new topics and new rules

The topic for Lincoln Douglas Debate changes bimonthly. For Nov/Dec, it is:

Resolved: Individuals have a moral obligation to assist people in need.

The topic for Team Debate remains:  

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth’s mesosphere.

It will remain this topic all season.


Also, slightly amended rules for the 2011-2012 season have been posted to the right. Take a look, because I have highlighted any and all changes, some of which may affect you and your entry.

debate topics!

This just in! For you Debating Creatures, here are the topics for the next meet (Oct 12), and beyond:

Team Debate Topic (this topic good for the whole season)

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth’s mesosphere.

***

Lincoln Douglas Debate (an individual event)
September/October 2011 LD Topic

Resolved: Justice requires the recognition of animal rights

http://www.nflonline.org/uploads/StudentResources/ResourcesButton.gif

www.nflonline.org

First tournament - bam!

Last night we competed in our first meet of the year, a Discussion Tournament at Harford Tech.  Adam, Martha, and Nandin did this last year, and were back again to do battle against every public school in Harford County.  Thomas Gardner also jumped in, competing for the first time.

There were two rounds, and five topics per round.  Martha and Adam each won their first round, both of them getting perfect scores.  Adam actually took home a ribbon for Sixth Place overall, which is awesome considering there were 88 total competitors!  Congratulations!

The next meet is on October 12.  It is the "normal" kind of tournament, with all the individual events plus the debates.  It is the kind of tournament that we were very good at last year.  It would be fantastic if we ALL entered this one.  We will get together next Wednesday after school in the TV Studio, but if you want to talk to me before then, I'm around.

I'm listing the rules for each event in the sidebar on the right of this screen, so you can get specific info about any event that interests you.

See you next Wednesday (or before) at 3:00!

Wow!

I am amazed and thrilled at the turnout for today's meeting!  This should be an absolutely epic year for John Carroll Speech & Debate.  We will meet again next Wednesday, but keep in mind that if you have questions, or if you want to discuss a piece you would like to do, or even if you want to sign up for two of the topics at the Discussion tournament on September 21, stop by the Studio or email me at rschick@johncarroll.org .  Thanks for all the support!

In the meantime, here are the topics for the next meet.  These are also posted on my door.

 Harford County Speech and Debate League

Discussion Topics for 9/21

1. Over the past year or so, severe weather events have had significant impact on the students of Harford County Public Schools.  We have experienced tropical storms and hurricanes, an earthquake, several episodes of flooding, and numerous tornadoes and tornado warnings.   How prepared is the school system to ensure the safety of students and staff in the event of severe weather?  How can safety measures be improved?

2. On Friday, September 2, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the  U.S. economy added no new jobs in August as the unemployment rate stayed steady at 9.1 percent.  Meanwhile, corporate profits remain at pre-recession levels of strength.  What can stakeholders (lawmakers, corporations, citizens) do to improve the economy?

3. Despite the best efforts of nutrition services personnel, the majority of school-prepared items consumed in school cafeteria are processed  foods that include various preservatives, colors, and flavor enhancers.   What can students, citizens, and local school systems do to improve the nutritional quality of cafeteria fare?

4. Congress recently approved budget cuts that will decrease federal funding of space exploration programs.  What impact might these cuts have on American innovation?  What alternative methods might stakeholders use to renew space exploration and research?

5. HOT TOPIC!!

T.H.E. Rules

This post has the rules for each of the events from the Harford County Speech and Debate League.

These are known as the IE events.  IE means Individual Events, even though some, like Reader's Theater and Dramatic Interpretation, have two or more students.  Click the name of the event to go to its Critique Sheet and ballot.

• Oral Interpretation of Poetry  
• Oral Interp of Prose
• Children's Literature  
• Original Oratory
• Dramatic Interpretation  (monologue or duet)
• Extemporaneous Speaking  (entering this event precludes double entering with another event)
• Declamation (5 to 10 minute limit)
• Reader's Theatre  (two to ten people)

A word here about the Poetry category from Mrs. Burnett, who runs the Harford County tournaments: "Poetry programs can have as many pieces as the student wishes to meet the time limit.  I coach my students by the rule that if you have more than 3, you should offer a "thematic" intro at the beginning of the piece.  The intro is the speaker's own explanation of the piece(s) about to be read.  Otherwise, have one intro for each piece.  If the poem is very long, I have had students choose one cutting, paraphrase a section, and then conclude with another section of the poem.  The aim should be for a smooth establishment of mood."

On to debate (discussion).

There are two debate events.

• Team Debate
• Lincoln Douglas Debate

Here is a simplified explanation of Team and Lincoln Douglas (LD) debate. Debate ballots are produced on a national level, so they are not available online.

