The Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation is proud to announce a new debate tournament specifically for Idaho high school students. Mark your calendars for the Calvin Coolidge Constitution Day Idaho Invitational, a one-day tournament to be held on Saturday, September 17 at the Wood River High School in Hailey, Idaho. The topic is free speech and the specific resolution is “Resolved: Congress should repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.”
The tournament is open to all Idaho-based high school students. Student debaters from all schools, leagues, and formats are invited. Prizes include $1,000 for 1st place; $600 for 2nd place; and $400 for 3rd place. The top 5 students will each receive an invitation to the 2023 Coolidge Cup. Tournament registration is free, and lunch is provided. Assistance with housing is available if needed. To inquire about housing assistance, please contact Joan Boren (joanboren@gmail.com).
Tournament details are below:
Date: Saturday, September 17, 2022
Time: All day (about 8:30am to 6:00pm)
Format: 1v1 Coolidge Debate Format
Location: Wood River High School Community Campus
1250 Fox Acres Dr, Hailey, ID 83333
(For morning arrival, join us in the theater)
Eligible: All Idaho-based high school students grades 9-12
Cost: Registration is free
Register: Register below by Monday, September 12 at 11:59pm ET
Attire: Business Professional
Schedule: Schedule for the Day
Seminar: On Tuesday, September 13th, we held a topic seminar
via Zoom with former Congressman and Section 230 co-author
Chris Cox. Here is the link to the recording.
Password is q98.m1Ao
Resolution
The resolution for this tournament is “Resolved: Congress should repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.”
Research Brief
The research brief for this tournament is available for download here. The purpose of the brief is to help you get started on your case preparation. You are welcome and encouraged to use the brief as a starting point and build upon it by doing your own research and case-writing. You are not limited to the arguments and sources in the brief.
Tournament Structure
This is a one-day tournament. We will have four preliminary rounds, and then the top two students will compete in a championship round (which will take place in the auditorium, and to which all students, parents, and judges are invited to come and watch). For preliminary rounds, competitors will be paired randomly for round one, and power-paired thereafter. 1st prize is $1,000; 2nd prize is $600; 3rd prize is $400. The top 5 students will each receive an invitation to the 2023 Coolidge Cup.
Format and Style
Students will compete in the Coolidge 1v1 Debate Format. This is the same format that is used at the Coolidge Cup. If you are new to debating in this format, we highly recommend you review our Debate Guide, which provides information about this particular format, style, and rules.
Invitations to the Coolidge Cup
This tournament is a qualifier for the 2023 Coolidge Cup, which will be held in July 2023. The Coolidge Cup is a national invitational speech and debate tournament sponsored by the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation. It is held in President Coolidge’s historic hometown of Plymouth, Vermont, and takes place each year during the week of the Fourth of July. More than $15,000 in scholarship prize money is awarded to the top finishers. Learn more about the Coolidge Cup.
Questions
If you have any questions about the tournament, the Coolidge Cup, or about judging, please contact Coolidge Foundation Debate Director Jared Rhoads (jrhoads@coolidgefoundation.org).
Registration
Registration for this tournament is now closed.