Pine Tree High School

Jolly Roger

TFA Invitational Qualifying Tournament

February 1, 2025

PHYSICAL Address: 900 Northwest Dr., Longview, TX 75604

School:903-295-5031, Email: mwitt@ptisd.org & cdickson@ptisd.org

We cordially invite you to join us in Longview for a fun last-chance tournament! We are excited to offer TFA qualifying events, UIL events, and NSDA Big Questions Debate as well as great food, and a festive atmosphere!

We take pride in running organized tournaments that run on schedule and offer students quality competition and feedback in addition to another opportunity to earn experience and qualifying state points. We are offering the following events:

CX Debate

TFA LD Debate

UIL LD Debate

Congress

US Extemp

International Extemp

UIL Informative Extemp

UIL Persuasive Extemp

Original Oratory

NSDA Informative Speaking

Humorou

Dramatic

Duo Interpretation

Program of Oral Interp

UIL Prose

UIL Poetry

Impromptu

Declamation

NSDA Big Questions Debate

All TFA events will follow TFA rules; scripts for interp and prepared speaking events must be available to the tournament directors in the event of a protest. TFA rules can be found athttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1EsJ0R8pIIATiVgWXpHE9nEyTcEiCTJY9/edit#heading=h.gjdgxs

- Declamation - 7 minute performance of a published speech using a performance binder (like prose/poetry); 30-second grace-period; script must be available to the tournament director in the event of a protest.

- UIL Prose/Poetry - 7 minutes with no grace period, reader’s choice, no documentation requirements but scripts must be available to the tournament director in the event of a protest.

- UIL Informative & Persuasive Extemp - 7 minutes with no grace period; we will NOT enforce the no internet rule to reduce confusion with TFA extemp events.

- Impromptu - 2 minutes prep; 5 minutes to speak with 30-second grace period.

- NSDA Big Questions Debate - see information here: https://www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/BigQuestionsDebate-JudgeTraining_2023-11-03.pdf

REGISTRATION: Please register all entries through TABROOM: http://pinetreejollyroger.tabroom.com/. Any questions about registration may be directed to Melissa Witt at mwitt@ptisd.org or Christopher Dickson at cdickson@ptisd.org.

DEADLINES:

Registration Opens October 1

New entries due January 28, 2025

Judge Registration due January 28, 2025

Fees & Judging Obligations freeze January 28, 2025

Drops and name changes due January 31, 5:00 PM

Drops after January 31, 5:00 PM will incur loss of entry fees

Drops on February 1, 7:30 AM will incur drop fees

JUDGING OBLIGATIONS:

Debate, 1 judge for every 4 LD/BQ contestants or 2 CX teams, or part thereof.

Individual Events & Congress, 1 judge for every 8 participants or part thereof. We prefer judges over fees .

MINIMUM - speech/debate team coaches MUST serve as judges.

ENTRY FEES: Please mail payment to: Pine Tree High School UIL, ℅ Lee Branson, PO Box 5878, Longview, TX 75604

CX Entries: $30 per team

LD Entries: $20

Big Questions Entries: $10

Duet/Duo - $20 per team

All other Speech Events: $10

NOTE: All entries will be waitlisted in order to offer opportunities for all interested schools to attend. As entrants are removed from the waitlist, coaches will be notified.

CROSS ENTRIES: It is the responsibility of the competitor to get to rounds on time. Restrictions on cross entries are asfollows:

• Students in Debate events (including Congress) may cross enter in Big Questions Debate, those who advance to debate (including Congress) elimination rounds will be dropped from BQ in the tabroom

• Students entered in only Pattern A events may enter Big Questions Debate, those advancing to Finals will be dropped from Big Questions in the tabroom.

• Students entered in only IEs may enter 2 events in Pattern A and 2 Events in Pattern B

AWARDS:

1. Awards will be provided for all placings earning TFA points

2. Sweepstakes formula will mirror the UIL point system: 1st - 15, 2nd 12, 3rd 10, 4th 8, 5th 6, 6th 4

TOPICS

CONGRESS: We will use the Spring 2024 TFA Docket

Prelims Order - 5, 7, 13, 19, 1

Finals Order - 17, 2, 10, 8, 11

CX DEBATE: Resolved: The United States federal government should significantly strengthen its protection of

domestic intellectual property rights in copyrights, patents, and/or trademarks.

TFA LD DEBATE: RESOLVED: The United States ought to become party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and/or the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

UIL LD DEBATE: UIL Spring 2025 Topic

Big Questions Debate: Resolved: Creativity is a more powerful force than intelligence.

US Extemp:

• Round 1 - Healthcare

• Round 2 - Politics

• Semis 3 - US Foreign Policy

• Finals - Economy

International Extemp:

• Round 1: Asia & Oceana

• Round 2: Europe & Middle East

• Round 3: Latin America & Canada

• Finals: Africa & Global Organizations

Impromptu:

• Round 1: Wind beneath our Wings (inspirational quotations)

• Round 2: We’ve Gone Country (country song titles)

• Semis: Out of this World (science fiction quotations)

• Finals: Red, White, & Blue (Patriotic quotations)

HOSPITALITY: Everyone loves our hospitality. We provide a full breakfast and lunch to sponsors and bus drivers with snacks and drinks offered throughout the day.

CONCESSIONS: Concessions will be offered, and schools may order ahead of time. Local restaurants include Little Caesar, Pizza Hut, and Domino’s. Please see the concessions menu.

PARKING: Map and parking directions will be posted closer to tournament date.

RESULTS: Results for our tournament will be published on Tabroom.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Individual Events

Pattern A: USX, FX, Poetry, Dramatic, Oratory, Impromptu, Duo

Pattern B: PX, IX, Prose, Humorous, POI, Declamation, Prepared Informative, Duet

7:30 am - Registration

8:00 am - TFA Extemp Draw

8:30 am - Round 1 Pattern A

10:00 am - TFA Extemp Draw

10:30 am - Round 2/Semis Pattern A

1:00 pm -UIL Extemp Draw

1:30 pm - Round 1 Pattern B

3:00 pm - UIL Extemp Draw

3:30 pm - Round 2/Semis Pattern B

5:30 pm - Extemp Draw

6:00 pm - Finals - Pattern A

7:00 pm - Extemp Draw

7:30 pm - Finals Pattern B

Debate Events**

8:00 am - Round 1

9:30 am - Round 2

10:00 am - Congress Prelims (until 12:30)

11:30 am - Round 3

1:30 pm - Elims 1; Big Questions 1

2:30 pm - Big Questions 2

3:30 pm - Elims 2; Big Questions 3

4:30 pm - Big Questions 4

5:30 pm - Elims 3 (as needed); Congress Finals

** Elimination rounds of Debate will be accelerated when possible; Big Questions Debate will offer 4 rounds to all entrants.