JOPLIN HIGH SCHOOL December 28, 2017
Dear Coaches, Sponsors and Competitors:
The Joplin High School Speech & Debate team would like to invite you to the 55thannual Heart of the Ozarks tournament on February 16 and 17, 2018. This year’s tournament will offer the following events: Novice CX, Varsity CX, Novice LD, Varsity LD, Novice PF, Varsity PF, DI, HI, DUO, US EXTEMP, INTERNATIONAL EXTEMP, OO, CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE, and BIQ QUESTIONS DEBATE.
This is the part of the invite that says “Please bring judges.” We ask that schools provide at least one judge per round of competition to assist in overall tourney operations. Please ask your judges to check in both days of the competition with their respected tables located next to the JHS Library. Coach Meads and the JHS team reserves the right to assign judging rounds to coaches/sponsors if the need arises. Thanks in advance for your cooperation in this matter!
The entry deadline for the Heart of the Ozarks tournament is Friday, February 9th by 4:00 pm. We are using speech wire this year, so please update your entries there at You will need to create an account in order to register. Extra entries will be granted only if space allows. Schools will be financially responsible for entry fees sent on or before the entry deadline as well as any adds or drops made through the week of the tournament.
This year our tournament will be held at Joplin High School. The address for this building is:
2104 Indiana Avenue
Joplin MO, 64804
We look forward to seeing you at our tournament! Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Misti MeadsLevi Butts
JHS Speech/Debate CoachJHS Speech/Debate Assistant Coach
Megan PetersenTyler Grey & Samuel Peterson
Team President, Tournament Co-ChairTournament Co-Chairs
Friday February 16Saturday February 17
2:30 pm Registration7:30 am Extemp Draw Semis
3:30 pm ExtempDraw8:00 am Semis I.E.’s
4:00 pm Round 1 I.E.9:30 am Round 3 Debate
5:30 pm ExtempDraw11:00 am Round 4 Debate
6:00 pm Round 2 I.E.’s12:30 pm ExtempDraw Finals
7:30 pm Round 1 Debate1:00 pm Finals I.E.’s
9:00 pm Round 2 Debate 2:30 pm Quarterfinals Debate, BQ Rd 1
4:30 pm Awards Ceremony
5:00 pm Semifinals Debate, BQ Rd 2
6:30 pm Finals Debate, BQ Rd 3
This schedule is tentative and JHS reserves the right to change the times if the need arises. Announcements will be made if the schedule does indeed change. Also, please make sure you DO NOT ARRIVE to JHS before
2:00 pm on Friday.
Please note that Joplin High School does not release students until 3:40 PM. All students are instructed to stay in the Performing Arts Center Black Box Theatre until that time. Draw will take place in the Performing Arts Center Auditorium, and draw students are allowed to be there prior to school letting out.
AREAS YOU SHOULD KNOW:
Student Lounge and Concessions (After 3:40PM – Cafeteria)
Tab Room (Library)
Registration/Judges Table C2
Hospitality Room (D111)
Ballot Return D2
LOCAL HOTELS:
Comfort Inn and Suites (417) 627-0400 or 1-800-228-5150
Holiday Inn (417) 621-0208
Econo Lodge (417) 627-0440 or 1-800-553-2666
Ramada Inn (417) 781-0500
Hilton Garden Inn (417) 206-6700
TOURNAMENT RULES:
1. Schools may enter 5 entries in each event. Extra entries may be granted if space allows.
2. Student competitors may enter 1 form of debate and 2 forms of I.E.’s AND Students may enter Biq Questions as their main debate or if they do not advance to Quarters in their first debate they may enter Biq Questions as their second debate. Please sign these students up ahead of time and if they advance we will drop them and make arrangements then.
3. Please make sure students are following the tournament schedule and are in rounds on time! Any competitor (coach or student) that is more than 10 minutes late to a round and not the fault of the tournament will be forfeited for that round. All competitors should perform in the time allotted for each round.
4. Students may NOT enter both divisions of extemp.
5. An adult sponsor must be present in the building at all times. Any misbehavior may lead to forfeiture of events, from the tournament itself and/or proper authorities notified. So, supervise your kids!
6. Joplin High School is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
7. Coaches, adult sponsors and/or bus drivers may be used as judges. Students with free time may be used as timekeepers.
8. Concessions will be offered both days of the tournament. All food and drink (expect bottled water) should stay in the cafeteria. Please notify tournament personnel if any messes should occur.
9. Any disputes will be handled through this invitation, JHS tournament director, MSHSAA rules, NFL rules and/or JHS policies and procedures. However, please remember Coach Meads or Mr. Butts have the final say-so.
10. JHS is a tobacco-free, alcohol-free and drug-free campus. Violators will be dealt with by the proper authorities.
11. Music should be listened to through headphones.
12. Please make checks payable to “Joplin Speech and Debate”
13. BUSES:please drop off at the PAC doors on the right side of the campus. You will need to park OFF campus until 4:30.
14. Don’t mess with teacher or school property for any reason! Violators may be dropped from the tournament!
DEBATE RULES:
1. Debate is about oral communication and should be presented in an understandable fashion.
2. There will be a novice case list. It is the same case list that has been present all year. Novice debaters should not run counterplans or critiques. If they do, it will result in a forfeit.
3. CX Debate- NFL national topic will be used, 8-3-5 time format, 5 minutes prep time, if a bye or forfeit occurs winning team receives speaker ranks of 1-2, teams must remain consistent throughout the tournament, breaks/ties based on a) overall record b) speaker ranks c) opp loss d) total opp record e) oppopp record in that order.
4. LD Debate- Jan/Feb topic will be used6-3-7-3-4-6-3 time format, 4 minutes prep time, breaks/ties based on a) overall record b) opp loss c) total opp record d) oppopprecord in that order.
