Welcome to the 2025 Gate City Invitational Tournament!

We look forward to seeing you at Pocatello High School November 1st and 2nd. Our tournament seeks to provide a low-cost ($6 per person in an entry), high quality experience for coaches, competitors, and judges.

Speech On Friday November 7th

This year, all IHSAA speech events will be offered except Panel Discussion. This includes HI, DI, POI, DUO, Sales, ADS, Extemp, Impromptu, OO, Info, CA, Retold, Radio. All offered speech events will be an open division, with three rounds and finals. Double entry is allowed, but no competitor may enter two draw events. As per tradition and as a way to encourage novice to compete in open speech, the top novice competitor in every speech event will be recognized as the "Top Novice." Students can also choose to enter in Friday World Schools Debate (open division) instead of Speech.

Friday November 7th Schedule

Speech Friday Schedule

Check in: 2:30pm-3:00pm

Opening Assembly (Cafeteria)-3:10pm

Judges Meeting (Library)-3:20pm

Speech Round 1: 4:00pm-5:30pm

Speech Round 2: 5:30-7:00pm (Draw at 5:15pm)

Speech Round 3: 7:00pm-8:30pm (Draw at 6:45pm)

World Schools Friday Schedule

WSD Round 1: 4:00pm-5:10pm (Standardized Testing Prepared Motion)

WSD Round 2: 5:10pm-6:20pm (Democracy Prepared Motion)

WSD Round 3 Prep/Debate: 6:20pm-8:30pm (Impromptu Topic)

Debate On Saturday November 8th

This year, we will be offering Novice, Junior Varsity, and Varsity divisions in LD and PF. World Schools Debate will be offered in Open and Novice Divisions on Saturday as well. The Debate portion of the tournament is a round robin competition--there will be five prelims, with awards going to all winning records (Bronze: 3-2, Silver: 4-1, Gold: 5-0). We will be offering an open division in Congressional Debate. Congress will have three general sessions. The top 8 in each chamber will receive awards, as will the top novice in each chamber. JV is defined as a student in their second year of competition and having competed at least twice before. Novice is anybody that is in their first year of competition OR is in their second year of competition but has only ever attended one tournament. (emailsmithj3@sd25.us for further inquiries regarding JV / novice competitor eligibility).

Saturday Schedule

PF/LD Debate Schedule (Saturday)

Check in: 8:15-8:30am

Debate Round 1: 8:45am-10:45am

Debate Round 2: 10:45am-12:45pm

Lunch: 12:45pm-1:10pm

Debate Round 3: 1:15pm-3:15pm

Debate Round 4: 3:15pm-5:15pm

Debate Round 5: 5:15pm-7:15pm

Awards: 7:45pm

World Schools Debate Schedule (Saturday)

Check in: 8:15-8:30am

World Schools Workshop: 8:45am-10:05am

Debate Round 1: 10:15am-11:30am (Prepared Worlds Topic #1: This House would eliminate standardized testing in schools.)

Debate Round 2: 11:30am-12:45pm (Prepared Worlds Topic #1: This House would eliminate standardized testing in schools.)

Lunch: 12:45pm-1:10pm

Debate Round 3: 1:15pm-330pm (Impromptu Worlds)

Debate Round 4: 3:30pm-5:45pm (Impromptu Worlds)

Debate Round 5: 5:45pm-7:00pm (Prepared Worlds Topic #2: This House prefers a direct democracy to a representative democracy.)

Awards: 7:45pm

Congress Schedule (Saturday)

Check in: 8:15-8:30am

Congress Session 1: 8:45am-12:15pm (Includes session 1 P.O. elections + Setting Docket for all three sessions)

Lunch (Congress): 12:15pm-12:40pm

Congress Session 2: 12:45pm-3:55pm (Includes session 2 P.O. elections)

Congress Session 3: 4:15pm-7:25pm (Includes session 3 P.O. elections)

Awards: 7:45pm

Sign up soon please as events may be dropped/combined if they don't get enough entries, and space in speech is extremely limited!

