General information

This is the site to register for the Big Bronx novice tournament that will be held on Sunday, October 18, 2020.  Schools are eligible to register at this tournament regardless of whether they are participating at the main Big Bronx tournament.

The tournament will have novice Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum and Policy.  Policy will have two division:  Open and Packet.  The Packet Division will be limited to debating the materials included in the NDCA packet only which may be found here: NDCA Novice Packet

To the extent there is interest, we would be willing to run a Beginner division - first time participants in debate. We'll address that when we see the numbers.

Platform

We will use the NSDA Campus platform.  All participants must have an account on tabroom.com.

Eligibility

Novice is open to all high school students in their absolute first season (2020-21) of debate competition.  Eligibility rules of the main tournament are applicable to this tournament.  To highlight, each student entering the tournament must represent such student's currently enrolled high school.  In Policy and Public Forum debates, a valid entry is comprised of two students both of whom are currently enrolled at the same high school.  Each school must enter all of its students under one school entry and the account must be the official school account which has the adult moderator listed as the contact.  The listed contact must be an adult, i.e., over 21 years of age.  No independent or student-created entries or anonymous team accounts will be accepted.

Topics

Public Forum -- Resolved: The United States federal government should enact the Medicare-For-All Act of 2019.

Lincoln-Douglas (Novice Topic) -- Resolved: Civil disobedience in a democracy is morally justified.

Policy -- Resolved: The United States federal government should enact substantial criminal justice reform in the United States in one or more of the following: forensic science, policing, sentencing.

Schedule

Confirmation registration will end on Sunday at 9:00 am.  Round 1 pairings will be released at 9:30 am with a start time at 10:00 am, all NY time. 

Format

All divisions will be 3 rounds.  Public Forum and Lincoln-Douglas will be double-flighted.  Prep time is as follows: 5 minutes PF and LD, 10 minutes CX.

Judging

Any student that is a high school junior or senior with over 200 NSDA points may judge.  Adults may judge.

Public Forum: 1 judge for 3 entries

Lincoln-Douglas: 1 judge for 3 entries

Policy: 1 judge for 2 entries

Fees

$5 per participant (LD: $5 per entry/CX & PF $10 per entry).  No penalties for drops.  Only checks and credit cards will be accepted.  NO CASH.

Checks should be made to The Bronx High School Alumni Foundation, Inc. Please write Big Bronx in the memo line.  Mail to: Bronx Science Alumni Foundation, 75 Bronx Science Boulevard, Bronx, New York 10468.  Final invoices are available only on tabroom.com

Credit Card payment, click here: Credit Card Payment 

Awards

Participants receiving awards will be announced at the end of the tournament.  Actual awards will be provided at a later date.