Richmond Public Schools Inner District Invitational
2022 — Richmond, VA/US
Public Forum
Event Description:
Public Forum was added as a new debate event beginning the 2010-11 school year in order to offer a more accessibledebate format that is appealing to students and lay judges who have not found traditional debate formats useful to them.This appeal comes in the form of participants and audience members being able to understand the format without havingspecialized experience in debate or the fields being discussed. The hope is that Public Forum will build participation indebate, with the belief that once involved many students would participate in other debate events.
Public Forum Information for Judges
Public Forum is a team event that supports or rejects a position posed by the monthly resolution topic. The clash of ideasmust be communicated in a persuasive manner. The debate should:
—Display solid logic, lucid reasoning and depth of analysis
—Utilize evidence without being driven by it
—Present a clash of ideas by countering/refuting arguments of the opposing team (rebuttal)
—Communicate ideas with clarity, organization, eloquence and professional decorum
WHAT TO EXPECT
Crossfire – two previous speakers stand and ask questions in a polite, but argumentative exchange. Bothspeakers may question each other, however, the first question of the crossfire period is asked to the speaker whojust finished.
Summary – these speeches are rebuttals that extend earlier arguments or answer opposing refutations and mayincorporate new evidence but not new arguments.
Grand Crossfire – all four speakers may remain seated as they ask and answer questions. The first question isasked by the team that had the first summary to the team which had the last summary. After that, any debatermay question or answer.
Final Focus – this will be a restatement of why the judge should vote pro or con using the speaker’s mostcompelling arguments. No new arguments are accepted at this time.
EVALUATION
Judges should evaluate teams on the quality of arguments made, not on their own personal beliefs, and not on issuesthey think a particular side should have argued. Quality and well-explained arguments should win over mere quantitythereof. Debaters should use quoted evidence to support their claims, and well-chosen, relevant evidence maystrengthen, but not replace arguments.
Clear communication is an important consideration. Judges will discount arguments that are too fast, too garbled or toofull of technical terminology that is unable to be understood by an intelligent high school student or well-informed citizen.Speakers should appeal to the widest possible audience through sound reasoning, succinct organization, credibleevidence and clear delivery.
The pro should prove that the resolution is true, and the con should prove that the resolution is not true.Write constructive, thorough comments to each debater. Give reasons why you voted for one side and state what thelosing team needed to do to win.