2024-25 Season Kick-off Email
Dear Middle School Debate Coaches,
Welcome to the tenth year of the Connecticut Middle School Debate League!!!
We’ll kick off the year with a Novice Scrimmage & Open Level Tournament on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at Seymour Middle School.
You can find the full 2024-25 schedule here: https://ctmsdebate.org/calendar/
The prep-ahead topic on October 26 will be an oldie but goodie (especially during this election year): This House would make voting compulsory. You can find information and arguments here:
https://www.findlaw.com/voting/how-u-s–elections-work/the-compulsory-voting-debate.html
Teams are encouraged to research the topic further and, of course, are not limited to those arguments.
You can find our updated Handbook here: https://drive.google.com/drive/my-drive
You can find minutes from the spring coaches’ meeting here. Here are 3 Handbook changes you should make your debaters aware of: 1. Debaters may use devices and/ or hard copies of notes, speeches and sources during prep-ahead rounds to deliver, flow and time speeches. Debaters may not research during prep-ahead rounds. Debaters may research between prep-ahead rounds. 2. Debaters may not use devices before or during extemp rounds for any purpose other than timing speeches. They must use paper to prepare cases, deliver speeches, and flow. No research is allowed before or during extemp rounds. Debaters must use only what’s in their and their partners’ heads. (Exceptions will be made for debaters with IEPs that require them to use devices.) 3. Coaches, parents and other debaters may not talk to debaters about the extemp motions at tournaments. The only people who may choose extemp motions and prep extemp cases are the 3 team members, using only what’s in their heads.
In October, all debaters will watch a demo round of the prep-ahead topic. Novice debaters will debate the prep-ahead motion (Round 1), attend a skills workshop, then debate the other side of the prep-ahead motion (Round 2).
As we began last year, Open Level debaters will debate the prep-ahead motion during Rounds 1 & 2 (once on Prop, once on Opp). Immediately before Round 3, Open Level debaters will be given 2 or 3 extemporaneous motions and will debate on one side of one extemp motion after 15 minutes of prep. Please refer to page 4 in the Handbook for details about how the extemp round works. This year the extemp Round will count for awards.
I will email and post the Invitation to the October 26 event 3-4 weeks before. It will include instructions on registering teams in Tabroom.com. Please start recruiting judges: you’ll need to supply 1 judge per every 2 teams you enter. Please let me know if I can help you with this. The schedule will be similar to last year’s:
Schedule
| Arrival, check-in, lunch ticket sales | 8:30 – 9:00 |
| Welcome & Debater Q&A | 9:00 |
| Demo debate / Judge workshop | 9:30 – 11:00 |
| Open & Novice R1 (prep ahead) | 11:00 –12:00 |
| Lunch & short mandatory Coaches’ Meeting | 12:00 –1:15 |
| Open R2 (prep ahead)/ Novice Workshop | 1:15 – 2:15 |
| Open R3 (extemp)/ Nov R2 (prep ahead) | 2:15-3:30 |
| Games | 3:30 – 4:15 |
| Open Awards & Announcement of Dec 14 Motion | 4:15 |
For the tenth year, dues will remain $50 per school for the season. I will send each coach an invoice with instructions on how to pay dues. Brand new schools may attend one event before paying dues. There is no additional fee per event.
Thank you to the Greenwich Branch of the English Speaking Union for their tenth year of sponsorship!
Please email, text or call me with your questions and concerns.
Looking forward to seeing you in October 🙂 Jen
Jen Posner, President, CT Middle School Debate League 203-984-4902