Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the best way to contact the Barkley Forum if I have questions or need to make changes?

• Email is the best way to reach us:  emorybfhs@gmail.com

• To whom should checks for payment be made payable?  

• Emory University.  Email emorybfhs@gmail.com if you need a current W-9. 

• Checks should be mailed to Barkley Forum, Emory University, Mailstop:  1022-001-1AC, Atlanta, GA 30322

• The website is telling me the application for one of my students is incomplete.  What do I do?

• You need to enter the competitive records/qualifiers for all your students so we can consider them for admission.

• Member schools do not need to enter records if they are entering prior to the December 2 deadline, but after 12/2, Member Schools need to enter records for their students to be considered, as well. 

• How can I tell if my students are admitted or on the waitlist?

• After the December 6, 2019 admittance date, when you look at your squad on tabroom.com, the students who have “In” under “status” next to their names are ADMITTED.  Students who have “WL” under “status” next to their names are WAITLISTED.

• How will I know if students are removed from the waitlist and entered in the tournament?

• When students are removed from the waitlist, an email is automatically sent to the email address on record with tabroom.com. 

• I would like to do electronic registration the morning of the tournament.  What are the requirements to do so and how do I do that?  

• Your check for payment must be in the mail by January 10, 2020 to ensure we receive it in time for registration (make sure you use the new mailing address above!).  Please also make sure you are familiar with all the information on Tabroom, as any changes to venues, etc. will be posted there.  

• On the morning of registration, log in to your tabroom.com account, and click on your login name/e-mail address in the top right-hand corner. Under the "tournaments" tab, click on the Barkley Forum for High Schools, and click the button that confirms you are here by 11:00 a.m.

• I don’t have students debating in the Pelham Debates, but we have to wait until after the final debate in Pelham before the awards assembly is held.  Why?

• The Barkley Forum for High Schools is designed to celebrate all forensics events.  The Awards Assembly celebrates speech and debate in all of its forms, and the tournament is one of the few tournaments that continues the tradition of recognizing that we are all part of a broader community celebrating the pedagogy of speech and debate that encourages students to critically engage their world and become part of a broader citizenry.  We encourage everyone who is able to attend the final rounds of all events to celebrate the achievements in all divisions.

• The registration deadline has passed, and I just found out about your tournament.  What do I do?

• Email the Tournament Administrator at emorybfhs@gmail.com and indicate which events you have students interested in entering.  Any schools (Member schools or non-member schools) must enter records for each student applying for the tournament if it is after the December 2 application deadline.

• How do I hire a judge?

• If you are not able to provide a judge in an event, tabroom.com will automatically charge you for a judge hire, and the Barkley Forum staff will make sure a tournament judge covers your obligation.

• Where do I find schedules?

• All events have a separate schedule under the “schedules” tab on tabroom.com; they will be posted closer to the tournament date when rooms are finalized with the university.

• Why can’t you publish the building locations for all events until so close to the tournament date?

• Since our tournament falls very close to the beginning of the semester, we have to wait to get final confirmation from the university about rooms and buildings until after classes are underway.

• On the schedule, I see “tutorials” and “exhibitions” listed on Saturday and Sunday.  What are those?

• When the Barkley Forum for High Schools began, the state of Georgia did not allow competition on Sundays.  In the spirit of the educational aims of the tournament, the “rounds” were renamed “tutorials” and “exhibitions.”  No competition there; just education! Tutorials are any outrounds up until the final round, and the exhibitions are the final rounds in all events.  You will notice that many of those rounds have been named for influential and impactful forensics educators. 

• I would like to be hired as a judge for the tournament.  How do I do that?

• Email the tournament administrator at emoryBFHS@gmail.com and indicate what event you are interested in judging.  All judges hired by the tournament will need to complete a background check.

• Do you have a judges’ lounge?

• Yes, we will have a few centrally located places on campus where judges can congregate and will provide coffee and snacks.