MSPDP Schedule & Information

MSPDP

Our MSPDP tournament is open to all schools who participate in the MSPDP program.

Topics:

Rounds 1 & 2 - Resolved: California should adopt universal preschool.

Rounds 3 & 4 - Resolved: Public K-12 schools should not have regularly-assigned school resources officers (police officers) on campus.

Special Events & Opportunities

These topics will correspond to the public debate we host immediately following the MSPDP tournament. Our World Schools division (which will have had a tournament on Saturday and Sunday) will also have featured Team USA debaters using similar topics. If you are interested in learning about debating for Team USA, we’d encourage you to attend our tournament on Saturday and Sunday and stay for the Public Debate on Monday, which will take place immediately following the MSPDP tournament. If you come during any of these times, you’ll have the opportunity to meet Team USA debaters and coaches. See information from last year’s event at hwdebate.org/mlk

If you have former MSPDP debaters who are interested in competing in debate in high school, but LD and Policy aren't for them, they should consider participating in our World Schools Debate tournament, which are the Saturday and Sunday before this event. Participating in World Schools will give them a chance to try out for Team USA and represent our country at the World Championships. It is a very similar 3-on-3 parliamentary format. The speeches are a bit longer, but it is the same basic skill set. Please email me if you are interested or have any questions. mbietz@hw.com.

Prep Time:
1. Per MSPDP guidelines, electronic devices (i.e tablets and laptops) are now allowed during prep time.  Cases do not need to be printed.

2. Teams will prep for both Rounds 1 & 2 BEFORE round 1

Format & Entry:

We will use the standard MSPDP format of 5 minute constructives and a 4 minute rebuttal.

Each school will be allowed to enter 4 teams. Please enter any additional teams onto the waiting list. In Mid November we will begin letting teams off of the waiting list. Teams will be allowed to debate and earn wins as teams of two. However, since the activity is a 3-person activity, awards will be limited to teams with three members who participate in all rounds. We find that sometimes teams take advantage of the loophole of allowing 2-person teams because it might be strategic to keep a weaker (3rd) person off a team. All debaters will still be eligible for speaker awards.

Entry Fees: $25.00 to cover the cost of the food for the team.

Judge Requirement: Schools must bring 1 judge available to actually judge (not be trained) in every round, for every two teams.

Here is a grid to help:

1 team - 1 judge available every round

2 teams - 1 judge available every round

3 teams - 2 judges available every round

4 teams - 2 judges available every round

5 teams - 3 judges available every round

… and so on.

Tentative Schedule

8:00am - Coaches should arrive to let us know their entire teams are there and to confirm judges. At this point we will also give schools their assigned rooms.

8:40am - Announce the topic/pairing for the first two rounds.

9:00am - Round 1

10:30am - release pairing for Round 2

10:50am - Round 2

12:00pm - Lunch

12:40pm - Announce the topic/pairing for the second two rounds

1:00pm - Round 3

2:15pm - release pairing for Round 4

2:30pm - Round 4

4:00pm - Awards

5:00pm - Public Debate Event Featuring Team USA & Guest judges. See information from last year’s event at hwdebate.org/mlk