Topics

Debate Topics

Congress Docket: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AC8uZCibQCJApeX2AXW59Oqt9Y0TkxCG/view?usp=sharing

Open/Novice LD will use the Nov/Dec 2025 NSDA Topic: (TBA)

Open/Novice PF will use the Nov/Dec 2025 NSDA Topic: (TBA)

World Schools Debate Prepared Topic #1: This House would eliminate standardized testing in schools.

World Schools Debate Prepared Topic #2: This House prefers a direct democracy to a representative democracy.

Extemp Topic Areas

Round 1

United States-Environment & Energy

International-Central Asia & Eastern Asia (South & Southeast Asia)

Round 2

United States-Arts & Entertainment

International-South & Central America

Round 3

United States-The Judicial Branch

International-Sub Saharan Africa (Eastern, Middle, Southern, Western Africa)

Finals

United States-Science & Technology

International-Oceania

Impromptu Topic Categories

Round 1-Abstract Words

Round 2-Quotes

Round 3-Current Events

Round 4-One Word, One Quote, One Current Event

Judges

Obligations

Judges are essential for running our tournament. Schools MUST bring the required number of judges to this tournament, paying judge fines is not a replacement for fulfilling your judge obligations. Schools need to bring 1 judge for every 5 speech entries, 5 congress entries, 4 LD entries, 2 PF entries, and 2 WSD entries, or portion thereof.

Schools that show up without enough judges to meet their obligations will be required to drop entries until they are covered. No Exceptions.

Judge Certification

ALL Judges are required to have completed the relevant Level 1 Judging Accreditation Courses offered by the NSDA:
(Friday Judges) Level 1: Intro to Judging Speech - https://www.speechanddebate.org/learn/courses/level-1-intro-to-judging-speech/

(Saturday Judges) Level 1: Intro to Judging Debate - https://www.speechanddebate.org/learn/courses/intro-to-judging-debate/

(Saturday Judges) Level 1: Intro to Judging Congress - https://www.speechanddebate.org/learn/courses/intro-to-judging-congress/

(Friday AND/OR Saturday Judges) Level 1: Intro to Multicultural Competence - https://www.speechanddebate.org/learn/courses/level-1-intro-to-multicultural-competence/

Online Ballots

All judging/ballots will be done online at this tournament. That means all judges that are entered by a school must 1) have access to an electronic device that can connect to the internet and use the tabroom website 2) have a tabroom account that is linked to their judge profile and 3) be approved for online judging by the coach that is bringing them to the tournament.

Judges Lounge/Tabroom Food

The Judges Lounge and Tabroom will be provided with 3 meals, Dinner on Friday, and then Breakfast & Lunch on Saturday. Due to Saturdays early finish time for judges (7:15pm) we will not be providing dinner.

Host Notes

Location

325 N Arthur Ave, Pocatello, ID 83201

Maps

We will provide physical maps with team folders at the check-in table. Here is a Digital Copy https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DAIGQAwwec4EBBJGSiMZs9hvUaQAmWNV/view?usp=sharing

COVID Safety

Students, Coaches, Judges, etc. are encouraged but not be required to wear a mask if they are experiencing symptoms of and/or have been exposed to COVID-19 within two weeks of attending the tournament. Individuals that test positive within two weeks of the tournament SHOULD NOT attend and will have their fees waived if they are dropped after deadlines upon informing the tournament staff.

Concessions

Concessions will be offered, students and teams are encouraged to bring cash for various food, beverages, and snacks.

Sponsors

We'd like to give a HUGE thank you to the sponsors of our tournament this year for their generous contributions that make the competition possible.

Speech Events:

After Dinner Speaking-

Communication Analysis-

Dramatic Interpretation-

Duo Interpretation-

Extemporaneous Speaking-

Humorous Interpretation-

Impromptu Speaking-

Informative Speaking-

Original Oratory-

Program of Oral Interpretation-

Radio Broadcast Journalism-

Retold Story-

Sales Speaking-

Novice Lincoln Douglas-

JV Lincoln Douglas-

Varsity Lincoln Douglas-

Novice Public Forum-

JV Public Forum-

Varsity Public Forum-

Novice Policy Debate-

Varsity Policy Debate-

Open Congressional Debate-

World Schools Debate (2):