KESDA Junior General Information

GENERAL INFORMATION

ENTRIES: A school may enter as many entries in each event as desired.  A student may enter no more than two events in each flight. Each student may enter a maximum of 4 events plus either Group Interp or Student Congress. SEE THE KESDA HANDBOOK (www.kesda.xyz) FOR COMPLETE RULES FOR ALL EVENTS.

Student Congress: We feel it would be best practice to have two judges in Congress if numbers permit.  Therefore, we ask that coaches should familiarize themselves with the event. 

FEES:  $7.00 per entry.  $14.00 per Duo Acting and Improvisational Pairs.  $7.00 per student in each group interpretation team.

JUDGES:  Schools must supply one judge for every 6 entries or portion thereof.  There will be a $5.00 judge fee per uncovered entry.  For example, if the entry form contains 35 entries and you have 4 judges, your school is covering 24 entries with your judges.  Therefore, your school would have 11 uncovered entries. (35-24=11)  Since the fee is $5.00 per uncovered entry, your school's fee would be $55.00.  Duet Acting and Improvisational Pairs count once in terms of computing the number of judges needed and twice for entry fees.

New on the judge front this year: In order to eliminate some of the judging problems of the past, KESDA requires a $100 judge bond to be submitted as a separate check at registration.  Providing there are not problems with a team’s judges, the check will be returned at the end of the tournament.  Problematic behavior includes, but is not limited to: not showing up for rounds or showing up consistently late, switching judges, not complying with event rules.

Stand-by Judges:  All judges must check in for their rounds on time, and all judges must be on stand-by until all sections have been covered. Please note that a judge will not be considered a "no show" if they are held up in a round that is running late.

Coaches must fill out the judge training certification sheet and submit it at registration.  Reminder:  Please take care to insure that all judges and chaperones at KESDA have passed background checks. 

AWARDS:  Awards will be presented to 1st-6th in individual events. First-Sixth Place schools will be recognized for Sweepstakes.  A school’s top three entries in each event will count toward sweepstakes.  However, all students are eligible for individual awards.

NOVICE FINAL ROUND: We will be holding at least one final round for non-advancing novices in interp this year.  Most likely, it will be comprised of three students each from prose and poetry.  If numbers are good, we will have a prepared speech final for novices as well.  Please note that this round will not count toward sweepstakes.  In order to insure that all novices are eligible coaches must indicate who their novices are on Tabroom before the start of the tournament. 

TRITHON AWARD: To compete in Trithon, students must enter one event in each of the following areas:

Original Prepared Speaking: Public Speaking, Student Congress (***in order for it to count, student must give at least one speech during the competition), Declamation 

Interpretation: Prose, Poetry, Solo, Duet Acting, Storytelling, Interp of Lit., Group Interp

Limited Prep: Broadcasting, Extemp, Improvisational Pairs, Impromptu, Student Congress

DEADLINE:    Deadline for entries is Thursday, February 27th at 5:00 p.m.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Since the prelim rounds of the Tournament will be held in motel rooms, schools traveling to Lexington will stay in the Clarion.  We have received a special rate of $95 per room.  (Be sure to bring your tax-exempt certificate to save the state tax. You will, however, be charged a 10.07% local occupancy tax.)  The hotel is a beautiful facility with large rooms and warm southern hospitality.  If you wish to come in on Wednesday, or stay over on Saturday, you may do so at the same rate.  Make your reservations as soon as possible and send a rooming list to the hotel.  Students cannot be reassigned to different rooms from those indicated on the rooming list. The deadline for your rooming list reaching the hotel is February 12.  Reservations made after this date will be subject to the prevailing hotel rates at the time of the request and are subject to availability.

Your completed rooming list can be scanned to Savannah Miller in Reservation at clgs@bluegrasshotels.com. Lists can also be faxed to (859) 469-6448.  If you have questions please call (859) 233-0512 Ext. 299.

If cancellation of an individual room becomes necessary, to avoid forfeiture of any deposits paid or payment of penalties, the hotel must receive notification by 4:00 p.m. on the day of arrival. 

