Event Descriptions

EVENT DESCRIPTIONS

DEBATE INFORMATION: 

Team debate will use the 2014-2015 resolution.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its non-military exploration and/or development of the Earth's oceans.

Time limits for team debate are 8-3-5 with 8 minutes of preparation per debate team.  For debate, elimination rounds will begin with octafinals or quarterfinals as entry size warrants. 

L-D debate will use the 2014 NSDA September/October Resolution:

Resolved: A just society ought to presume consent for organ procurement from the deceased.Please note that due to community consensus, we will offer 1 resolution for Open and Novice

Time limits for LD are 6-3-7-3-4-6-3, with 3 minutes of preparation time per debater. For debate, elimination rounds will begin with octafinals or quarterfinals as entry size warrants. 

Parliamentary Debate (Parli)- There will be a variety of fact, value, and policy resolutions offered throughout the tournament  that will be mass announced in the designated PARLI PREP room.  After the mass announcement, students will have 20 minutes to develop their stances and then be expected to be in their designated competition rooms at the start of competition time.  

Prime Minister Constructive: 7 minutes / Leader of Opposition Constructive: 7 minutes /

Member of Government Constructive: 7 minutes, /  Member of Opposition Constructive: 7 minutes /

Leader of Opposition Rebuttal (must be given by 1^st opposition): 5 minutes /        

Prime Minister Rebuttal (must be given by 1^st  proposition): 5 minutes

NO ADDITIONAL PREP IS ALLOWED DURING THE ROUND. 

Evidence: (Please see the rules above).

Public Forum (PoFo) 2014 NSDA  Spetember/October Public Forum  

Resolved: On balance, public subsidies for professional athletic organizations in the United States benefit their local communities.

Time Limits/speaking times for public forum are: Speaker 1 (Team A, 1st speaker ) 4 min., Speaker 2 (Team B, 1st speaker) 4 min., Crossfire (between speakers 1 & 2) 3 min., Speaker 3 (Team A, 2nd speaker ) 4 min., Speaker 4 (Team B, 2nd speaker ) 4 min., Crossfire (between speakers 3 & 4) 3 min., Speaker 1 Summary 2 min., Speaker 2 Summary 2 min., Grand Crossfire (all speakers) 3 min., Speaker 3 Final Focus 2 min., Speaker 4 Final Focus 2 min.   Each team may use up to two minutes of prep time.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DO NOT BREAK BRACKETS AT THE TOURNAMENT.

PATTERN A EVENTS:

STUDENT CONGRESS (PATTERN A): CONGRESS TOPICS WILL BE RELEASED ON OCTOBER 1^st ON TABROOM. Student Congress will follow a modified version of Parliamentary procedure based on NFL and CHSSA rules. All interpretations of procedure made by the chair of each session are considered final. Sessions will last 80-90 minutes. Students will present 3 minute speeches of proponency or opponency, followed by one minute of cross-examination. The time period should allow most, if not all students, to speak. Due to the dynamic nature of this event, we cannot guarantee that each student will have an opportunity to speak.  Priority slips will be used to determine speaking order and priority. One set of priority slips is issued per competitor for the 3 preliminary rounds. Lost or misplaced priority slips will not be replaced!

In addition, we will be offering a Presiding Officer (PO) contest.  Competitors will enter EITHER Student Congress OR the PO contest, not both.  Presiding Officers will conduct proceedings in rounds (in the event of more PO contestants than houses, they will share a house and split the round time between them).  After the final preliminary round, Congress participants will rank order the PO contestants, whom they witnessed, with the highest ranks moving on to subsequent elimination rounds.  PO Competitors must have sufficient knowledge of congress round and parliamentary proceeding; therefore the PO contest is Varsity only – no novice entrants will be accepted.  Note that the presence of a PO competitor counts toward the school’s requirement for bringing a PO.

All schools that have Congress entries are REQUIRED to submit AT LEAST one person to serve as a Presiding Officer.  Judges must be at least two years out of competition and should have some Congress experience OR should read the P.O. information provided at the tournament.

Due to room requirements for this unique event, student congress entries will be limited to a maximum of 120 competitors in each division, even if school entry limitations have not been met.  If you would like to place any students on a list to fill in dropped slots, please e-mail at CSUFdebate.gmail.com  

EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING (PATTERN A): The general topic area will be national and international affairs for the preceding 90 days.  We will feature one round of the “Best of 2014 (up to our tournament date, of course).” Each speaker will draw three topics 30 minutes before s/he is to speak and select one for the topic of the speech. Preparation must be completed without the aid of coaches or other contestants, though the use of magazines, newspapers, or other published research resources is permitted. Notes are allowed but not encouraged in open division. Notes are permitted in novice division. There is a 7 minute maximum speech time.

