Information You Need to Know

INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. Student participation: This year students may enter THREE events, with the following caveat(s):  Do NOT enter the same student in two draw events, i.e. you may not enter the same student in both extemp divisions.  But, you may enter students in Impromptu and one extemp event.

VARSITY Sweepstakes:

Each coach will pick his/her 20 entries to be counted towards “Sweeps” Awards.  A single student may ONLY be counted twice towards Sweeps, even if he/she is entered in three events.

Debate and Congress results will NOT be factored into Sweepstakes results.

JR VARSITY Sweepstakes:

 JV Sweeps will be awarded to schools counting the top eight (8) entries. 

2. Extemp topics:  Topics will be written from current magazines and online news sources dated from December 1, 2017 to the present. These may include; Time, Newsweek, The Economist, and The New Republic. Laptops may be used in the Extemp draw room. We do not guarantee an outlet for you to use. It is first come first serve.

3. Impromptu topics: Topics will be drawn from the following categories.  Rounds 1-3, will feature “People in the News”, “Political Cartoons”, and “Pop Culture.”  In the final round, contestants will draw one of three fortune cookies.  Choose one, open it, and therein you will find your topic.

4. Time limits: Judges will be informed of time limits for individual events as posted below. There may or may not be a timekeeper for all rounds. If there are no timekeepers, judges will be the final arbiters of time infractions.  JV Divisions will follow the same time limits.

                               Event                                                        Max Time

                              Oration                                                            10

                              Informative                                                      7

                             Extemp                                                             7          [Draw: 30 minute prep]

                             Impromptu                                                       5          [Draw: 5 minute prep]

                             Dramatic and Humorous Interp                   10

                             Duo Interp                                                      10

                             Prose and Poetry Interp                                 7

5. Awards:  Awards will be presented to the top six finalists in each event. Sweepstakes awards will be presented to the top two schools. Points will be awarded to the “A” and “B” entries as follows:

5pts for a “1” rank

4pts for a “2” rank

3pts for a “3” rank

2pts for a “4” rank

1pt for all other ranks

6. Judging:  There should be plenty of judges and your students need to know that there may be panels in some rounds. However, if the weather gets weird or there is an epidemic of flu, you may need to plan on providing a couple of rounds of judging.  

7. Fees: $5.00/person/event. Schools will be required to pay for all entries including “extras” requested after the entry form has been submitted. This includes “extras” given on the day of the tournament.

8. Refunds:  Refunds will not be given for cancellations after 5:00 pm, Wednesday, January 31, 2018.

9. Performance Order Expectations:  Any student who does not perform within the time limits of the round as posted will not be allowed to perform or will receive the last rank in the round. This is at the discretion of the tournament director.

          THOSE CONTESTANTS ENTERING EXTEMP:  All extempers will be expected to perform in the order as posted.  They should then arrange to participate in        additional event(s) either before their scheduled “draw” time, or after their scheduled speaking time.

12. The WRHS forensics coaches reserve the right to resolve any problems and/or conflicts by whatever means they deem appropriate.

13. Finals: Final Results will be CUMULATIVE.

14. Additionally, there will be a 3-minute rapid-fire cross-examination period during finals in Extemporaneous Speaking. Speaker #6 will cross-examine speaker #1, speaker #1 will cross-examine speaker #2, etc.  Contestants will be assigned an order to perform. Be aware it may not be in the order of preliminary round placement.  (If required, every effort will be made to avoid a speaker cross-examining another speaker from his/her school.)  

15. Tab will be closed. Ballots will be made available ASAP in a classroom very near TAB.  Coaches will be given results access to their own squad’s results via Tabroom.com.