Northern Lights District Qualifier

for the 2024 National Tournament

Congress Information

2023 Northern Lights NSDA Congress Qualifier

November 17 - University of Minnesota Twin Cities West Bank Campus

November 18 - Robbinsdale Cooper HS

Greetings Congress Coaches,

On behalf of the Northern Lights District Committee, it is my pleasure to invite you and your team to the 2023 NSDA Northern Lights District Qualifier in Congressional Debate, held in person on the campus of the U of M Twin Cities (West Bank) on Friday, November 17 and at Robbinsdale Cooper HS on Saturday, November 18. Please use the ‘register’ tab at http://northernlights.tabroom.com to complete your registration.

Please note the following important details:

1. Registration: We are using Tabroom.com as our online host for the NL District Tournament Series. Registration will open on Oct. 10 at http://northernlights.tabroom.com. Remember that all entries must be submitted no later than Friday, November 10 at 8pm.

2. Chapter Dues/Membership Requirements: You will not be able to register on Tabroom.com unless your school has paid its annual chapter dues to the NSDA. Please take care of this promptly so that you have no difficulties in entering. In addition, all students must be on record as members of the NSDA seven days prior to the tournament. These two items are non-negotiable as they are dictated by the national office. Please let me know ASAP if you need help with this.

3. Legislation: Each school that attends the Northern Lights MN Congress Tournament may submit up to three pieces of legislation. One should be marked “primary” to reserve for the final round. The legislation should be emailed to allison.harmer@isd728.org by 3:00pm on Wednesday, November 1. Legislation will be sent to schools and posted to our tabroom site by Friday, November 3, allowing students about two weeks to research and prepare. The order of the docket will be determined by the entries in each chamber. All legislation marked “primary” will be reserved for the final round.

4. Judges: Each school is required to bring ONE judge who can serve for the duration of the tournament. If you have trouble with this, please let me know! Additionally, if your judge is “clean” (i.e. can judge your students), please add that information in the judge notes. Otherwise, coaches or regular, experienced judges are ideal for this.

5. Schedule: All districts requiring more than one preliminary chamber MUST hold a final session. Based on anticipated entry numbers, we expect two preliminary rounds and a final round in the House and three preliminary rounds (no final) in the Senate. Our tentative schedule is as follows:

Friday, Nov. 17:

Registration/Check-in: 9:00-9:30 am

Preliminary Session I: 10:00 am-12:30 pm

Dinner Break: 12:30-1:15 pm

Preliminary Session II: 1:30-4:00 pm

Saturday, Nov. 18:

House Finals/Senate Preliminary Session III: 9:00-11:30 am

Awards: 12:15 pm or sooner

6. Fees: In addition to paying your NSDA annual membership fee, please bring a check made to Northern Lights to cover your entry fees (or a PO if your school is slow in processing checks). There is a $25 school fee and each entry is $12.00. Fees are frozen on Nov. 10 at 8pm. If your school mails checks, please address letters to me:

Moorhead High School

Attn. Andrew Tichy

2300 4th Ave. S.

Moorhead, MN 56560

7. Qualifiers: In the House, an equal number of students from each preliminary chamber will advance to the final round (if applicable). If there are fewer than 30 students, the top two will qualify. If there are 30+ students, the top four will qualify. In the Senate, regardless of entry numbers, the top two students will advance to Nationals. At minimum, six schools and ten students must be represented in the Senate for that chamber to be seated.

8. Rule Changes: A reminder of a rule change that went into effect last year: preset, randomized recency will be used in every round. Tabroom software will generate this list. Precedence/recency will reset after each round. Direct questioning will also be used in every round. More information can be found starting on page 86 of the NSDA Rules Manual.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing you in person at the U of M Twin Cities and Robbinsdale Cooper High School in November!

Thank you,

Andrew Tichy

Northern Lights District Chair