INFORMATIVE SPEAKING (PATTERN A): Any appropriate subject may be used, but the primary purpose of the speech must be to inform, explain, demonstrate, or impart knowledge about an idea, concept, process, or procedure.  Visual aids may be used insofar as they contribute to the overall goal of the speech. No costumes may be worn, but items of dress necessary to the presentation may be added during the speech. All informative speeches must be the original work of the student and must have been prepared during the current school year. Speeches used in previous years will be disqualified. A typewritten or clearly handwritten manuscript of the speech must be available on request from the Tournament Director. No notes or manuscripts are allowed in open division. Notes may be used in novice division. There is a 10 minute maximum.

DRAMATIC INTERPRETATION (PATTERN A): Selections may be prose, poetry, drama, or screenplays of a serious nature. All selections must consist of published material. The contestant may not have used the selections in tournaments prior to the current school year. Although gestures and pantomimes are not barred, they should be used with restraint, as this is not a contest in acting. There is a 10 minute maximum.

DUO INTERPRETATION (PATTERN A):  There will be no novice division for this event – all entries will be in the open division.  This event is a cutting from a play, humorous or serious, involving the portrayal of two (or more) characters presented by two individuals.  The material may be drawn from stage, screen, or radio.  This is not an acting event; thus, no costumes, props, lighting, etc. are to be used.  The contestant may not have used the selections in tournaments prior to the current school year.  Use of scripts is optional.  Contestants should be evaluated on their interpretation and not on whether scripts are used.  Maximum time limit is ten (10) minutes, including the introduction.

ORATORICAL INTERPRETATION (PATTERN A):  Because the event offering is still fairly new at this tournament and the history of entry numbers insufficient for two divisions, there will be no novice division for this event – all entries are considered an “open” division. The event requires presentation of a published speech that was actually delivered in a public forum. This speech event encourages students to understand the relationship of an oration to the times that inspired it. Students must interpret the oration with a whole new voice to a whole new audience. It is the only interpretive event that allows you to use the internet as a source for selection so long as the web source is accessible from a basic internet search. The piece must have an introduction that includes the name of the author, the title of the oration, if any, the name of the source where the oration was published, and the place and date of the original delivery. No more than 150 words can be added, including the introduction and any transitions. The editing and/or delivery must not change the author’s intent. The speech should be memorized. Presentation cannot go over 10 minutes long.  While there is no minimum time, speeches are usually not shorter than 5 or 6 minutes.

PATTERN B EVENTS:

IMPROMPTU SPEAKING (PATTERN B): Topics are varied from round to round and can include philosophical quotations, fortune cookies, etc. Typically, each speaker will draw 3 topics and choose one as the subject matter of the speech. The speaker has 7 minutes maximum to divide between preparation and speaking time as s/he chooses (2 minutes preparation followed by a 5 minute speech is considered standard). Students are permitted to use one blank note card in order to make speaking notes during prep time and to use those notes during the presentation of the speech.

PERSUASIVE SPEAKING (PATTERN B): Any appropriate subject matter may be used, but the primary purpose of the speech should be to alter or change beliefs, attitudes, or behavior. All persuasive speeches must be the original work of the student and must have been prepared during the current school year.  Speeches used in previous years will be disqualified. No more than 200 words of quoted material are allowed. A typewritten or clearly handwritten manuscript of the speech must be available on request from the Tournament Director. No notes or manuscripts are allowed in open division. Notes may be used in novice division. There is a 10 minute maximum.

HUMOROUS INTERPRETATION (PATTERN B): There will be no novice division for this event – all entries will be in the open division due to a history of entry numbers insufficient for two divisions. The Selections must be prose, poetry, drama, or screenplays of a humorous, but not slapstick, nature. All selections must consist of published material. The contestant may not have used the selections in tournaments prior to the current school year. Although gestures and pantomimes are not barred, they should be restricted, as this is not a contest in acting. There is a 10 minute maximum.

THEMATIC INTERPRETATION (PATTERN B):  There will be no novice division for this event – all entries will be in the open division due to a history of entry numbers insufficient for two divisions. The contestant is to present a program of 3 or more selections from different works based on a theme of the contestant's own choosing, utilizing an original introduction and transitions.  All selections must consist of published material and shall be at least 150 words in length. The contestant may not have used the selections in tournaments prior to this school year. The manuscript is to be interpreted; this is not a contest in acting. There is a 10 minute time limit.

ORIGINAL PROSE AND POETRY (PATTERN B):  There will be no novice division for this event – all entries will be in the open division due to a history of entry numbers insufficient for two divisions. The contestant is to present his or her original material, which may consist of prose, poetry or a combination of both.  The contestant may not have used the material in tournaments prior to the current school year.  There is a 10 minute time limit.