Day 1
You probably already know that speech and debaters have to dress formally, with the exception of policy debaters, who dress in semiformal attire. Because local tournaments are often filled with untrained mom and dad judges, they may be easily influenced by the way you dress. It is not very difficult to look professional, so just be sure to do so.Before we get into all of the different types of speech and debate events, I will give you a brief rundown of a local tournament (Keep in mind tournament schedules may vary based on your SD district customs). Debaters are the first to perform at the tournament. Usually on a Friday afternoon, postings are hung at various places of the tournament (most likely on high school campus). After you read your code, which is (your school name) (first then last initial), you ought to find a tournament guide to lead you to your room. These guides are usually volunteers from the high school that is hosting the tournament. In-between rounds, you should freshen up by going to the restroom and put some water on your face or check your makeup. Also make sure you buy something from the concession stands to fill your stomach.
Now that you’re done debating all of your rounds for the day, you may be able to find out of you “broke” meaning you are eligible to move on to elimination rounds. If a tournament has 4 debate rounds, you will most likely need a 3-1 win-loss record to break. If the tournament has 3 debate rounds, you will most likely need 2-1 win-loss record with high speaker points. The tournament mangers will eventually post the “break” sheet, just be prepared to possibly wait for a long time after your last round.
This article was written by Xi Lin
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