Speech & Debate Information

S/D Tab:  Room 207

Judges Holding:  Room 204

Hospitality: 105

If you are interested in being a judge for this contest, please contact Melissa Witt at mwitt@ptisd.org. 

We use Tabroom for ballots. UIL topics will be offered. If the registration numbers do not support a contest, we will cancel it by January 8.  Please note any conflicts with the academic schedule when cross-registering. 

General Guidelines - Event rules are included below. Please note the following for general practice:

• Do not enter a competition room until a judge is present

• All debaters will adhere to the Rules of Evidence followed by NSDA and UIL

• Internet usage is permitted in CX and LD, but not in Extemp

• Students may use phones to keep time if the phones are in airplane mode

• Judging expectations: do not use phone during rounds, except to keep time

UIL Interp - Prose/Poetry will be reader's choice. We will not be enforcing UIL category restrictions, but if you have questions about UIL categories or other documentation requirements we are happy to help. Time limit will be 7 minutes with no grace period. Students will not be disqualified but may be penalized for going over time. 

UIL Extemp - Extemp categories will be Persuasive & Informative. Students will have 30 minutes to prepare and 7 minutes to speak, with no grace period. A speaker may finish their sentence if time is called. Students will not be disqualified but may be penalized for going over time.

UIL Debate Events - UIL internet usage, sharing, and information access rules will be strictly followed. The UIL Electronic Retrieval Devices Guidelines for CX and LD can be found here. 

• CX Debate - Resolved: The United States federal government should significantly increase its exploration and/or development of the Arctic. 

• UIL LD - Resolved: Resolved: Developing countries ought to prioritize globalization over protectionism.

• Public Forum - Resolved: The People’s Republic of China should substantially reduce its international extraction of natural resources.

NSDA Events - Public Forum will be allowed internet access and will utilize the NSDA January topic; All NSDA speaking events will have a 30-second grace period. (HI, DI, OO, INFO, Duo, POI)

Impromptu Speaking - Students will draw 3 topics and have 2 minutes to prep and 5 minutes to speak, no grace period. 

If you drop after the January 14 deadline, you will forfeit registration fees. Additional fees equivalent to the registration fee may be assessed for late drops that significantly impact pairings. Please contact Melissa Witt (mwitt@ptisd.org) as soon as possible with any drops.