Shirley 2008 Invitation

Intercollegiate policy debate programs are invited to enter two teams in the 2008 Franklin R. Shirley Classic, November 15-17, 2008, hosted by Wake Forest University. Schools may enter more than two teams subject to the conditions listed below.

NEW THIS YEAR (see relevant sections below for details):

1) 6 prelims. 4 prelims Saturday; 2 prelims, first elim and banquet Sunday; last 4 elims Monday. Rooms for community discussion on topics of interest will be made available during first elim.

2) Frosh/soph (any team where both partners have not completed two full years of college debate) breakout – clearing at least to quarters.

3) Strict time limits for judge decisions in elims as well as prelims, and time allotted for post round.

4) Clarification of electronic recording rules.

SAME AS BEFORE:
1) Friendly and efficient.

2) Entry process and qualifications.

3) Hospitality.

4) Scouting.

ENTRIES:
Entries of two teams per school will be accepted until midnight October 22 on a first come, first served basis until we have reached our 150 team limit (this limit is necessary due to classroom and other facility limitations).

Schools may apply for more teams by adding them to the waitlist subject to the following:
As space permits, we will take additional teams, up to a total of four teams per school, as long as ALL THREE OR FOUR teams have cleared to elims in TWO varsity tournaments this fall. If both debaters on the team EITHER cleared twice this fall OR qualified for NDT in the past OR reached elimination rounds at CEDA Nationals in the past, the team is considered to have met the "cleared twice" requirement. No fourth team from a school will be accepted until all eligible third teams from other schools have been accepted.

Waivers of the entry rules may be granted at the discretion of the WFU coaching staff.

JUDGING (note, there are some new wrinkles here):
Each school must provide 3 rounds of prelim judging for each of their first two teams and 4 rounds of judging for each additional team.

If you are hiring judging from outside of your school’s staff/alumni, and the tournament cannot place your judges into the required number of rounds, the tournament reserves the right to: 1) adjust the judging obligations of your other judges (adding rounds of commitment to those of your judges who are easier to place), and/or 2) charge your school $30.00 per round of unmet obligation.

As a normative rule, all coaches are expected to make themselves available for at least some judging and will be on the pref sheet.

Prelim rounds must be decided within two hours and forty-five minutes of the posted start time of the debate. The tab room will flip a coin to determine the winner when the judge cannot decide in time.

Elim rounds must be decided within three hours of the posted/announced start time of the debate. The tab room will flip a coin to determine the winner when the judge cannot decide in time.

Judges must vote for one and only one team in each debate and must assign speaker points and ranks in prelim rounds

Fifteen minutes minimum will be allocated to post round discussion of the decision, but we must ask that the post-round cease 15 minutes after the decision deadline so debaters can move on to their next debate with adequate and fair time.

SPEAKER POINTS:
A 100 point scale will be used as last year. We’ll share a graph showing the distribution of points from last year.


CASELIST and SCOUTING:
Participating teams and schools are expected to contribute to http://opencaselist.wikispaces.com/ and should provide their most recent affirmative and negative information by the Tuesday before the tournament at latest. Teams and schools should cooperate with Wake Forest students and staff assigned to gather the material.

AUDIO and VIDEO RECORDING:
All rounds (defined as the speeches and judge critiques) are open to the public and may be electronically recorded for private educational use by any tournament participants (registered coaches, debaters and helpers, and Wake Forest tournament staff) only. Public distribution of such recordings is expressly prohibited unless prior written consent of all people on the recording is obtained and unless prior written consent of Wake Forest University is obtained. Private sharing for educational use is permitted.

TABULATION and PAIRING STUFF
We will use an ordinal MPJ system run on STA. Rounds one and two preset. The other 4 prelims individually power paired hi-low within brackets. Top 32 teams clear on basis of adjusted points, opp wins, total points, twice adjusted points, ranks, random number. Brackets broken in elims. Side equalization procedure used for elims.

"JV BREAKOUT" (NAME TENTATIVE):
At least 20% of all teams comprised of two debaters both of whom are still in their first or second year of debate who do not clear into the doubles will clear into the Sophfrosh (name tentative) breakout. Clears at least to 8 teams.

FEES:
Tournament fees are $60.00 per person (debaters, coaches, judges, scouts).

TOURNAMENT HOTEL:
The Sundance, 3050 University Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC 27105 (336-723-2911)

Flat rate: 82.99 per room per night plus taxes and fees

Includes wireless internet (they have increased their capacity), parking, and continental breakfast daily.

All elims will be held here.

Special needs or problems re hotel? Sales contact there is Sheila Small, shefaysmall@yahoo.com <mailto:shefaysmall@yahoo.com> <mailto:shefaysmall@yahoo.com>

We will post other info on backup lodging in the near future.

RENTAL VANS:
For vans of all sizes, ask for the Wake Forest Debate rate at Triangle, http://www.trianglerentacar.com/

HOSPITALITY:
Krispy Kreme, coffee, juice, bagels in the mornings. Water, sodas, aspirin, snacks throughout. Lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Banquet Sunday night, plus the usual Survivors Party™ on Monday night after the start of the final round.

CONDUCT:
All participants debate at the invitation of Wake Forest University according to its tournament rules as well as any rules of their sponsoring institutions. We abide by all rules and norms of CEDA and the AFA, including but not limited to CEDA's sexual harassment policy.



SCHEDULE:
Friday, November 14
Registration 6-9 pm; airings, rounds 1 and 2 released at 9 pm

Saturday, November 15, 2008

8 am – round 1 start

10:45 am – round one decision deadline.

11:15 am – round 2 start

2 pm – round 2 decision deadline

2:15 – round 3 (powered) pairings

3 pm – round 3 start

5:45 – round 3 decision deadline

6 pm -- round 4 (powered) pairings

6:45 pm – round 4 start

9:15 pm – round 4 decision deadline

Sunday

8 am – round 5 (powered) pairings released at hotel, online, and on campus

9 am – round 5 start

11:45 – round 5 decision deadline

12:15 – round 6 (powered) pairings

3 pm – round 6 decision deadline

3:30 pm – first elim pairings

4:15 pm -- first elim start

7:15 pm – first elim decision deadline

7:00 pm – Banquet begins – awards including speakers and coach of the year.

Monday

8 am -- Octas and 2nd breakout elim start

11 am – decision deadline

11:15 – postround ends by now.

Noon: Quarters and 3rd breakout elim start.

3 pm – decision deadline

3:15 pm – postround ends by now.

4 pm: Semis and breakout elim (if necessary) start.

7 pm – decision deadline

7:15 pm – postround ends by now.

8 pm: Final round begins

10 pm – “Survivors’ Party” begins

Topic: the 2008-2009 CEDA resolution,

Time limits: 9-3-6,

Judges should post their judge philosophy at debateresults.com,

Judges should be sure all conflicts of interest are noted at debateresults.com,

Judge obligation is through octafinals or one round beyond the elimination of your school's team(s), whichever is later.