Overview of a speech & debate tournament:
You will be given a good overview of the events and the judging process at the tournament during Judge Orientation. But here is a summary of the events that will take place:
Speech: Students deliver speeches in a variety of categories. Some are from topics of the student’s choosing, some require limited preparation such as addressing current affairs or popular culture, and others are interpretations of published literature.
Debate: Debates are structured arguments or discussion with timed speeches. Students must prove their side of the issue within a given time-frame and set of rules to guide the debate. Engaging discussion takes place as students cross-examine one another and a winner is determined based on the arguments presented.
Team Policy Debate: A two-on-two debate that focuses on a policy question for the duration of the academic year. This year’s resolution is:
Resolved: The United States Federal Government should substantially reform its energy policy.
Lincoln Douglas Debate: A one-on-one debate that centers on the weighing of values held by individuals, societies, and governments. Debaters develop arguments based upon a value's perspective. The resolution for this tournament will not be announced until Mid-March
Parliamentary Debate: A two-on-two debate designed to engage the audience with advanced debate and speaking skills. Lasting only 45 minutes, students receive a current issue topic 20 minutes before the round. They prepare arguments that reflect general and specific knowledge they have acquired throughout their education. A sample resolution could be:
This house believes that change is not progress.