53rd Annual Franklin R. Shirley Classic at Wake Forest University – 2013 Tournament Invitation

Intercollegiate policy debate programs are invited to enter two teams in the 2012 Franklin R. Shirley Classic, November 15-18, 2013, hosted by Wake Forest University. Schools may enter more than two teams subject to the conditions listed below.

FEATURED THIS YEAR (see relevant sections below for details):

1) New Hotel: The tournament hotel will be the Hawthorne Inn & Conference Center (www.hawthorneinn.com) located at 420 High St SW, Winston-Salem, NC  27101, ‎(336) 777-3000. We have secured a rate of $89.00 for a double double, and $129.00 for a double suite (room for more than four people). To make a reservation, please use the group code: 26K5Q4

The Hawthorne Inn is conveniently located near downtown Winston-Salem which should provide more food options.  They are also owned by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, and have hospital/university grade internet in which we have a high level of confidence.

2) Mutual Preference Experiment: The details for this will be posted separately.

3) Survivor’s Party: Rather than using university funds to pay for alcohol, we plan to pay for food and karaoke for a new era of the Survivors Party. There will be a cash bar available for anyone over 21. We hope everyone will stay through finals and come and enjoy a fun time together.

SAME AS BEFORE:

1) Friendly and efficient.

2) Entry process and qualifications.

3) Hospitality.

4) Scouting.

5) We will be providing lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. For breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, we will provide slow pour coffee, Krispy Kremes, oatmeal, yogurt, fresh fruit, and granola bars. The hotel also includes hot breakfast for those who would like it.

ENTRIES:

Entries of two teams per school will be accepted until 5pm EST on October 8, 2013 on a first come, first served basis until we have reached our 138 team limit (this limit is necessary due to classroom and other facility limitations). After October 8th, schools will not be guaranteed a slot for their first or second teams. Please register your first and second teams as soon as possible.

Schools may apply for more teams by adding them to the waitlist subject to the following:

As space permits, we will take additional teams, up to a total of four teams per school, as long as ALL THREE OR FOUR teams have cleared to elims in TWO varsity tournaments this fall. If both debaters on the team EITHER cleared twice this fall OR qualified for the NDT in the past OR reached elimination rounds at CEDA Nationals in the past, the team is considered to have met the "cleared twice" requirement. No fourth team from a school will be accepted until all eligible third teams from other schools have been accepted.

Waivers of the entry rules may be granted at the discretion of the WFU coaching staff.

WAITLIST PROCEDURE:

In an effort to help programs make effective travel arrangements we have moved up the two team entry to the Tuesday after Kentucky. At 5pm on Tuesday October 8, 2013 we will let our first wave of qualified teams off the waitlist. We will then proceed with letting teams off the waitlist every Tuesday after that as space permits. In order to ensure that your first two teams are accepted, squads must enter them before 5pm on October 8, 2013.  When you have a team on the waitlist that is qualified, please e-mail us at debate@wfu.edu so that we can be sure to consider them in the earliest possible round of waitlist removals.

If you need to drop a team from the tournament, we ask that you do so as soon as possible to give time for a waitlisted team to make travel arrangements.

Drop Fee: Due to our catering obligations, there is a $50.00 drop fee for any team that drops after November 8, 2013.

JUDGING:

Each school must provide 4 rounds of prelim judging for each of their first two teams and 5 rounds of judging for each additional team.

The tournament reserves the right to approve a school's hired judge not part of their staff/alumni network.  Our aim is to ensure that all hired judges have collegiate CEDA/NDT experience judging and/or debating at the Varsity level.

All coaches must make themselves available to judge at least 1 preliminary debate and will be on the pref sheet.  Anyone wishing to apply for an exemption to this rule should simply notify the tournament 1 week prior.  Possible reasons for exemption include: health, family-care, unique travel situations, etc.

Prelim rounds must be decided within two hours and thirty minutes of the posted start time of the debate. The tab room will flip a coin to determine the winner when the judge cannot decide in time.

Elim rounds must be decided within two hours and forty five minutes of the posted/announced start time of the debate. The tab room will flip a coin to determine the winner when the judge(s) cannot decide in time.

Judges must vote for one and only one team in each debate and must assign speaker points and ranks in prelim rounds.

Fifteen minutes will be allocated to post round discussion of the decision, but we must ask that the post-round cease 15 minutes after the decision deadline so debaters can move on to their next debate with adequate and fair time.

SPEAKER POINTS:

A 30 point scale with tenths, no ties will be used.

CASELIST and SCOUTING:

Participating teams and schools are expected to contribute to http://opencaselist.paperlessdebate.com/ and should provide their most recent affirmative and negative information by the Tuesday before the tournament at latest. Teams and schools should cooperate with Wake Forest students and staff assigned to gather material.

AUDIO and VIDEO RECORDING:

All rounds (defined as the speeches and judge critiques) are open to the public and may be electronically recorded.

TABULATION and PAIRING STUFF:

We will use an ordinal MPJ system run on STA. We intend to conduct an experiment regarding MPJ. Details and discussion to take place on CEDA Forums and the NDT/CEDA traditions FB page. Rounds one and two preset. Top 32 teams clear on basis of adjusted points, opp wins, total points, twice adjusted points, ranks, random number. Brackets broken in elims. Side equalization procedure used for elims.

Topic: the 2013-2014 CEDA resolution,

Time limits: 9-3-6,

Judges should post their judge philosophy at tabroom.com,

Judges should be sure all conflicts of interest are noted at tabroom.com,

Judge obligation is through octafinals or one round beyond the elimination of your school's team(s), whichever is later.

Looking forward to hosting you all in November,

Len Neighbors Tournament Director on behalf of the entire Wake Forest Debate Team

FEES:

Tournament fees are $75.00 per person (debaters, coaches, judges, scouts).

Drop fees are $50.00 per team dropped after 5:00 PM on Wednesday, 11/7/2012.

HOSPITALITY:

Coffee, doughnuts, yogurt, and fruit for breakfast under the tent. Lunch & dinner on Saturday and Sunday. Coach of the Year award Friday night, plus the usual Survivors Party™ on Monday night after the conclusion of the final round.

CONDUCT:

All participants debate at the invitation of Wake Forest University according to its tournament rules as well as any rules of their sponsoring institutions. We abide by all rules and norms of CEDA and the AFA, including but not limited to CEDA's sexual harassment policy.