The biggest difference between Team and LD is the number of debaters.  Team Debate has two students from the school debating two other students from another school (although sometimes teams from the same team compete against one another if the tournament is small).  One round the team is affirmative, the next round the team is negative.  The two students must keep their partners for the tournament.  There is no rule about changing partners for each tournament.  LD is one debater from each school.  Each debater must argue affirmative one round and negative the next.  Also, team debaters debate the same topic all year.  LD debaters change topics every two months.

More info about these events can be found on the nfl.org website (National Forensics League).

Finally, a word about the Finals held at the end of the season.  A student has to compete in 1 tournament over half, which would be 5 of the total of 9.  Students can compete in any event they like for finals; they do not have to go to five tournaments in the same event.

t-shirts are in!

Speech Creatures - please stop by to pick up your fabulous t-shirt when we come back to school.  As you are planning your fabulously busy social lives, remember to keep Wednesdays open for Speech meetings.  If we are back in school this Wednesday (the 31st), let's meet at 3:00 in the TV Speech Studio.  And keep in mind that we should be recruiting new members - from the freshman class and beyond.

Thanks, and see you back at school - eventually!

A New Year! Woo-hoo!

Hi, Speech Creatures!

I realize it's still summer, but I wanted you to have some info about the upcoming season.  I have the  debate topic for this year, which is:

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth's mesosphere. 


And I have the schedule for this year.  Please note that the first event is on Monday, September 21 (less than four weeks away!), and it is a Discussion (debate) tournament.


September 21   Discussion           Harford Tech
October 12     Speech and Debate    Edgewood
October 26     Speech and Debate    North Harford
November 9     Speech and Debate    Patterson Mill
November 30    Speech and Debate    Joppatowne
January 11     Discussion           Fallston
January 25     Speech and Debate    John Carroll
February 8     Speech and Debate    Bel Air
February 22    Speech and Debate    CMW
March 7        Snow Make-Up Day  
March 21       FINALS               Havre de Grace


Since our tournaments are on Wednesdays (except the first one), I figure we should meet on Wednesdays too, to practice and get pumped up and plan our strategy and sing Mulan songs.  We also need to recruit new members, not just from the freshies, but from the rest of the student body.


I am so proud of how well you did last year!  I also had a blast working with you.  Here's hoping we can continue to succeed and have fun doing it!  Feel free to get in touch with me with any questions or problems or suggestions, at rschick@johncarroll.org or through Martha's Facebook.

Registration for Finals

I have taken the liberty of signing us up for the Finals tournament next Wednesday.

Please review the following and let me know right away if any changes need to be made.

I think it would really be a good idea if you were to spend some time this weekend getting ready for Wednesday.  Don't let this final tournament sneak up on you!

February 23^rd

Speech & Debate Finals Tournament

Havre de Grace High School

School Name: John Carroll

Coach Name: Schick / Wojewodzki

  

Original Oratory

1. Nandin Dave	3.
2.	4.

Dramatic Interpretation

1.  Martha Schick	4.
2.	5.
3.	6.

  

 Declamation

1.  Adam Kuester	3.
2.	4.

Reader’s Theater

1.  Martha Schick / Adam Kuester	3.
2.  Margaret McGuirk / Kaley Martin	4.

                                                        

Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

Resolved: In the United States, juveniles charged with violent felonies ought to be treated as adults in the criminal justice system.

1.     Amanda Zivkovic	6.
2.	7.
3.	8.
4.	9.
5.	10.

Team Debate

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce its military and/or police presence in one or more of the following: South Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey.

1.      Sydnie Comitz / Megan Grieg

2.

3.

4.

FINALS TIME!

The next tournament is the big one.

Next Wednesday, February 23, we go to Havre de Grace to compete in the finals.  This has all the events of a regular tournament, the kind we are familiar with (Declamation, Readers Theater, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, etc.)

Please let me know TODAY what events you are going to enter.  You may sign up on the sheet in the TV Studio, tell me or Mr. Wojo in person, or send me an email (rschick@johncarroll.org).

I recommend spending some time this weekend polishing off your presentation.  Sharpen up your delivery.  Make sure your time is good.  Fine tune.

Next week, JC Speech Creatures shall rule.

next tournament

It's a Discussion-only tournament, and it's this Wednesday, February 16 at Fallston.

Go back to the January 3 posting for information on topics.

I have already registered Megan, Margaret, Kaley and Sydnie for this meet.  Let me know by email this weekend if you want to be added to this list.

Finals are the next Wednesday, February 23, at Havre de Grace!  Woot!

LAST CALL FOR THIS WEEK'S MEET

Feb 9.  Bel Air.

Nandin, Sydnie, Megan, Martha, Adam are in.

Email me or tell me Monday by 3:00 if you want in.

You know you want in.

The Rest of the Season

The remainder of the year will look like this:

• Feb. 9    Bel Air - Regular individual events/debate tournament
• Feb. 16  Fallston - Discussion using the topics from January 
• Feb. 23  Havre de Grace - FINALS!  (Students needed to attend 4 of 8 meets instead of 5 of 9, since we did not have the Edgewood tournament.  See me if you are not sure where you stand.)

