2013 Cal Debate Tournament (College)

Dear Colleagues,

The University of California, Berkeley and Cal State University, Chico are pleased to announce the 10th Annual Cal Debate Tournament to be held on the Berkeley campus on January 12-14, 2013. The tournament will offer six preliminary rounds of team topic debate as well as appropriate elimination rounds in open, junior and novice divisions. The preliminary rounds will be held on the main Berkeley campus with the elimination rounds held at the tournament hotel. The tournament hotel this year is the same facility as last year, the Walnut Creek Marriott. This hotel has offered us the rate of $89 per night with free parking and free internet. Attendees may make their reservations by calling (925) 934-2000 or (800) 828-5613 and identifying themselves with University of California Forensics. The cutoff date for the event is December 21 and it is possible our block will be full before then. It is about 15-20 minutes from our campus and is located near BART and downtown Walnut Creek which is a shopping and dining destination.

For general info about the hotel go to

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/oakwc-walnut-creek-marriott/

We are pleased to be able to host this tournament at Berkeley. We think that lots of our friends from across the nation will enjoy the opportunity to visit out beautiful campus and enjoy everything the Bay Area has to offer.

If you have any additional questions please let us know.

Sincerely,

Jonah Feldman

Director of Debate, UC Berkeley

Sue Peterson

Director of Speech and Debate at CSU Chico

Transportation: I strongly urge those flying to use Oakland International. It is much closer to campus, much easier to navigate and often much cheaper as it is served by discount carriers Southwest and JetBlue. You will need to rent a vehicle if you are flying. The tournament will not provide an evidence shuttle or any other form of transportation.

Parking: Parking is free at the hotel but not on campus on Saturday.  There are a series of parking lots available near campus on Bancroft, the easiest one is the MLK student union parking lot, which is past telegraph on the campus side of Bancroft.  Street parking is free on Sunday’s.

Hospitality: We will offer a continental breakfast each morning on campus and will also provide lunch on both days of the tournament as well.

Campus Policies: The Berkeley Campus is a smoke-free campus. There is no

smoking in ANY building on campus. PLEASE abide by this policy so that we

may continue to use these facilities in subsequent years. The Berkeley

campus is also a drug and alcohol free campus.

Entry Information: Online entry is required at tabroom.com 

Procedures: Brackets will not be broken in elimination rounds and sides in elims will be determined by a coin flip between the opponents unless they met in the preliminary rounds. Hybrids will be allowed, but mavericks will not.  Our tournament supports and adheres to the CEDA Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy.

Divisions: We will use the joint CEDA-NDT policy topic. We will offer Open

(any undergraduate meeting AFA eligibility requirements), Junior Varsity (any

undergraduate in their first or second year of intercollegiate debate or any

student that meets the CEDA definition of a JV debater), and Novice (any undergraduate in their first year of debate that meets the CEDA definition of a novice debater). We reserve the right to collapse divisions if entries warrant. In the Varsity division we will clear all 4-2 teams under the following conditions: should entries warrant, we will clear to a full double-octo final (assuming we have 64 entries in the division). Absent that a partial double-octo-final round will be held ONLY if it would involve 8 teams or 4 debates. In the event that fewer than 4 partial debates would occur, we will cut 4-2’s on points and other tie-breakers and will recognize teams not advancing at the awards ceremony.

Time Limits: The time limits will be 9-3-6 with 10 minutes prep.

Fees: Fees will be $50 per person attending the event. This includes competitors, coaches and observers.

Judging: Each school is expected to provide three rounds of judging for every team they bring. Each judge will be obligated through the octafinals or one round beyond the elimination of their team. We will use preference/strike sheets for prelims and elims. All  judges are expected to render a decision within 2 hours and 45 minutes of the start time of the debate. Failure to do so will result in the tournament deciding the outcome of the debate with a coin toss. Each judge must designate one, and only one, team as the winner of the debate. Points may be awarded on the 30 point scale using tenth points. All judges are obligated through the octafinals of varsity or one round beyond the elimination of your team.

Questions: If you need to get in touch with me, please email

Email:jonahfeldman@berkeley.edu

Schedule of Events

Friday January 11th

7-9 PM Registration: Marriott

Saturday January 12th

7:00 AM Late registration on campus in Dwinelle Hall: Pairings released on

campus and at Marriott: continental breakfast on campus

8:00 AM Round 1

11:00 AM Round 2

1:00 PM Lunch (provided on campus)

2:30 PM Round 3

6:00 PM Round 4 

Sunday January 13th 

7:30 AM Round 5 pairings released on campus and at Marriott: continental breakfast on campus

8:30 AM Round 5

11:00 Lunch (on campus)

12:00 PM Round 6

3:30 PM Awards Ceremony

4:15 PM First Elimination Round in all divisions

Monday January 14th  

7:00 AM Pairings for elimination rounds released at Marriott

8:00 AM Varsity Octafinals at Marriott

11:00 AM Subsequent varsity elimination rounds and initial novice and JV elims