Update 3/15/2018:

Please enter the campus from Allston, near the corner of Milvia, through the "A" Gate. The other entrances will not be open.

Please remind your judges to have tabroom.com accounts set up, and to bring devices for entering e-ballots.

Here is a link to the form for equity complaints:

https://goo.gl/forms/lTq1yxxFzRHDArCA2

Wifi: Student D
       GoJackets!

See you Saturday!

Update 3/8/2018:

Registration will start at 7:50 in the Library.

We have moved up the judge registration date by one day, to March 14, to ensure that we have enough time to find additional judges if not enough are registered.

We have also added a link on the right to the sign up form for challenge rounds.

The list of tiebreakers for determining the finalists is posted on the right. 

We are encouraging e-ballots, so please make sure your judges are linked to tabroom accounts, and that they bring devices to use.

Like last year, the judges' room will be in the library. Prep will be in the cafeteria.

We are looking forward to hosting you on March 17!

------------------------------------------

Dear Coaches and Competitors,

Berkeley High Speech and Debate is delighted to invite you to our Second Annual High School Parliamentary Debate Tournament on Saturday, March 17, 2018.  

Location

Berkeley High School is conveniently located at 1980 Allston Way, Berkeley, one block from the Downtown Berkeley BART station and many bus lines.  As a token gesture in the face of a federal government that denies climate change, we offer a $5 discount on entry fees for any team that arrives via public transit.

Please leave extra time to find parking. The nearest parking garage is at 2061 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704.

Please use the entrance at Allston, near Milvia.

Format

This one-day parli tournament will offer 5 single-flighted prelims, breaking to finals, in both Open and Novice Divisions.  (Both members of a novice team must be in their first year competing in any debate event.)  

Internet prep is allowed. Wifi should be available, but is not guaranteed to work at all times. Debaters may receive assistance only from their partners, and not from other debaters or coaches.  During rounds, debaters may use only handwritten materials prepared during prep time, and may use anything as a timer.

Challenge Rounds

Simultaneous with finals, we will offer challenge rounds (round pairings by mutual request of the teams), which will not count for purposes of awards. Depending on room availability, there may be a cap on the number of challenge rounds. First come, first served.  After there is agreement between two teams that they will debate each other, and both teams are registered, sign up here. https://goo.gl/forms/B3z43fINZXykRyIS2

Judges

One judge covers two teams.  Judging fees are $100 per uncovered entry.    

Registration

Register on Tabroom.  No school fee.  The entry fee is $50/team for Novice and $60/team for Open.  Adds and drops should be made by March 9, 2017 at 5 pm; after that, drops are non-refundable. There will be a nuisance fee of $25 for changes (other than names) after March 9, and for any changes within 24 hours of the tournament. Nuisance fees do not apply to challenge match requests, but last-minute requests may not be accommodated. 

Checks should be payable to Berkeley High Speech and Debate.

We are initially limiting each school to 7 open teams and 7 novice teams.  

Topic Committee

The topic committee will include Emma Barton (BHS coach and Cal parli debater), Artem Raskin (coach, Washington High School), Henry Weikel (Debate Society of Berkeley BP President, 2016-17), and tournament director Joel Jacobs. The tournament will include policy, fact, and value topics.

Food

We will provide breakfast and lunch to judges and coaches.  Pizza will be sold at the tournament.

Ballots

Paper ballots will be distributed. Judges may use e-ballots if they wish, but will still need to pick up a paper ballot for tracking purposes.

Independent and Hybrid Entries

All entries should be registered under the name of the school they attend.  If that is not possible, please contact the tournament director to discuss the circumstances. At a minimum, exceptions will require an additional release form for each affected student.

Independent entries may not be used to avoid per-school entry caps. 

While the tournament will make reasonable efforts to avoid judge conflicts, independent and hybrid entries present unusual challenges. As a result, the burden of avoiding conflicts will be on the judges and competitors involved. Judges must note all conflicts in Tabroom. A common club affiliation (e.g., the judge is a coach, or parent of a student, in the same club program as one or more debaters in a round) is a conflict. The burden is on the judge and affiliated team to notify the tournament of the conflict. Failure to do so will result in a forfeit for the affiliated team.

Additional requirements for independent and hybrid entries may be announced in advance of the tournament. The tournament welcomes input from the community about how to handle this issue in a way that is fair to everyone.

Information

Topics, schedule updates, and other announcements during the tournament will be made through the Facebook page Berkeley High School Parli Invitational 2018. Please check regularly, as the schedule may be moved up as the day progresses.

Feel free to email us at bhsdeb8@gmail.com with questions and comments.

Equity

 We are committed to running a fair tournament, and to taking steps to address bias based on gender, race, sexual orientation, school affiliation, or membership in any other group.  Judith Barish will be the designated equity officer, and will field complaints about bias. Judith is a BHS parent and former policy debater. She will also be co-director of judging at the tournament.

In addition, there is a form for raising concerns, and this can be done anonymously:

https://goo.gl/forms/lTq1yxxFzRHDArCA2

Any concerns about any aspect of the tournament can also be directed to the tournament director, before, during, or after the tournament.

 Thank you,

Joel Jacobs (Tournament Director) and Berkeley High Speech and Debate