As of now, only Nandin, Sydnie, and Megan are competing at Bel Air next week.  We can do better than that!  If you want in, let me know right away!  I'm at rschick@johncarroll.org .

Next tournament - next week.

The next meet will be Wednesday, February 9, at Bel Air High.  It is a regular tournament, not a discussion tournament.

Please come to the TV Studio by the end of the day Friday to sign up.

Here is the Lincoln-Douglas debate topic.
Resolved:  In the United States, juveniles charged with violent felonies ought to be treated as adults in the criminal justice system.


Here is the Team Debate topic.
Resolved:  The US federal government should substantially reduce its military and/or police presence in one or more of the following:  South Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey.

no decision yet

Coaches are sending emails back and forth, trying to figure out what to do next.  One thing seems sure - there will be no tournament this week (February 2).

When a decision is reached, you will be the first to know.

Also, whoever made the tshirt design - please get in touch with me!  With a few alterations, we can make this our official logo and get an order in for some team tshirts.

Go Speech Creatures!

We need to know...

Friday is the deadline for signing up for the next meet.  Please use the signup sheet in the Studio, or email me with the events you would like to enter.


If we are not in school tomorrow, you will have to email me ( at rschick@johncarroll.org ).


Here are the debate topics:


Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Resolved: In the United States, juveniles charged with violent felonies ought to be treated as adults in the criminal justice system.

Team Debate

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce its military and/or police presence in one or more of the following: South Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey. 

Next meet - already!

Greetings, Speech Creatures!

Not only is the next tournament coming up quickly - next Wednesday the 26th at Edgewood - but the signup deadline is even closer:  this Friday!

That's right, you have to let us know by this Friday - the day after tomorrow - what events you want to enter.  Signup sheet is posted in the usual spot in the TV Studio.

However, in the event that we don't have school Friday, you will need to let me know your intentions via email.  I'm at rschick@johncarroll.org .  I need to notify the meet organizers by 3pm on Friday.  Please let me know before 3 what you want to enter.

Thanks!

Fallston meet rescheduled

The tournament that was cancelled due to snow has been rescheduled.

The new date for the Fallston tournament is Wednesday, February 16.

I hope everyone who was scheduled to compete in this Discussion tournament can still make it in February.  Maybe some of us who had conflicts yesterday will be able to jump in next month.

Our next regular tournament is scheduled for January 26 at Edgewood, followed by Feb. 9 at Bel Air, the Feb. 16 makeup date at Fallston, then Feb. 23 at Havre de Grace.

deadline

Today is Friday, the deadline for the January 12 Fallston tournament.  Please come by the TV Studio and sign up for the Discussion topics of your choice.  Thanks.

Discussion Meet next week!

Greetings, Speech Creatures!

Happy New Year to all!  Here are some items of interest...

We need to meet this Wednesday, after school in the TV Studio.  Please make it a point to stop by.  We will start at 3, but if you have play rehearsal or another conflict, be there by 2:45.

Below are the topics for the Discussion Tournament.  This meet will be held at Fallston High next Wednesday, January 12.  This gives us over a week to prepare.  However, we have to let the tournament organizers know this Friday (January 7) who will enter.  Sign up sheets are posted in the usual place in the TV Studio.

We need to have our group photo taken for the yearbook.  Speech & Debate is scheduled for 10:30 am on Friday, January 7, in the gym.  Smile purty!

See me or Mr. Wojo with any questions or problems.

Harford County Speech and Debate League

Discussion Tournament #3

Fallston High School

January 12, 2010

All students must choose 2 topics--one for each round.

Students are encouraged to research the topics they choose, bring relevant supporting materials to the discussion, and work to build consensus with the group.

Topic #1 – Weeks before Nintendo was set to release a 3D version of their kid-friendly, handheld game system, the DS, the company announced on their Japanese website that playing 3D video games may stunt eye growth in children under age 6.

Topic #2 – Recent reports by nonprofit group, Education Trust, indicate that one in four high school graduates are unable to pass the basic military entrance exam, sparking fear among various organizations and concern among military leaders.

Topic #3 – Two women in Mississippi who faced life sentences for robbery were released from jail after sixteen years under the condition that one woman donate her kidney to the other because the ailing woman’s medical bills were becoming increasingly problematic for the state.

Topic #4 – Websites like Spokeo, Intelius, etc. are services that provide publicly available personal information for a nominal fee.  While they are not legally invading individual privacy, many people don’t know the sites exist or that sites have detailed information about lifestyle, finances, and web presence (including personal and political views).  Individuals may opt out of specific sites, but opting out does not remove the information from overall internet presence.

Topic #5 -  Hot Topic - This topic will not be decided upon until the day of the tournament, and it will be posted as students arrive at the host school.  It is likely to be the event that dominates the news in the days leading up to the tournament.