Hotel check-in time is after 4:00 and check-out time is prior to 11:00 a.m.  The Clarion will make every effort to accommodate requests for early check-in or late check-out, however they cannot guarantee either. 

COMPETITION ROOMS:  Because we use sleeping rooms during part of the tournament, all teams (with the exception of those in Fayette County) must stay at the Clarion. Every competitor must be listed on a rooming list booked at the KESDA rate.  We are sorry if this causes inconvenience, but in the interest of fairness, we need all teams contributing rooms for competition.  Individual exemption requests must be presented to the tournament directors, not the hotel. 

If you have team parents who do not wish their rooms to be used for competition, they must make their own separate arrangements without any mention of KESDA.  They will be offered the walk-in room rate; those rooms will not be eligible for the KESDA discounted rate.  Make sure parents understand that if they book a room through your school using the KESDA rate, their room is open to use for competition. 

SAFE ROOMS: Each school will have a minimum of one "safe room,” provided five rooms are reserved. Safe rooms will not be used for competition so that you can keep valuables in there or simply use this room as a gathering spot for your students between rounds.  In the event that a school uses less than five rooms, we will attempt to have at least one of your rooms designated a safe room, but this may not be possible.  The safe room(s) must be indicated on the rooming list and the people sleeping in that room(s) cannot be changed after check-in.

IDENTIFICATION:  Due to security concerns at the hotel and for easy identification of tournament participants by KESDA and hotel personnel, ALL tournament participants (contestants, coaches, judges, and chaperones) will be issued a KESDA nametag.  This identification is to be worn at all times during the Tournament. Contestants will not be allowed to compete without the identification being displayed.  This id will allow the student entrance to the dance.  Replacement ids cost $5.00 each.

MEALS:  The hotel offers a free hot breakfast.  For other meals, the hotel restaurant is open, and several places offer delivery to the Clarion.

No type of cooking (aside from use of the provided microwave oven) is permitted in the hotel rooms.  Cooking in rooms violates both hotel policy and the fire code. 

CELL PHONES:  Cell phones may be used as timers.  However, no person in a room besides the judge may have a cell phone or electronic device during competition.

CHAPERONES AT THE DANCE: We ask that each school provide a minimum of two chaperones at the dance.  Chaperones will be stationed at every entrance to the Ballroom for the dance.  They will check to make sure that all dance participants have proper identification, mingle throughout the Ballroom, and monitor the outside doors as well.  Please advise your students that if they are not at the dance, they must be in the pool area or in their rooms with adult supervision.  Chaperones will meet 10 minutes before the beginning of the dance.

BANQUET:  There will be an awards banquet on Saturday night.  The cost will be approximately $14 per person.  Formal dress is not required.  We do want to point out, however, that the majority of students embrace the occasion as a chance to dress up.

TAB ROOM STAFF:  As usual, the KESDA board members will be manning the tab room. We do have an open tabroom, however, and we would like each coach to feel welcome.  We pride ourselves on running an efficient tournament, so we can use your help.  It provides an excellent opportunity for coaches to get to know one another and share invaluable information.  There are an awful lot of years of experience in that room!

MANUSCRIPTS DUE: Manuscripts of original speeches must be submitted via email as attached Word Documents up to March 5. The cover page with signatures must be submitted in hardcopy form at registration.

For your protection, you should also have original manuscripts of ALL scripts with you at the tournament in case a question of authenticity arises.

DROPS:  Drops after 5:00 pm, February 27th will result in a drop fee of $10.00 per drop in individual events.  Student drops after Wednesday, March 4 at 4:00 p.m. will be assessed a $25 charge per drop.  Judges dropped after that time will be assessed a $50.00 drop fee unless a substitute judge is provided. Schools will be charged a $5.00 per change nuisance fee if any name changes/substitutions are made after March 4 at 4 pm.

STUDENT CONGRESS: Student may not double during the time slot for Group Interp, The Ad Game, and Congress.  In order to be able to run Congress, each team who has entries in Congress must bring people who are able to judge the event.  Please designate Congress judges on your entry. 

Students are invited to write their own legislation.  It must be submitted to the directors for review by February 13th.