5. PF Debate- Feb topic will be used, 4-4-3-4-4-3-2-2-3-2-2 time format, 2 minutes prep time, if a bye or forfeit occurs winning team receives speaker ranks of 1-2, teams must remain consistent throughout the tournament, breaks/ties based on a) overall record b) speaker ranks c) opp loss d) total opp record e) oppopp record in that order.
6. Big Questions – The proposition shall be the N.S.D.A. national topic:Resolved: Humans are fundamentally different from other animals. Format of 5-4-3-3 will be used. Prep time: 3 minutes per team. Breaks/ties based on a) overall record b) opp loss c) total opp record d) oppopprecord in that order.
7. Visual aids are NOT allowed in debate events.
INDIVIDUAL EVENT RULES:
1. Extemp- draw three topics in five-minute intervals and choose one, 30 minutes prep time, 7 minute time limit for speeches.
2. HI/DI/DUO- selection must come from a published source and possess literary merit, must be memorized and have an introduction, time limit for performance 10 minutes, performers in DUO can NOT look at each other or have physical contact during the introduction, performers in HI/DI should (for the most part) stay in a performer’s circle
3. OO- must be original work written and memorized by performer, no more than 150 directly quoted words, performance should be persuasive, informative and entertaining all in one, time limit for speech 10 minutes
4. Congress- during prelims of Congress, the same judge will be in the room the entire time. It will be treated as 1 session of Congress with a break in between. The judge will then rank the top 8 competitors. Those 8 will advance to Super Session on Saturday. Each room will elect their own P.O. If you have a student who wishes to run for P.O. please indicate that on your entry.
HEART OF THE OZARKS SWEEPSTAKES AND TROPHIES:
I.E. trophies will be awarded to all six finalists.
The top five schools in overall sweepstakes points will be announced with the top 3 schools receiving trophies.
Sweepstakes Points will be based on the top 2 entries per event per school. (Debate win in prelims- 5 points, Advancing to Debate Quarterfinals- 15 points, Breaking to Semifinals in I.E.’s- 5 points, Breaking to Finals in I.E.’s- 10 points, 3rd place I.E.’s- 5 points, 2nd place I.E.’s- 10 points, 1st place I.E.’s- 15 points, Advancing to Supers in Congress- 10 points)
Device Rules:
Non-Internet connected computers, electronic storage, retrieval devices, etc. shall be allowed in rounds of Extemporaneous Speaking, Congressional Debate, as well as Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, and Big Questions Debate.
- Contestants are not to unplug any device or equipment already in use in the contest rooms. Contestants found tampering with Springfield Public Schools’ or SPS teachers’ equipment and/or property will be disqualified from the tournament.
- Glendale and Kickapoo High Schools and their respective tournament hosts are not personally responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged devices.
- The following are revised from the NSDA Manual and MSHSAA: The use of Non-Internet connected computers, electronic storage, retrieval devices, etc. by competitors in rounds is permissible for flowing or evidence retrieval so long as wire or wireless connections are disabled and remain disabled while the debate is in progress.
- Devices equipped with removable wireless cards must have the cards removed before the beginning of any round of competition. It is the responsibility of the contestant to disengage equipment.
- Devices with built-in wireless capability may be used only if the wireless capability is disabled. It is the responsibility of the contestant to disable the equipment.
- Wired connections (Ethernet or phone) during rounds of competition are not permitted.
- Computers or other electronic devices may not be used to receive information from any sources (coaches or assistants included) inside or outside the room in which the competition occurs. Internet access, use of e-mail, instant messaging, or other means of receiving information from sources inside or outside the competition room are prohibited. (This does not prohibit non-electronic communication between debate partners during prep time.)
- Penalties: Teams found to have violated provisions A – C above shall forfeit the round of competition and receive speaker ranks of 3-4. Teams found to have violated provision D above shall be disqualified from the tournament. The tournament director shall be empowered with the final decision concerning disqualification.
- Availability of Evidence: Contestants electing to use devices shall have the responsibility to promptly provide a copy of any evidence read in a speech for inspection by the judge or opponent. Printers may be used. Evidence may be printed in the round or produced electronically, but must be provided in a format readable by the opposing team and the judge.
- Contestants electing to use devices are responsible for providing their own devices, batteries, extension cords and all other necessary accessories.
- Tournament hosts shall not be responsible for providing computers, printers, software, paper or extension cords for contestants.
- Because public speaking decorum remains an important element of debate, debaters are expected to stand at the front of the room facing the judge while speaking.
- Contestants choosing to use devices accept the risk of equipment failure. No special consideration or accommodations, including no additional prep time or speech time, will be given by judges, contest directors or tournament hosts should equipment failure occur.
- By choosing to use devices in the round, debaters are consenting to give tournament officials the right to search their files. Debaters who do not wish to consent should not use computers in the round.
Heart of the Ozarks Joplin Tournament
February 16 and 17, 2018
School ______
Address ______
Coach/Sponsor ______
School Phone ______Cell Phone ______
Email ______
* Please write how many entries you want in each event on the corresponding line next to that event.
Novice CX____
Varsity CX____
Novice LD____
Varsity LD____
Novice PF____
Varsity PF____
US Ext____
Int. Ext____
OO____
HI____
DI____
DUO____
Congress____
Big Question____
Total Entries _____ x $8($3 BQ) per entry = _____ owed
Entries are due FridayFebruary 9th by 4:00 pm.
Send payment to:Make Check Payable to:Email/CallQuestions to:
Misti MeadsJoplin Speech/
Joplin High SchoolCell 417-342-1516
2104 Indiana Avenue
Joplin, MO 64804