Marist Ivy Street Invitational
2026 — NSDA Campus, GA/US
Limited Prep Topic Areas
ISI 26 Extemp Topics
| Round | Topic Area |
| Round 1 (Domestic) It's Midterms, Stupid! |
With control of Congress on the line in the 2026 midterms, the political stakes extend well beyond individual House and Senate races. This round's questions examine the forces shaping campaigns — from President Trump’s role and major Supreme Court decisions to economic concerns, redistricting, and the issues driving voters to the polls in these final six weeks. |
| Round 2 (International) Fault Lines: West Asia |
Conflict, competition, and shifting alliances continue to reshape West Asia. This round takes competitors across the region to examine Iran, Yemen, Israel and its neighbors, energy and oil markets, regional security, and the outside powers seeking influence over what comes next. |
| Round 3 (Mixed) Diplomacy by Other Means |
Diplomacy does not always happen across a negotiating table. From sports and cultural exchanges to pandas, pop culture, food, tourism, and other forms of soft power, countries increasingly use unconventional tools to shape their image and advance their interests. This round asks competitors to examine when these strategies work, what they accomplish, and where their limits lie. |
| Finals (Mixed) Boom or Bust |
Artificial intelligence is transforming economies, national security, and the global balance of technological power. In the final round, competitors will examine the AI boom in the United States alongside the international competition to develop, regulate, and govern the technology — from the companies building it to the countries seeking to establish the rules that will shape its future. |
ISI 26 Impromptu Topics
Marist is celebrating its 125th anniversary during the 2026–2027 academic year. This quasquicentennial milestone is a historic opportunity to recognize the legacy of the past 125 years while looking forward to the great potential ahead. So, we will use Impromptu Speaking to celebrate Marist at 125 — along with a few other organizations celebrating their own quasquicentennial milestones!
| Round | Topic Area |
| Round 1 Wild at 125 |
The Virginia Zoo is celebrating 125 years of bringing visitors face-to-face with the wild. From the familiar to the exotic, every animal has a name — and every name can inspire an unexpected idea. This round takes competitors to the zoo, where we will bring the elements of the zoo to life! |
| Round 2 125 Years in Style |
For 125 years, Nordstrom has helped shoppers find just the right look — and apparently, just the right name for every possible shade. Forget red, blue, and green: this round draws inspiration from the last 125 years of Nordstrom’s catalogues. |
| Round 3 The Next 125 |
For 125 years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has helped turn scientific discovery into innovations and standards that shape everyday life. But innovation never stands still. We will take innovations from the past 125 years and add one small twist to each for this round! |
| Finals Famous Last Words |
Marist celebrates its quasquicentennial with another milestone: its 125th graduating class. Before they leave Ivy Street behind, members of the Class of 2026 have selected a few words to represent their time at Marist. In this final round, competitors will draw inspiration from selected senior quotes and discover what wisdom — or something resembling it — the 125th graduating class has left behind. |