Sylvan Smackdown Middle School Tournament
2022 — NSDA Campus, OR/US
2022 Sylvan Smackdown
Saturday, March 12th
West Sylvan Middle School
You are invited to a speech and debate tournament on Saturday, March 12th from 9:00am - 4:00pm online through NSDA Campus hosted by the West Sylvan Speech and Debate Team. The goal of the tournament is to give middle school students the opportunity to compete in a welcoming and educational environment, as well as have fun!
Many of the judges will be provided by the Lincoln Speech and Debate Team, but we do ask for some student volunteers from each school to help judge the tournament to lessen the pressure on Lincoln and to create more variety in the judging pool. Please sign up your high school judges on Tabroom. If your team isn’t connected to a highschool program and thus you can’t get judges that is ok, please let us know and we can resolve this issue fairly easily.
We will offer two debate forms in Pattern A (Public Forum and Parliamentary Debate) and four individual events in Pattern B (impromptu, oratory, radio, and interpretive reading). Please register your teams here by March 7th. As this tournament is through Tabroom and NSDA campus, every student needs a verified Tabroom account. If there are any issues with that, please email us.
WSMS Mini Tentative Schedule:
Awards as soon after the end of Pattern B
Pattern A - Debate Events - Public Forum, Parliamentary Debate
Pattern B - Individual Events - Oratory, Interpretive reading, Impromptu, Radio
Events:
The events are based on high school events with reduced times and students may use note cards, papers or electronic notes but there will be no access to the Internet information or prepping during a round. A student may participate in one debate form and up to two speech events.
Public Forum Debate:
This event will consist of two-person teams, although in the case of an odd number of students at a school interested in the event exceptions will be made for a team of three.
Topic: Resolved: The United States federal government should ban the use of military drones.
Time:
1st Proposition Speaker - 3 min
1st Opposition Speaker - 3 min
Crossfire - 2 min
2nd Proposition Speaker - 3 min
2nd Opposition Speaker - 3 min
Crossfire - 2 min
Common Prep Time - 1 min
1st Proposition Speaker - 2 min
1st Opposition Speaker- 2 min
*Teams can take 2 min prep time in between rounds
Parliamentary Debate
This event will consist of two-person teams, although in the case of an odd number of students at a school interested in the event exceptions will be made for a team of three. Teams will be assigned a side on postings. The proposition will get 3 topics and they will cross one and opposition will cross one. Then, the teams prepare their cases in 10 minutes with personal team communications. During the debate, the opponent can stand/raise hand to ask a question after the first 30 seconds but before the last 30 seconds. Questioning and/or new arguments in the rebuttals are not allowed.
Times:
1st Proposition Speaker - 3 min
1st Opposition Speaker - 4 min
2nd Proposition Speaker - 4 min
2nd Opposition Speaker - 4 min
1st Opposition Speaker - 2 min
1st Proposition Speaker - 3 min
Impromptu:
Student is given three prompts, the student chooses one, prepares for one minute and then speaks for 3 minutes. Grace period of 30 seconds with no minimum time limit.
Interpretive Reading:
The student introduces a theme and then, from a binder, presents a poem, prose, or a mixture to exhibit that theme. 4 minutes with a grace period of 30 seconds with no minimum time limit.
Oratory:
Students present a prepared informative or persuasive speech about a topic of their choice. Five minutes with a grace period of 30 seconds with no minimum time limit.
Radio Commentary
Students present a speech of original news/event/situation commentary dealing with current events of the current school year facing away from the judge and sitting down. Students are not required to memorize the speech but rather encouraged to present as if broadcasting. 2:45 - 3:15 minutes with no grace period.
There will be no fee associated with this event thanks to support from volunteers and Lincoln Speech & Debate Team. We hope this will be a lot of fun and we hope you will join us.
For general questions and comments, please email:
For tab questions or issues, please email:
Thank you,
West Sylvan Middle School Speech & Debate Club
Lincoln Speech and Debate Team