Colonial Williamsburg Revolutionary Rhetoric
2025 — Williamsburg, VA/US
Main
Revolutionary Rhetoric
Virginia’s Speech & Debate Tournament
November 7-9, 2025
The American Revolution was inspired by discussions and debates that took place in Colonial Williamsburg 250 years ago. The memories of those formative times remain alive today to inspire new generations and encourage new debates about how best to strive for a more perfect union. This tournament hosts promising high school students to debate as our founders did, fulfilling our promise that the future will learn from the past.
The Richmond Forum, Colonial Williamsburg, the College of William & Mary, and Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP are delighted to invite you to the second annual Revolutionary Rhetoric Tournament. Founded in the spirit of historic debates, the tournament will place equal emphasis on speech events.
All preliminary rounds of the tournament except for Student Congress will be held at the College of William & Mary. Elimination rounds and finals will take place in historic Colonial Williamsburg.
Logistics & important information
· Entry fees** (inclusive of Colonial Williamsburg admission, lunch on Saturday and Sunday, optional ghost tour, dinner buffet at awards banquet):
o Debate: $50 per single entry, $70 per team
o Speech: $50 per single entry, $70 per duo
o Congress: $50 per entry
· Hotel room blocks have been reserved at the following Colonial Williamsburg properties:
o The Woodlands Inn & Suites (limited quantity!) SOLD OUT!
§ Two doubles
§ King with sofa bed
o The Williamsburg Lodge
§ Two doubles
§ One king
· Noncompetitors and non-judge meal package cost
o $25
· Judges burden:
o Speech 1:5
o Debate 1:2
**Meals will be provided for all judges
· Deadlines
o Registration deadline is October 24
Competition Events – All NSDA rules
Events are required to have 12 or more entries to be included
· Debate
o Student Congress (Flagship event)
o Lincoln Douglas Debate
o Public Forum Debate
o Policy Debate (will follow modified schedule dependent upon number of entries)
· Speech
o Duo Interpretation
o Extemporaneous Speaking
o Humorous Interpretation
o Impromptu Speaking
o Serious Interpretation
o Informative Speaking
o Prose Interpretation
o Original Oratory
o Poetry Interpretation
o Program Oral Interpretation
o Storytelling
Extemp Topics
-
Economic Policy and Inequality
-
Education and Youth Issues
-
Public Health and Safety
-
Media, Information, and Public Discourse
Proposed Schedule (subject to change)
Friday, November 7
2:00 - 4:00 pm Arrival of speech students, check in to hotel, tournament registration
4:00 – 8:00 pm Optional ghost tour(s)
Saturday, November 8
8:30 - 9 am Judges/staff meeting
8:30 am Students arrive at the competition spaces
9 am - 11:30 pm Student Congress Session 1 (Committees)
9 am LD/PF Debate Round 1
9 am Policy Round 1
9 am Extemp Draw
9:30 am Speech Round 1A
11 am Speech Round 1B
11 am LD/PF Debate Round 2
11:15 am Policy Round 2
12 - 2 pm Lunch in between rounds @ W&M Dining Hall
12:30 pm– 3:00 pm Student Congress Session 2 (Preliminary chambers first session)
1 pm Extemp Draw
1:30 pm Speech Round 2A
1:30 pm LD/PF Debate Round 3
2 pm Policy Round 3
3 pm Speech Round 2B
3:30 pm LD/PF Debate Round 4
3:30 pm - 6:00 pm Student Congress Session 3 (Preliminary chambers second session)
Sunday, November 9
8 am Extemp Draw
8:30 am LD/PF Debate Round 5
9:00 am Congress Session 4 (Final chamber first session)
8:30 am Speech Round 3A
10:00 am Speech Round 3B
9:45 am LD/PF Debate Round 6
11:00am Extemp Draw
11:15 am LD/PF Elim 1 (Quarter-Finals)
11:30am IMP, OO, EXT, POE Finals
Lunch @W&M Dining Hall (after Debate Quarters)
*All competitors, coaches, judges, must leave Miller Hall by 1:00pm
12:30 pm Congress Session 5 (Final chamber second session)
2:00 pm LD/PF Semi-Finals @ Colonial Williamsburg Capitol Building (500 E Duke of Gloucester Street)
3:15 pm LD/PF Finals @ Colonial Williamsburg Capital Building (500 E Duke of Gloucester Street)
5:30 pm Awards & Buffet Dinner @ The Williamsburg Lodge (310 South England Street)
Contact
Sandra Wheeler, sandra@richmondforum.org
Deano Pape, deanopape@gmail.com