General Information

Please join us on Friday, October 9, 2026 at your Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Oregon for a one-day student Congress tournament. Applications are open and are due by 4pm September 13th. Students will be notified no later than September 18, 2026 if they are selected to attend. If you are selected to attend, there are no entry fees for this tournament courtesy of the Oregon State Capitol Foundation and Oregon House of Representatives Office of the Chief Clerk.

Schedule*:

• 9:00 - 9:45am: Arrive at the Capitol
• 9:45 - 10:00am: Caucus
• 10:00 - 10:15am: Opening remarks
• 10:15 - 12:15pm: Round 1
• 12:15 - 1:15pm: Lunch (provided and free to all students and chaperones courtesy of Oregon State Capitol Foundation)
• 1:15 - 3:15pm: Round 2
• 3:30 - 4:00pm: Awards ceremony

*Student attendees will be able to receive a tour of the building prior to the event start, during lunch, or following the event. Chaperones will be able to receive a tour throughout the event. The tournament is named after sitting Representative Susan McLain, who spent more than four decades as a teacher, coach, tournament director and leader in the Oregon speech and debate community. In 2022, she was inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations National High School Hall of Fame in the Performing Arts category - one of the nation's highest lifetime achievement awards in high school activities. She was the first Oregonian in speech and debate to receive the honor.