Red Rock Classic

2020 — NSDA Campus, UT/US

• Invite
• Entries
• Judges
• Pairings
• Live Updates
• Results

Character Congress

Event Description:

Character Congress Docket (List of Bills/Resolutions to debate in each round) Legislation (Each Bill/Resolution in Full)

This speech event combines the argumentation skills of congressional debate with character acting techniques celebrated in our interp events.

Before rounds begin: Two pieces of legislation are selected for each round and posted online 2-3 weeks before tournament.

On Thursday, coaches receive name plaques. These plaques will have the characters’ names and pictures. Coaches will receive more plaques than students entered in the event, so that each student should have 2-3 choices of what character they will portray. Students may decide to act as one character for all three rounds OR take on a different character (from their choices) each round.

Coaches may give plaques to students on Thursday to encourage students to prepare for their delivery and even adapt arguments according to their character.

During round:

Students may print and bring character name plaque they have selected. They may write their student code on it as well for the convenience of judges.

Students elect a chair; this should take no longer than 5 minutes. The chair presides over the round, keeping track of time and speaking order.

Students run a session just like Congressional Debate for one hour focused on the two bills pre-selected for that round. Please make sure to end approximately an hour and five minutes after the rounds has started to ensure everyone has a break in between rounds.

Judge should evaluate students on argumentation, organization, and the student’s ability to deliver as the character.

For Reference, from NSDA Congressional Debate Ballot:

CRITERIA: ORIGINALITY OF THOUGHT (extent to which speech advances debate or merely repeats previously stated ideas; whether speaker refutes opposing arguments); ORGANIZATION AND UNITY (while speeches that respond to other arguments advanced in the session are often spontaneous and extemporaneous, the speaker should attempt cohesiveness); EVIDENCE AND LOGIC (cites credible sources and warrants claims accordingly); DELIVERY (extemporaneous vs. reading a manuscript, seriousness of purpose, style and poise). How well the speaker ANSWERS QUESTIONS for each speech should be considered.

TIMES: 3 minute speeches. Questioning after first Aff and Neg speeches are 2 minutes. After that, all questioning periods are 1 minute.