Revolutionary Rhetoric
2025 — Williamsburg, VA/US
Revolutionary Rhetoric
Virginia’s Speech & Debate Tournament
Sponsored by HuntonAndrewsKurth, LLP & The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Hosted by the College of William & Mary and The Richmond Forum
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, welcome dinner on Friday night, lunch on Saturday and Sunday, optional ghost tour):
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!)
§ 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 29
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
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 Setting the stage event, dinner, optional ghost tour
Saturday, November 8
8:30 - 9 am Judges/staff meeting
8:30 am Students arrive at the competition spaces
9 am - 12 pm Student Congress Session 1
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
1 pm Extemp Draw
1:30 pm Speech Round 2A
1:30 – 4:30 pm Student Congress Session 2
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
Sunday, November 9
8 am LD/PF Debate Round 5
8 am Policy Round 4
8 am Extemp Draw
8 am Congress Session 3
8:30 am Speech Round 3A
10 am Speech Round 3B
10 am LD/PF Debate Round 6
10:15 am Policy Round 5
11:30 am - 1 pm Lunch in between rounds @ W&M Dining Hall
Noon Congress Elim 1
12:30 pm Extemp Draw
12:30 pm LD/PF Elim 1
1 pm Policy Elim 1
1 pm Semi-finals A
2 pm LD/PF Elim 2
2:30 pm Semi-finals B
3:15 pm Congress Elim 2
3:15 pm LD/PF Elim 3
3:15 pm Policy Elim 2
4 pm Extemp Draw
4:30 pm LD/PF Elim 4 (if needed)
4:30 pm Finals A
5:30 pm Policy Elim 3 (if needed)
5:45 pm LD/PF Elim 5 (if needed)
6 pm Finals B
8 pm (or ASAP) Awards
Contact
Sandra Wheeler, sandra@richmondforum.org
Deano Pape, deanopape@gmail.com