Welcome to the Spring 2025 Mars Pre-qualifier Invitational!

See link below for details:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1adlUf81fBYTk7MLWwdUvV8BvL-bH6wUV-qomY6aFu-A/edit?usp=drivesdk

MARS PRE-QUALIFIER INVITATIONAL 2025

REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION

FEES:

$6.00 per entry in speech, LD, and congress

$12.00 per team in Duo Interp, Parliamentary Debate, PFD, and Policy Debate

Entries, uploads, and judges for the tournament is due by Monday 2/10 at 5:00 pm.

Checks made payable to “Mars Area Activity Fund” with “Speech and Debate” in the memo line.

Attn: Kenneth Cloonan

Mars Area High School

520 Route 228 Mars, PA 16046

ENTRIES:

Registration in speech is open UNTIL an event has reached the max that we can hold in that event. At that point, the next entries will be put on a waiting list. Please note that the waiting list pays no attention to schools and the numbers of entries by any school. In other words, register early!

Because of space limitations, some categories may close before the registration deadline.

FORMAT:

There will be four rounds of competition and no final round in speech events.

There will be four rounds of debate.

JUDGES:

1 per 5 in speech, or fraction thereof

1 per 2 in debate, or fraction thereof

1 per 6 in Congress, or fraction thereof

Judges must be present for all rounds. If a judge leaves early without notifying the tab room and/or without providing a replacement, that school will be disqualified. Judges may be moved from one event to another if the tab staff feels that is necessary to move the tournament along!

EVENTS:

Speech

1. Prose -- PHSSL rules

2. Poetry -- PHSSL rules

3. ASYNC Declamation -- CFL rules

4. Humorous Interpretation -- PHSSL rules

5. Dramatic Interpretation -- PHSSL rules

6. Duo Interpretation -- PHSSL rules

7. Original Oratory – PHSSL rules

8. ASYNCInformative Speaking – PHSSL rules

9. Extemporaneous Speaking -- PHSSL rules

10. Impromptu -- PHSSL rules

11. ASYNC News Broadcasting -- PHSSL rules

12. ASYNC Storytelling -- PHSSL rules

The teams will read three-minute newscasts. In rounds I, II, III, and IV the scripts are prepared by the students covering current events of the time period from Sunday two (2) weeks prior to the tournament through Round I of the tournament.

Round I will focus on international news,
Round II will focus on the "lighter side" of the news
Round III will focus on national news.
For Round IV the teams will select a script from the previous three rounds.

Debate

1. Public Forum Debate PHSSL rules -- Jan-Feb topics

2. Lincoln-Douglas Debate PHSSL rules -- Jan-Feb topics

3. Parliamentary Debate -- PHSSL rules

Congress

Congressional Debate -- PHSSL rules

CONGRESS:

Congress legislation will come from the district congress bank. Please check the Tabroom website of this tournament. We hope to have it posted by Feb. 2.

SNACKS/LUNCH:

Snacks will be on sale throughout the day.

Orders for lunch must be placed in the morning before rounds begin.

Lunch includes pizza, a drink, and chips and sells for $6.00

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:

Registration - 7:30 to 8:15

Opening meetings - 8:30

Round 1 in all events - 8:45

Awards - 3:00

AWARDS:

Trophies will be presented to the top 6 award winners in each category. We may be doing sweepstakes.

DEADLINES: Feb. 10 @ 5p.m.

Registration can only be done at www.tabroom.com Create an account if you don’t already have one, then go to the list of tournaments and click on the Mars Pre-qualifier Tournament. You can then begin your registration.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Call or text the tabroom 412-376-3490 if there are any problems. If you know that you will be arriving late, please text in drops. We will begin round 1 as scheduled.

PLEASE USE THE BUS DROP OFF ENTRANCE TO THE FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE BUILDING. Buses can then park in the side lot beside the auditorium as needed.

WE ARE USING ONLINE BALLOTING FOR ALL EVENTS. Please be sure that your judges are linked to your school with a Tabroom account and that they bring a device on which they can input their ballots!!!