The Deering High School Debate Team is pleased to invite you to a Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum and Congressional Debate Tournament on November 22, 2014.
Registration deadline: 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 19 via Tabroom.com.
Any questions, please contact Brian Dodge, Tournament Director, by email, phone, or text: [email protected], (c) 207-607-2524
Registration
Registration must be completed through Tabroom.com by 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 19.
Drops
Drops and changes will be accepted until Friday, November 21 at 5:00 p.m. Invoices will be prepared at that time. Late add requests are not encouraged and will be accepted only at the discretion of the tournament host. Saturday drops at registration will be assessed an additional charge of $10 per entry.
Call or text the MFA hotline (207-370-4632) Saturday morning once you are en route to the tournament to confirm your team and judge attendance. Drops communicated prior to arrival will be waived the $10 penalty.
Entry Fees
- $7.00 per entry (New schools $3.50)
- Teams (Duo and PF) are two entries ($14)
- Ensemble is $21 (max)
Entry fees will be capped at $140 per event or $210 per school entering multiple events.
Events
- LD: 3 levels, if numbers allow
- PF: 2 levels, if numbers allow
- Congressional Debate: Senate and House, as needed
Novice level is for students competing in their first year of high school forensics (i.e. first year competitors).
JV level is primarily for second-year competitors, but also first year competitors who have enjoyed success.
Varsity level is for competitors with more than one year of experience who wish to try a higher level of competition.
Debate Topics
LD November/December resolution
Resolved: The “right to be forgotten” from Internet searches ought to be a civil right.
PF November resolution
Resolved: On balance, the benefits of genetically modified foods outweigh the harms.
Congress
The docket will be posted no later than one week prior to the tournament.
Judge Requirements
Help the meet run smoothly and fairly by supplying your required, trained judges, including unaffiliated, in accordance with MFA rules.
Note judge conflicts or shadow needs in your judge registration. Email the tournament host for any complex judge situations. Remember a parent cannot judge the category in which their child is competing.
Fractional entries round up (i.e. three LD entries = 2 judges). Third, fifth, and seventh judge must be neutral for LD and PF.
- LD: one judge for every 2 LD entries
- PF: one judge for every 2 teams
- Congressional Debate: one judge for every 5 entries
Judges are expected to be available for ALL rounds of competition. Fines will be assessed for judges departing early unless cleared through TAB.
Hiring Judges
There will be a limited number of extra judges available for hire. Fees for purchasing judges will be $60 per judge.
Have all your judges finalized by 5:00 p.m. Friday, November 21. Submit requests to hire judges via Tabroom.com by Wednesday, November 19.
Timers
Please try to have judges bring some sort of timer/stopwatch. There are very few timers available for those who need them.
Food
Breakfast items, lunch and snacks will be on sale for students in the cafeteria. If students do not want to purchase food, they should bring lunch and snacks. Students should not leave the school.
Complimentary breakfast and lunch will be provided for coaches and judges.
Awards
Sweeps for Debate (LD, PF and Congressional): Top three places
Individual awards for first through third in each category, and honorable mention as determined by Tab.
Note that debate ties in record will be broken first by head to head, then strength of competition, and finally by speaker points.
Tabulation of awards follows standards adopted by MFA.
Schedule
8:00-8:30 Registration (arrive early, please)
8:45 Judges meeting in Judges’ Lounge; Student meeting in Cafeteria
9:00 Rounds begin following briefings
4:00 Awards (sooner if possible)
Student Lounge: Cafeteria. Students are asked to remain in the cafeteria when not in rounds.
Judges Lounge: Library. Up the stairs from check-in.
Tabulation Room: Room 217
Awards: Auditorium
Directions
Deering High School, 370 Stevens Ave, Portland, ME 04103
We look forward to having you all at our school.
Brian Dodge, Coach