Entries, Events, and Awards

STUDENT CONGRESS & DEBATE

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 2021

POLICY DEBATE

Varsity and Novice divisions will follow the two-person, 8-3-5 format and will debate the current high school national resolution.  Prep time will be 8 minutes per team per round.  Each division will feature four rounds, powered after Round 2.  Both divisions will break to Semifinals if numbers allow.

BALDWIN-X DEBATE* & PUBLIC FORUM

All divisions will follow their customary time formats using the January PF topic and the January-February LD topic. Each division will feature five rounds, powered after round two, and will break to Quarterfinals or Octofinals (if time and entries allow). 

*This year, we have decided to change the name of what has traditionally been known as "Lincoln-Douglas Debate" to "Baldwin-X Debate." The reason for this is that the text and topics covered in the Lincoln-Douglas debates that the event was originally named after did not present a model of debate that we believe we is representative of what this community should seek to embody. They included personal attacks and defense of white supremacy by both debaters. Instead, we are choosing to name our division after the James Baldwin-Malcolm X debates over the use of nonviolence and violence in response to the political oppression of Black people in America. The topics covered in these debates continue to be relevant to the world today. Thus, we feel that they better represent the vision of what this activity should be.

CONGRESS

We will have at least 2 varsity house and will break the top entries to a finals session if we have enough entries. We will use the Nebraska state docket with the order to be posted by mid-December (best guess is around 12/16). If you are from an out-of-state school that is planning to attend and would like your legislation included in out docket, please email your selection to jholen@lps.org no later than January 7. We will use direct questioning in all sessions.

Please note, we will be trying two things this year:

1. We will be piloting rules for length of debate over each bill. Specifically, no more than 8 speeches will be allowed per bill. This is to help avoid rehash and ensure more authorship speeches.

2. We will use committees for amendments. Each school will send one representative to the committee prior to session 1. During this time, votes will be taken on whether to hear amendments. Amendments that do not pass this process will not be heard.

ON-LINE ENTRY

Entries are due on tabroom.com by January 12, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. Changes after that time can be emailed to jholen@lps.org.

Internet Policy

 We will be using the NSDA's internet rule meaning open internet is allowed during round.

A Note on Novice Entries 

Any entries in a novice division must be a competitor (for team events, BOTH competitors on the team) who are in their first year of debate competition. This means if the student has earned ANY NSDA points prior to August of this year, they are NOT a novice. If you believe an exception should be made, please contact the tournament director and we will consider them on a case-by-case basis. Students who violate this rule without permission will be removed from the competition.    

FEES

CX and PF    $25.00/team

LD                   $25.00/entry

Congress     $15.00/entry

JUDGES

You must provide one judge for every two LD, PF, or CX entry (or part thereof). The cost of hired judges will be $150.00 per policy judge, $100.00 for LD and PF judges, and $10/uncovered Congress slots.  We would rather have your judges than your money!

AWARDS

Sweepstakes banners will be presented to the top two schools in total points. We will also be continuing our tradition of awarding a small-entry sweeps trophy for the top team with 8 or fewer entries. Awards will be awarded to all debaters advancing to elimination rounds, with speaker awards given to the top 6 in each division. In Congress, awards will be presented to the top speakers in the varsity finals house and the top novice representatives, with medals awarded to the remainder of the nominees.  Outstanding Presiding Officers will receive recognition as well.

This year, our awards will feature prominent Nebraskan civil rights leaders: Standing Bear, Malcolm X, Susette and Susan La Flesche, and Ernie Chambers.