2021 COUGAR CLASSIC AWARDS VIDEO

The 21st Annual Asheville High Cougar Classic is VIRTUAL this year!

Dear Forensic Colleagues:

On behalf of the Asheville High and SILSA Speech and Debate teams, it is my pleasure to invite you to the 21st annual Asheville High Cougar Classic Speech and Debate tournament to be held on Saturday, November 20th, 2021. 

This year's tournament will be virtual using the NSDA Campus platform. With no travel expenses this year, we'd especially like to invite schools from all across the country to join us.  On a typical in-person year, this tournament draws over 500 students from a 3-4 state area.  With our tournament going virtual again this year, we expect those numbers to greatly increase as we welcome teams from across the country.  So please register your team as soon as possible. 

All entries will initially be waitlisted.  Entries will be admitted off the waitlist as you meet your judge quota.  We have no judges available for hire.

All events at this virtual tournament will be synchronous. This includes Duo Interpretation. Duo partners will adhere to whatever distancing guidelines are in effect for them locally. They may perform together on one camera or on separate cameras. Judges will be instructed to not hold any local distancing or mask requirements against competitors. Duo contestants who are allowed by their school to compete side by side in-person should not be looked on more favorably than those who can't.

We respectfully ask that only coaches register teams for this tournament.  For liability purposes, we also require that a school faculty member or adult approved in writing by the school administration be 'virtually' present with the team and available online at all times during the tournament. 

Additionally, due to liability issues, we are not able to accept independent entries.   Each student must be representing an actual school by name and be registered by an official at that school.

Please note that we offer both JV and Varsity divisions in debate and congress. JV is defined as anyone in their first two years of competition in ANY speech and debate event.  All speech events will be OPEN except for Novice Reading, which is for those in their first year, and Declamation, which is for those in their first two years of experience.

On behalf of our team, our booster club, our parents, and our entire coaching staff, we extend to you a warm invitation to attend the 21st annual Cougar Classic!

Most sincerely,

Keith Pittman,  Director of Forensics | Head Coach

Asheville High School / SILSA Speech and Debate Team

Assistant Coaches:

Congressional Debate: Vern Lepa

Lincoln Douglas: Neil Clement, Kristy Decker

Public Forum: Jacob Kerber

Speech: Lori Hilliard