE

Friday November 13^th

We have a reasonably loose schedule Friday night, so judges feel free to offer a few minutes of oral critique. This does not mean a half-hour of your brilliance, no matter how eloquent. Be aware that if you exceed a couple minutes, most of it is lost on competitors anyway and is a waste of your time, their time, and tournament time. It is far more valuable to everyone involved to give written pointers that coaches can read and a very brief reason for decision with two or three items to work on.

Registration 3:00 TO 3:45 p.m. Rd 1 Debate 3:45-5:30 Rd 2 Debate 5:30-7:15 Rd 3 Debate 7:30 until finished Congress: Session one 3:30-6:00 Break for food, fun, relaxation for 30 minutes Session two 6:30-9:00 p.m.

We won’t be set up to go until 3:00, so if you’re early you may want to wait in the Commons at the center of campus teams may leave as soon as they are finished, and we will try our best to get those travelling the greatest distance into flight A

Saturday November 14^th

NOTE: Saturday has a reasonably tight schedule, I am trying to keep it realistic, rather than run late as tournaments often do. Coaches and judges, you are largely responsible for keeping Saturday running on time. Start rounds on time, know where your competitors and judges are, get ballots back quickly, and no lengthy oral critiques in debate, please! If you want to offer lengthy oral critiques AND your competitors actually have the time and patience to listen and take notes, get us the ballot rights away with a decision and THEN give the critique, assuming your intended victims have not scampered away.

Registration for teams not doing debate Friday night will be @ 8:00-9:30 a.m. Saturday ( in library). You can insure that the tournament runs on time by registering early and limiting drops and adds.

Rd 4 Debate Rd 1 Speech Rd 2 Speech Rd 5 Debate Rd 3 Speech Rd 6 Debate (Hidden Finals) Speech Finals Awards

8:00-9:45 9:45-11:30 11:30-1:00 1:00-2:45 2:45-4:15 5:00-6:45 6:45-7:45 ASAP

Food will be available for purchase at 10:00 a.m. and will be available all day. We are known for providing excellent choices for students at a reasonable cost. For coaches and judges, food will be provided starting at 10:00 in the library.

Driving Directions:

From I-5 North or South travel to Everett and take the HWY 2 exit (exit 194), which will read Wenatchee/Snohomish. Head east approx 2.5 miles then bear right, staying on HWY 2 when highway separates. Continue south another 1.5 miles and take the Bickford Avenue exit into Snohomish. After 2.5 miles Bickford Avenue becomes Ave D. Continue along Avenue D for just over a mile. On your right you will see Snohomish High School. Cars and vans should turn right onto 7^th Street and park in either the staff lot on the left or continue a bit further to the student lot on the right. Buses should continue on Avenue D and turn right on 5^th Street to drop off right in front of the library and “B” building. Buses can be parked along 5^th Street.

Registration

All registration will be done through www.forensicstournament.net so please do not fax in entries.

We are trying to provide you with the best tournament experience possible, so please keep drops/adds, and judge no-shows to a minimum, as they are usually what cause a delay. The final deadline for registration, changes, and drops is November 9th at 5:00 p.m. and the registration site will close and lock entries at that point. No refunds for drops after that date. Extra fees for late adds will be collected at the tournament.

Registration:

Registration Fees. Make check or P.O. payable to Snohomish High School Debate

Registration fee $30.00 per team

Debate (CX, PF) and Duo Teams @ $15 per team $____________

Individual Events, LD & Congress @ $10 each event entered $____________

Total $____________

Any questions or concerns, please call Bill Nicolay at (360) 563-4190, home (425) 512-0779, or cell

(206) 595-5634. Or email at Williamnicolay@msn.com