Presidents' Day Invite

Table of Contents

Tournament Overview

Invite

Dear Forensics Coach,

It is with great enthusiasm that we invite you to join us for the Presidents' Day Invite, a speech and debate tournament set to take place on Sunday, February 16th, 2025, and Monday, February 17th, 2025, at the NSDA’s Campus. This event promises to be a remarkable gathering of talented individuals, all eager to showcase their skills and engage in meaningful discourse. HERE is the link to our website.

To ensure that we can accommodate everyone and provide a seamless experience, we kindly request that all registrations be submitted by Wednesday, February 12th, 2025. This will allow us to finalize the logistics and ensure that everything is in place for a successful event. We understand the hard work and preparation that goes into each performance, and we are committed to creating an environment where every competitor can excel.

We encourage you to take full advantage of this opportunity to engage with fellow competitors, share your insights, and hone your skills. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or new to the world of speech and debate, the Presidents' Day Invite is designed to challenge and inspire you.

~

Lighthouse Forensics Founder

Cole Harrison, Paris Wilson, Trey Baker

Format

Rounds will all be judged via NSDA Campus. There will be two sessions of Congressional Debate and finals. Three preset prelims rounds of all debate with two more power matched prelim rounds, then semis and finals. World Schools Debate and Policy Debate will have two preset prelim rounds with one power matched prelim round, then semis and finals. There will be four rounds of Individual Events with two semi final rounds and a final round. A schedule can be found on Tabroom.

Events and Entries

Events

If there is an event that isn’t offered that you would like to see offered, please email the Tournament Director. 

Entries

The minimum number of entries for Policy Debate, Public Forum, Lincoln Douglas, and World Schools Debate are all four entries from at least three different schools. 

There must be at least 12 Congressional Debate entries from at least three different schools for Congress to be run.

There must be at least four entries in any Interpretation Individual Event for Interpretation IEs to be held.

There must be at least four entries in any Public Address Individual Event for Public Address IEs to be held.

A contestant may enter into one flavor of any kind of debate OR enter in individual events. If IEs are chosen, it is to the coach's discretion how many events are entered, however rounds will not be held or changed to facilitate multi entry. 

All entry fees are $5. To pay fees on Venmo or PayPal, send them to @treybaker522 and then send the receipt by email to the tournament director. If those payment methods don’t work for you, please reach out and something can be arranged. It costs $20 to drop an entry after the deadline. 

All entries must be registered on Tabroom, fill out the Entry Form, and have fines paid before they will be allowed off the waitlist. 

Judging

One judge is required for every two debate entries or fraction thereof. One judge is required for every five Congressional Debate entries or fraction thereof. One judge is required for every five Speech entries or fraction thereof.

Judges are required to stay one round beyond their school’s elimination from the tournament. There are judges for hire. Judges may also register themselves for hire on Tabroom.